buses and coaches represent one part of the solution to the traffic problems of today and tomorrow, as Mercedes-Benz aims to show through its presence at the Global Public Transport Summit GPTS in Montreal/Canada, the congress of the International Association of Public Transport, UITP. Experts from Mercedes-Benz will be talking to visitors from all over the world about the wide-ranging portfolio offered under the Mercedes-Benz brand name and providing a glimpse into the exciting future of urban transport.
Ongoing success: the international best-seller, Citaro, celebrates its birthday
The full panoply of urban mobility that local public transport can offer, with buses and coaches from a single company – something that only Mercedes-Benz can provide. The portfolio of the full-range supplier operating under the three-pointed star ranges from minibuses and the classic forms of rigid and articulated buses through to the large-capacity bus. In addition, a wide range of different chassis is available for superstructures of all types, as well as special variants such as complete school buses built on a chassis base.
A core element is the international best-seller, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro. This model is now in its second generation and 20 years old, with sales set to hit the 50 000 mark before the end of 2017. And so the Citaro is not just celebrating its birthday in Montreal, but also marking a milestone as the world’s best-selling city bus.
Numerous technical refinements and additions to the model range have enhanced the appeal of this top-selling model further: the Citaro G articulated bus has recently become available in right-hand drive as well. And with the 19.73 metre long CapaCity, derived from the Citaro, Mercedes-Benz has now bridged the gap between the popular Citaro G and the imposing large-capacity bus CapaCity L.
Exciting future: the electric-powered Citaro is on its way
The GPTS is also an occasion for a glimpse into the future, where the outlines of the all-electric-powered regular-service city bus Citaro are gradually becoming clearer. With the premiere due next year, prototypes are currently undergoing extensive testing. Mercedes-Benz is not looking at the electrically-powered city bus in isolation, but as an integral part of a highly efficient transport system.
Expert advice: e-mobility consulting from Daimler Buses
It is for this reason that Daimler Buses now offers a comprehensive consultancy service for transport operators, aimed at supporting them in the development of reliable e-mobility concepts. To help customers achieve the right balance between the conflicting demands of range, charging infrastructure, payload and costs, experts from the recently established Mobility Solutions unit of Daimler Buses provide advice on their specific questions about e-mobility. The systematic approach taken by this e-mobility consulting team, supported by intelligent data systems, ensures that each vehicle is optimally configured for the purposes intended and for the topography of a city or region where the bus will be used. The experts will also be attending the GPTS.
The future has arrived: the spectacular Future Bus with CityPilot
The future is also embodied in the Mercedes-Benz Future Bus with CityPilot. Its successful world premiere last summer on a public BRT line in Amsterdam catapulted the city bus into the future: the Future Bus with CityPilot marks an important step on the way to safe and efficient autonomous driving, while at the same time providing important input in terms of attractive interior and exterior design for urban buses of the future.
With its wide-ranging product portfolio, the international best-seller Citaro and all its recent innovations, as well as the forthcoming all-electric Citaro and the Future Bus with CityPilot, Mercedes-Benz is able to provide answers to all the issues that will be the focus of discussions for the International Association UITP and its members from all over the world at the GPTS in Montreal: energy-efficient mobility, digitalisation and the redefinition of urban passenger transport.
