Mercedes-Benz will introduce its all-electric Citaro city bus in September 2018 at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover.

The plug-in Citaro will feature a Li-ion battery pack with a modular design, enabling customized solutions. The vehicle is driven by electric wheel hub motors at the rear axle, a system already proven in the Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid.

The new e-bus features a novel thermal management system for its drive and climate control systems, which Mercedes says reduces energy consumption significantly, extending range.

The electric Citaro is currently being put through the same comprehensive cycle of trials and testing to which every other Mercedes bus is subjected. Prototypes have successfully undergone winter testing in icy temperatures at the Arctic circle as well as summer testing in the heat of Spain’s Sierra Nevada.

Mercedes is already tendering purchase contracts, and plans to start series production in the autumn of next year.

Source: Mercedes-Ben