GERMANY: Daimler Buses and Mercedes-Benz Buses are celebrating the latest milestone for the long-running Citaro product line. Since its premiere in 1997, 70,000 units of the most successful bus in the history of Daimler Buses have now rolled off the production lines. As part of the Daimler Buses eMobility Days 2.0 in Berlin, Till Oberwörder, CEO of Daimler Buses, and Head of Marketing, Sales and Customer Services Mirko Sgodda ceremoniously presented the symbolic key of the anniversary bus, a fully electric eCitaro, to Karen Bosch, COO at Netherlands operator HTM Personenvervoer NV of The Hague.
Till said: “It fills us with joy and pride to celebrate this special milestone together with HTM Personenvervoer. The 70,000th Citaro from our production is, of course, an electric Citaro. The vehicle is not only proof of the innovative strength of Daimler Buses and the trust of customers, but also shows our commitment to a more sustainable future. The fully electric eCitaro symbolises the path that Daimler Buses will continue to pursue consistently in the coming years.” Karen Bosch added: “With the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, HTM is making a significant contribution to the sustainable development of the public transport in The Hague region. The eCitaro offers our passengers comfortable and quiet transport. For our bus drivers, this also means a new, modern workplace where they can continue to take passengers to their destination with joy and professionalism.”
The anniversary bus is part of an order for 95 12m eCitaros and 18m eCitaro Gs. The three-door solo bus has the latest generation of NMC 3 batteries, with pantograph charging. In addition to the buses, Daimler Buses, together with Daimler Buses Solutions, supplied HTM with the e-infrastructure required for operations. HTM Personenvervoer NV operates the tram and city bus network in The Hague and surrounding area. The unique success story of the Mercedes Benz Citaro.
Multiple generations
At its world premiere in 1997, the first generation heralded the turnaround towards passenger-friendly, economical and safe city transport with low-floor buses with its smart, modern exterior and interior design and innovative technology.
After more than 32,000 vehicles, the second generation of the Citaro further expanded on the model’s strengths from 2011, including being the world’s first city bus to comply with the Euro VI emissions standard in 2012. The fully electric eCitaro was introduced in 2018.
