Daimler delivers EVs in Germany and Dublin
The transport company SWEG, headquartered in Lahr in the Black Forest in Germany, will bring the first Mercedes-Benz eCitaro REX from series production to the road. Daimler announced that two new Fuso eCanter that have gone into mail-delivery operation in Dublin.
First to the eCitaro REX: It is a variant of the well-known battery-electric bus featuring an electric motor fitted with a fuel cell range extender on board will go to Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-AG (SWEG) and is planned to go into operation in the course of the next year. The transportation company from Lahr in the Black Forest and Daimler Buses have now signed the corresponding letter of intent.
Mercedes had already announced the eCitaro with built-in fuel cell as a range extender for 2022 when the classic eCitaro was unveiled in July 2018. The fuel cell generates electricity from hydrogen during the journey and supports the battery in feeding the electric motor. This will increase the range from currently around 150 to more than 300 kilometres, according to Stephan Wisser, head of SWEG’s bus technology and workshops division. “This means that the eCitaro REX can complete our usual daily rounds without recharging.”
By the way: According to Mercedes, the other variants of the eCitaro announced in mid-2018 are also on schedule: Before the end of this year, the manufacturer is announcing models with a new generation of lithium-ion batteries and further vehicles with solid-state batteries – “a pioneering achievement in automotive engineering,” comments Mercedes. Should Mercedes succeed in this large-scale development this year, the word “pioneering achievement” is no exaggeration.
But back to the eCitaro REX: SWEG is planning to use the two-door solo bus from 2022, probably initially at its headquarters in Lahr. The procurement costs will be partly covered by state and federal subsidies. The innovative model is already the second electric bus in the fleet. The first – a Solaris Urbino 12 electric – was launched in 2018. While the transport operator already has the necessary charging infrastructure, concepts for a supplementary hydrogen supply still need to be developed. SWEG has a total of 400 of its own buses and around 60 leased buses active in Baden-Württemberg and neighbouring areas. In addition to urban and interurban transport, the company’s business activities also include rail freight and passenger transport.
Fuso eCanter deliver mail in Dublin
Meanwhile, even more is happening under the Daimler umbrella: the Japanese subsidiary Mitsubishi Fuso Truck & Bus Corporation (MFTBC) has delivered two more Fuso eCanter in the Irish capital Dublin. The recipient is the state postal service An Post. With the delivery in Dublin, the fully electric light truck is now on the road in ten European cities in Germany, Great Britain, France, Portugal, the Netherlands, Denmark and Ireland.
The small series, all-electric 7.5-tonne small truck was delivered to selected customers for the first time in 2017. The original delivery target of 150 vehicles was reached in about two years, Daimler reported. Further deliveries in Europe, Japan and the USA will follow successively.
With reporting by Cora Werwitzke, France.
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