SWEG Transport company and Daimler sign letter of intent for fully electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro with fuel cell
Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehr-AG (SWEG) will launch the first Mercedes-Benz eCitaro REX (range extender) from series production on the road in 2022.Â
The Lahr transport company and the vehicle manufacturer Mercedes-Benz signed a corresponding declaration of intent on Monday, March 30, 2020.
With its declaration of intent, SWEG is already taking the next level, the eCitaro with a fuel cell as a range extender. It generates electricity from hydrogen while driving. This increases the range again and the eCitaro can finally replace conventionally powered city buses seamlessly, even with very high range requirements.
Outgoing SWEG CEO Johannes Müller said,” SWEG has always been a pioneer in the field of new and sustainable forms of mobility.”
Tobias Harms, future SWEG CEO said, “That is why we would now like to gain experience on-site in the field of hydrogen technology.”
Ulrich Bastert, Head of Marketing, Sales and Customer Services at Daimler Buses said, “The eCitaro with a fuel cell is another milestone in the development of environmentally friendly city buses. We are delighted that our partner SWEG has chosen this advanced technology.
The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro REX is a hydrogen-powered fuel cell bus. The basis for this model is the eCitaro battery-electric bus, which is equipped with a fuel cell in addition to the large traction battery. The fuel cell runs on hydrogen and generates additional electricity. This increases the range of a pure electric bus (currently around 150 kilometers) to more than 300 kilometers. “This enables the eCitaro REX to complete our usual daily rounds without reloading,” explains Stephan Wisser, head of the SWEG bus technology and workshops department.
The costs for the eCitaro REX are also covered by state and federal grants. SWEG has the necessary electricity infrastructure to operate the twelve-meter-long solo bus, and concepts for hydrogen fuel supply are currently being developed.
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