..:: AUTO REPORT AFRICA ::..
Related Articles
Daimler Buses hit a milestone, Friday, November 29, 2019, as the 55,555th Citaro bus rolled off production line and the historic anniversary bus is a Mercedes-Benz eCitaro destined for Sweden.
Exclusively equipped, the eCitaro anniversary bus really tells the breath-taking story of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro
A big occasion, without any iota of doubt, for the low-floor Citaro bus, Mercedes-Benz delivered the 55,555th urban bus of the successful model series.
The anniversary bus is an all-electric, locally emission-free eCitaro delivered to the Swedish Bergkvarabuss AB company in the port town of Trelleborg.
A milestone in bus history
Commenting on the historic roll-out, Christor Biondi, Head of Sales at Daimler Buses, said, “The Citaro is a milestone in bus history. And with the arrival of the eCitaro, its development has entered a new phase. It is our answer to the need for quiet and locally emission-free urban buses. As a result, it is also making towns a much better place to live.”
The anniversary bus is part of an order for ten eCitaro buses for use in the port town of Trelleborg in southern Sweden. It is the second eCitaro order which Bergkvarabuss AB has placed. The bus company based in Kalmar on southern Sweden’s Baltic coast is active in all manner of bus travel, be that school buses, regular-service lines and inter-city routes. Bergkvarabuss AB operates shuttle buses to cruise ships in port towns. The company has more than 30 locations in Sweden, Denmark and Germany and has a fleet of more than 1000 buses, thus making it the biggest privately-owned bus company in all of Europe.
Equipped with exclusivity and safety
The comprehensive and exclusive equipment of the anniversary bus for Bergkvarabuss AB demonstrates both the high level of comfort and the individuality of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro. It has an especially elegant appearance thanks to the dark-tinted double-glazed side windows and the additional low-slung side windows between the axles. A pedestrian warning bell makes passers-by aware of the presence of the quiet electric bus.
Passengers enter the eCitaro via two large doors, both of which are electrically-operated pivot-and-slide doors with folding ramps for passengers with reduced mobility. The fully climate-controlled interior is equipped to a very high standard and includes comfortable InterStar Eco seating for intercity operations, as well as ambient lighting, USB sockets for charging mobile devices and side-wall panelling in needle felt. Passengers who are hard of hearing or deaf benefit from the presence of a sound processor.
Equally exemplary is the safety equipment on-board the anniversary vehicle, with the Sideguard Assist turning aid, the Preventive Brake Assist active braking assistant and the electronic stability program ESP. Thanks to the top-of-the-range equipment with twelve battery packs and a total battery capacity of 292 kWh, the eCitaro achieves practicable ranges even in the climes of Scandinavian winters.
The breath-taking story of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro
The 55,555th Citaro is a further highlight in the breath-taking success story of the low-floor urban bus from Mercedes-Benz. Already at the world premiere of the first generation in 1997, the unique exterior and interior design, not to mention the innovative technologies on-board, signalled the start of a transition towards passenger-friendly, economical and safe urban transport using low-floor buses.
After selling more than 32,000 units, the second generation of the Citaro arrived from 2011 and continued to build on the strengths of the original best-seller. This included it becoming the first urban bus in the world to meet the Euro VI emissions standard in 2012. Be it in environmental protection, safety technology or comfort: the Mercedes-Benz Citaro has time and time again set new benchmarks, and thus holds a pioneering role within the market – most recently with the introduction of the all-electric eCitaro. Unveiled last year, it is already successfully operating in a number of European cities.
Throughout its career, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro has received many accolades. Among these, it was voted European “Bus of the Year” on several occasions, including this year, when the low-emission, economical Citaro hybrid took home the award. Since 1998, the Citaro has also been a regular winner in the “Best Commercial Vehicle” category.
