Leinfelden-Echterdingen/ Madrid - The Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro fuel cell with hydrogen-based fuel cell range extender has won two awards in the national competition organized by the Spanish editorial group EDITEC. A jury consisting of 817 transport company managers and technical experts evaluated the participating commercial vehicles for freight and passenger transportation in various categories. 24 companies with a total of 28 models took part in the competition. The Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro fuel cell convinced the panel of experts in two categories and received the awards "Bus of the Year" and "Ecological Bus of the Year". The awards ceremony took place in Madrid at the beginning of the year.

The Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro fuel cell, a fully electric low-floor bus with a fuel cell as a range extender, offers a locally emission-free solution for sustainable and efficient mobility in the city. The combination of battery-electric drive with fuel cell for range extension enables a range of up to 400 km without recharging for average requirements. This means that the eCitaro fuel cell can be used on almost all urban routes that could previously only be served by diesel-powered vehicles. Unlike hydrogen buses with a small buffer battery, the fuel cell is not used as the main power source, but only to extend the range. As electricity from the grid is comparatively cheaper than hydrogen, the all-electric city bus enables particularly economical operation.