Public buses are a win for the environment because they help reduce the number of vehicles on the road, thereby reducing the amount of tailpipe emissions getting into the atmosphere. However, when the bus is electric, it is a double win as it cuts down pollution even further. The city of Darmstadt in Germany is recording such a double win as it sees 24 electric buses go into operation.
The eCitaro buses made by Mercedez-Benz are being introduced by HEAG mobile, a public transport operator as it plans to switch to a 100 percent electric operation. They are powered by nickel manganese cobalt batteries that are suitable for high-performance charging.
HEAG mobile is launching two versions of the eCitaro bus, 11 solo and 13 articulated.
All the new buses have advanced driver assists like Sideguard Assist to help the driver take turns and Preventive Brake Assist, a braking assistance system. The driver’s seat is screened off by a large glass plane for protection from violence and airborne viruses. There is also an air filtering system on-board. The solo version has four security cameras, while the articulated has six.
There are plans to replace all the nearly 80 buses in HEAG mobile fleet by 2025. The operator took its first electric bus delivery in 2020 in a batch of five. By the time it replaces all its diesel-powered buses, HEAG mobilo will save approximately 2.5 million liters of fuel annually, translating to about 6.600 tonnes of CO2 prevented from polluting the environment.
Renewable Brief 