Hamburger Hochbahn, which operates 111 bus routes in Germany’s second-largest city, has ordered 20 of Mercedes-Benz’s new battery-electric Citaro city buses. The first two units are to be delivered by the end of this year.

The new, fully electrically powered Citaro will enter series production before the end of this year.

The drive system of the electric Citaro is based on the ZF AVE 130 electric portal axle, with twin electric motors at the wheel hubs. Peak output for each motor is 125 kW, and torque is 485 N·m. The modular battery packs offer a total capacity of up to 243 kWh.

Hamburger Hochbahn was one of the first customers for the first-generation Citaro in 1997, and the agency has bought more than 1,000 Citaros to date.

“The first major order for our fully electrically powered, emission-free Citaro has been received even before the official premiere, demonstrating the confidence transport operators have in our concept for electromobility in urban public transport,” said Till Oberwörder, Head of Daimler Buses. “With the Citaro, we are bringing a major component on the way to locally emission-free bus traffic to market.”

Source: Daimler via Green Car Congress