GERMAN family run bus operator Egenberger is celebrating its pair of Mercedes-Benz e-Citaro electric buses having amassed 200,000KM collectively in their first year of regular urban service, Daimler reports.
In reaching the record-worthy mileage milestone, the Thierhaupten (near Augsburg)-based Egenberger Bus Company’s fully electric e-Citaros did so while offering “excellent comfort and safety equipment”, Daimler explains.
Egenberger – described as a “bustling family business with a modern fleet” – are “…living proof of the innovative power of medium-sized bus companies, as well as of the versatility and steadfastness of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro“.
Its two fully electric urban buses have covered a combined 200,000 kilometres within the space of exactly one year of tough regular-service operations, Daimler explains.
In doing so, Egenberger has saved more than 100 tonnes of CO2 emissions by using the two eCitaro buses on the 506e line of the Augsburger Verkehrs- und Tarifverbund (AVV) public transport network, Daimler states.
Head of Sales, Marketing and Customer Services at Daimler Buses, Mirko Sgodda, said: “Together with our long-term customer and partner Egenberger, we are extremely pleased about the very good performance of the eCitaro, in particular as it is used on a 20km-long regional bus route.”
“This represents a further major step in the changeover of public transport to e-Mobility,” he explained.
RELIABILITY PROVEN
Egenberger bus company managing director and owner Paul Kienberger added: “Our maxim is to provide reliable regular-service bus routes. And one thing we can rely on is the eCitaro.”
“We constantly explore new approaches when it comes to actively aligning our operations with environmental concerns and the conservation of resources.
“The extremely modern drive system of the eCitaro, as well as its efficient climate control system with heat pump, are a major step in the right direction,” he stated.
UNI DAYS
The two regular-service buses don’t just sport attractive decals, but also the ‘blue angel’ seal of approval for environmental protection. Additionally, since 15 July, 2020, the pair has been in almost permanent operation between Zusmarshausen and Augsburg, the companies confirm.
Daimler highlights that an unusual aspect is that the electric urban buses are used on a 20km-long regional bus route. Its 21 bus stops include the terminus stops at Augsburg’s University Hospital with its university campus and the Zusmarshausen school centre, meaning the route enjoys high numbers of passengers, it explains.
The bus batteries have a capacity of 292kWh, which get charged both at the terminus stops, as well as by means of intermediate (‘opportunity’) charging along the route.
Subsidised by the German federal government and the State of Bavaria, this project will run until 2026, Daimler states.
The two eCitaro buses are used alternatingly with the operator’s Citaro hybrid. This not only covers the slightly longer 506 line, which follows an almost identical route, but also serves as the basis for attractive comparisons, they explain. Mileage, energy consumption and CO2 emissions savings can even be called up in real time both on the Egenberger bus company’s website, as well as on the site of the AVV public transport network, they explain.
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E-BUS APPEAL
For the passengers themselves, and as with all e-bus experiences, the trips need to be welcoming, pleasant and noteworthy – for all the right reasons.
According to the company, besides this duo’s talent as reliable endurance vehicles, the two eCitaro buses offer, “…truly impressive safety and comfort equipment.”
Coloured LED strips mark the entrance on the outside and the exit on the inside while folding ramps at the doors facilitate access for passengers with limited mobility.
Additional glazing on the sides of the vehicle underneath the beltline allows even more light than usual into the already welcoming interior, says Daimler.
Comfortable Inter Star Eco intercity seats with high backrests and leather-clad head restraints greet passengers while information is provided on three TFT monitors. For those who prefer their own entertainment, the buses are equipped with numerous USB sockets for charging mobile devices and a Wi-Fi router with internet connection.
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ABOUT EGENBERGER
The Egenberger bus company is a third-generation, family run business, which partners with the Verkehrs und Tarifverbund AVV (public transport association) in Augsburg. It also operates tourist travel and a bus rental service, it explains.
Most of its 70-bus fleet comprises Mercedes-Benz vehicles. Its touring coaches are well-known for their conspicuous paintwork, the company states.
Egenberger also values state-of-the-art technology; hence why Egenberger has been operating the frugal, low-emission Citaro hybrid for the past three years. That stated, the two eCitaro buses were the next logical step in this development, it confirms.
Photography: courtesy Daimler Europe