German town operating a 100% gas-fuelled fleet adds additional Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGTs
GERMANY Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses, has handed over the symbolic key to 12 Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT (Natural Gas Technology) buses to Dr Walter Casazza, manager of the public utility, Augsburger Stadtwerke. Also present was the town’s mayor, Dr Kurt Gribl.
At the handover outside Augsburg town hall, Hartmut emphasised the importance of the new, environmentally-friendly natural gas-powered fleet from Mercedes-Benz for Daimler Buses. “The fact that Augsburger Stadtwerke have chosen the Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT to update its fleet validates our efforts to continue developing alternatives to the classic diesel drive and to offer these in practical form,” he said. “The generation of natural gas engines in use here is currently the most compact in its class. What’s more, these engines run very quietly – something that is particularly advantageous within the city – and they are fully suited for renewable natural gas.”
Augsburg’s bus fleet is already using renewable natural gas 100% of the time and is the first city, Germany-wide with an almost CO2-neutral operation. Currently 89 vehicles, all powered by natural gas, are in service. The 12 new buses are a follow on delivery to the first Citaro NGT with new engine technology that was delivered in December 2015.
