GERMANY
German operator Spillman has featured in our International News pages before with it’s ecclectic designs for new buses. The company’s newest bus from Mercedes-Benz has adopted a theme recognising the twinned cities of its home town of Bietigheim-Bissingen to mark the partnerships’ 50th anniversary.
The company says that the design concept for its latest Citaro hybrid is simultaneously an ambassador for Japan, the USA, England, France and Hungary. Like the other themed vehicles in the Spillmann fleet, the Citaro wears a bright silver with contrasting blue stripes and is fitted with Mercedes-Benz’s optional Metro design package. On this bus, a stylised globe on the sides depicts the locations of the twin cities.
Bülent Menekse, Managing Director at Omnibus Spillmann GmbH, explained: “In local public transport, we are not just carrying passengers, but conveying messages as well. The bus is a mobile public space with which we can raise the awareness of our twin cities among passengers.”
The interior has individually printed side walls with illustrations showing the people and lifestyles of the partner countries. The floor is finished with a wood effect, and USB charging stations on the grab bars and seat rows as well as LED-based ceiling floodlights add to passenger appeal and comfort.
The hybrid combines a diesel engine with a 14 kW electric motor which uses electrical energy generated by the engine itself during coasting or braking. Depending on deployment and topography, Mercedes-Benz says the hybrid version uses up to 8.5% less fuel. The bus is also equipped with the Side Guard Assist assistance system and a four-camera 360-degree camera system.
