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MERCEDES-BENZ ECITARO WINS MAJOR GERMAN ENVIRONMENT AWARD

DAIMLER’s MB eCitaro has become the first fully electric city bus to win the German Government’s coveted ‘Blue Angel’ award for environmental friendliness, the company reports, recently.

Awarded by independent institutions for more than 40 years, the Blue Angel (Blauer Engel) label proves the eCitaro’s environmental friendliness and the, “…exemplary path it is taking towards locally emission-free local public transport” according to Mercedes-Benz.

It confirms the eCitaro is the first fully electric city bus entitled to bear this environmental label, with the first three bearing this prized sticker now in service with operator Jenaer Nahverkehr GmbH, in the Germany university city of Jena.

The company operates local public transport in the Free State of Thuringian, with a fleet including 43 city buses on 13 routes.

The three eCitaros form the foundation for the first electric bus fleet in Thuringia, MB confirms. They are also equipped with current collectors for intermediate charging via plugs.

The order also encompasses charging infrastructure, including a current collector charging station at the depot and at the Westbahnhof railway station, the company states. The safety equipment of the buses also includes Sideguard Assist. 

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QUALITY OF LIFE

The eco-label is further proof of the eCitaro’s successful commitment to sustainable public transport in cities and conurbations, says Daimler. This battery-powered city bus thus stands for environmentally-respectful local public transport, contributing to air purity and therefore to enhancing the quality of life in cities, it adds.

There are high standards needing to be met to achieve such an award, the company explains. For example, all-electric buses have to demonstrate a minimum capacity for their high-voltage batteries. Further prerequisites include a guarantee of at least five years or mileage of 200,000 kilometres on the batteries; the opportunity to return them at a later date; non-destructive battery change; and the availability of replacement components for up to ten years after production has ended, it says.

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In addition, the proportion of heavy metals in batteries is strictly limited, it adds. 

The requirements also cover the overall vehicle’s environmental criteria. In paints and coatings, for instance, no lead, chromium oxide or cadmium compounds are permitted. As of the start of this year, only natural refrigerants are permitted for air conditioning systems. The eCitaro meets this criterion with its CO2 air conditioning system, Daimler confirms, as well as reminding that the fully electric eCitaro adheres to tight threshold values for driving noise.

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CHOSING A WINNER

Four renowned and independent institutions have the environmental label Blue Angel, which sets demanding standards for environmentally friendly products and services.

It serves as orientation for the sustainable purchase of everyday items, through to vehicles, it states.

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The environmental label is carried by four renowned and independent institutions. The owner of the mark is the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

The German Environment Agency develops the technical and award criteria. The decision-making body is the Environmental Label Jury with representatives from numerous public institutions.

The non-profit company RAL gGmbH then listens to experts and issues the Blue Angel environmental seal, Daimler explains.

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Photography: courtesy Daimler AG

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