Mercedes-Benz Confirms Electric Citaro Bus Coming Next Year

Following earlier reports that Mercedes-Benz (Daimler) was working on an electric version of its Citaro bus, company execs have revealed that the electric Citaro will be entering series production in 2018.

The comments were made at the recent Global Public Transport Summit (GPTS) in Montreal/Canada, where execs also noted that prototypes were already being tested in real-world conditions, in various places.

The company execs apparently stated that the electric Citaro would “open up a new chapter in electric mobility, because Mercedes-Benz is not looking at the city bus in isolation, but as an integral part of a highly efficient transport system” — as paraphrased by Green Car Congress.

Here’s more from that coverage: “Daimler Buses therefore now offers a comprehensive consultancy service for transport operators, aimed at supporting them in the development of reliable e-mobility concepts viable for fleet use. To help customers achieve the right balance between the conflicting demands of range, charging infrastructure, payload and costs, experts from the recently established Mobility Solutions unit of Daimler Buses provide advice on their specific questions about e-mobility.”

That makes sense, since a lack of awareness is probably now one of the primary barriers to wider adoption of electric bus technologies — which are otherwise looking increasingly attractive, year by year.

The Mobility Solutions unit of Daimler Buses reportedly works with customers, taking into account the specific topography of the regions in question, the available charging infrastructure, and the intended uses and routes when configuring the buses in question.