German city takes 24 eCitaros

German city Hesse has put 24 electric-powered Mercedes-Benz eCitaros into service.

The addition of the buses is the first step in transport operator HEAG mobilo’s of replacing almost its entire bus fleet with vehicles that are 100% electric in the next four years.

The 24 eCitaros consist of 11 solo and 13 articulated variants. HEAG mobilo plans to have replaced the present fleet of around 80 vehicles with electrically operated vehicles by 2025. In June 2020 HEAG mobilo began its electromobility campaign with five eCitaro. Once all the diesel buses have been replaced by their electrically driven counterparts, the transport company has calculated that it will save approximately 2.5 million litres of diesel fuel annually and thus avoid around 6,600 tonnes of CO2.

With more than 700 employees, HEAG mobilo operates scheduled bus routes in Darmstadt as well as in the districts of Darmstadt-Dieburg and Groß-Gerau.