Bus Vannin has been trialling the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro on its island network
The Mercedes Benz eCitaro has been on test at Isle of Man Transport, undertaking trials during May and June on a range of high-capacity commuter and tourist services covering the length and breadth of the island’s 227 square miles of land. No strangers to Mercedes Benz products, Isle of Man Transport, which operates all local services under the Bus Vannin brand, has enjoyed a recurring intake of new Citaro buses for its fleet modernisation programme over the past decade. The operator’s decision to move towards alternative power began in 2020 with the arrival of six Mercedes Benz Citaro hybrid Euro VI diesel powered buses with a compact hybrid battery module to reduce engine load and operate at zero-emissions at low speeds.
Representing the second all-electric Mercedes Benz bus trial for the operator, the newest demonstration eCitaro is a 2024 model equipped with new generation NMC3 batteries giving higher-energy cell chemistry, meaning a greater capacity and longer range.
Completing over 800 miles over a 13-day period, Mercedes-Benz says the eCitaro NMC3 fulfilled the operator’s requirements effectively and gave an impressive energy consumption average of 1.19kWh/km, leaving plenty of range to spare.
Adrian Felton, e-Mobility Manager at Daimler Buses UK, commented: “We are delighted to support Isle of Man Transport once more in its drive towards electro-mobility. The latest iteration of eCitaro, with NMC3 batteries, impressed those behind the wheel and back at base. While the greater range is a clear benefit for the operator, the reduced number of charging intervals as a result made a noticeable improvement on how deployable the bus can be.”
