Mercedes-Benz delivers 350th city bus to Heilbronn with five Citaro LE hybrids
350
8.5%
63
What Happened
Representatives of Stadtwerke Heilbronn (SWHN) arrived in a restored 1950 Mercedes-Benz O 3500 vintage bus for the handover of five Citaro LE hybrid buses at the Mannheim plant. The 12.13-meter buses can carry up to 97 passengers and are powered by a 220 kW diesel engine with a 14 kW mild hybrid motor that reduces fuel consumption by up to 8.5 percent. Safety features include Sideguard Assist 2, Traffic Sign Assist, and a reversing camera.
350buses
Since the first O 3500 delivery in 1950
Delivery of one eCitaro G and two eCitaro fully electric buses
Delivery of three additional eCitaro and five Citaro G articulated buses
- SWHN now operates 63 buses, all Mercedes-Benz, including 22 articulated buses.
- The fleet carries about 27 million passengers per year on 13 routes covering 207 kilometers.
Why this matters
The milestone highlights the ongoing modernization of Heilbronn's public transport fleet with hybrid and electric buses, improving efficiency and reducing emissions.
Terms in This Story
- Citaro LE
- A low-entry city bus model by Mercedes-Benz, designed for accessibility and efficiency.
- Mild hybrid system
- A hybrid system with a small electric motor that assists the engine during acceleration, improving fuel economy.
- eCitaro
- The fully electric version of the Mercedes-Benz Citaro city bus.
- Sideguard Assist 2
- A safety system that monitors the side of the bus to prevent collisions with pedestrians or cyclists.
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