Treat your buses to better support when starting up. When fitted out with their hybrid options, the Citaro, Conecto and Intouro are even more efficient and environmentally friendly.
Omnibus Magazine
An efficient helping hand when starting.
Hybrid systems from Mercedes-Benz make bus routes more efficient.
An efficient helping hand when starting.
The bus approaches the next stop at a pacey 50 km/h, the driver slows to a halt, the doors open, passengers get off and on, the doors close, the Mercedes-Benz accelerates again and merges with the flow of traffic. All just as it always has been? No, because in the background, unnoticed, a highly efficient hybrid system has been working away. It has converted braking energy into electricity, stored it and used it to keep the engine ticking over and support the motor when accelerating.
With the optional 48-volt hybrid system for Mercedes-Benz Citaro, Conecto and Intouro buses, their diesel motors’ fuel consumption can be further reduced, increasing both efficiency and also the benefit to the environment.
Perfect for bus routes with frequent stops.
This works best when there are rapid changes between braking and acceleration, where stops are close together or there are many traffic lights and pedestrian crossings. That is: exactly in the demanding landscape of the city and in the tough conditions of urban transport, which can often drive fuel consumption to sharp peaks.
The hybrid module consists of an electric motor of max. 14 kW power, an inverter, two supercapacitors (or supercaps) on the roof and an additional coolant circuit for the e-motor and inverter.
Fascinating technology that pays off.
The disc-shaped, very robust electric motor is built in between the combustion engine and automatic gearbox. When braking or decelerating, it works as a generator, converting kinetic energy into electricity (recuperation).
The electricity gained in this way is held in the storage modules: 16 supercaps with a total capacity of 88 Wh. Supercap technology is ideal for rapid switches between charging and discharging.
The e-motor does not increase the maximum power, meaning the power and torque details of the bus remain the same. Instead, it relieves the burden on the combustion engine, thus saving fuel. The system has autarkic energy management. The interior is unaffected by the hybrid fittings. The driving style and mode of operation are unaffected.
Low voltage, high versatility.
Efficiency at Mercedes-Benz goes far beyond saving fuel. The modules are no-maintenance and designed to last the entire life of the vehicle. The 48-volt technology is at a non-dangerous voltage. By leaving out high-voltage components, operation, maintenance and aftersales are made massively simpler when compared with other hybrids.
The hybrid system can be delivered in conjunction with the compact diesel motors Mercedes-Benz OM 936 and 936 h in all variants. It is specially fitted to Mercedes-Benz Citaro, Conecto and Intouro buses. The names of the variants thus produced are Citaro hybrid, Conecto hybrid and Intouro hybrid.
