Hanover orders 48 Mercedes eCitaro buses
In order to completely electrify the bus traffic in the city centre from the Northern German city of Hanover by 2023, the public transport operator ÜSTRA ordered 48 new electric buses. After the Europe-wide tender has been completed, Daimler has been awarded the framework contract.
This contract covers the procurement of up to 30 regular electric buses (eCitaro) and 18 electric articulated buses (eCitaro G). The solo buses are 12 meters long, the articulated buses 18 meters long. The first four eCitaro buses already ordered will be delivered this year. After the necessary operational tests and driver training, the new vehicles are expected to be used on the 100/200 line at the beginning of 2020, on which three electric buses are already in service.
ÜSTRA has not yet decided on the maximum battery capacity after the pilot operation with the previous electric buses: The buses ordered each have ten high-voltage battery assemblies with a total of 243 kWh. Up to 12 modules are possible, with a capacity of 292 kWh. All eCitaro to be procured within the order are equipped with pantographs for charging while in operation, as the technology has proven itself, according to ÜSTRA. The necessary charging stations are to be set up at the terminal stops of the respective lines. In addition, two bus depots in the city are to be upgraded for overnight charging and maintenance work on the electric vehicles.
The tender was initially launched in January. “The completely emission-free local transport in the city centre from 2023 onwards will make a significant contribution to climate protection in the Hannover region”, said Volkhardt Klöppner, CEO of ÜSTRA, at the signing of the contract. The total investment in the electric buses including charging technology amounts to 52.7 million euros, of which ÜSTRA’s own share is 26.7 million euros. The rest of the funding comes from the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the local public transport contracting authority LNVG.
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