eCitaro Bus: Mercedes-Benz’ Newest Electric Vehicle
Long range, multiple battery options and advanced charging tech bring the eCitaro to the forefront of EV mass transport vehicles.
With lower top speeds needed, constant stop-and-go traffic, and the need for grunt from a standstill, it was only a matter of time before all-electric EV busses came around. While not a new technology by any means, the eCitaro is a new addition for Mercedes. According to Electric & Hybrid Vehicle Technology, the eCitaro is based on the existing and proven Citaro platform, this EV bus will bring with it impressive range, quick charging and a host of other technological advances.
Batteries are the most important part of this equation, and for the eCitaro. Six battery modules are on the bus, with two on the roof and 4 in the rear where the motor is located. Depending on usage and needs, those six modules can be expanded to a total of 10.
Concerns about charging are of course valid, as the bus is said to have a range of about 100 to 150 miles. Electricity would be transferred via a Combo-2 socket initially, and then a unique pantograph style charging system would be available for opportunity charges. Whether that would be a “dock” that the bus could drive into or a power grid of sorts is yet to be seen.
Prototype testing has already been done on the powertrain which consists of two portal axle electric motors. Each motor is capable of 125kw and 485nm with total combined power of 250kw, and 970nm. Since the Citaro has already been around for a while, and the prototype electric motors have been passing tests, most of the development has already been completed.
Production will commence at the Mannheim, Germany, plant where the internal combustion engine Citaro is currently made, and the EV version will be built along side it.
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