Mercedes: Six eCitaros herald the electric shift in Konstanz

The transition to a zero-emission public transport system in the lakeside city of Constance begins with 6 Mercedes-Benz eCitaros, which will go into operation on routes 6 and 14 in February. The buses of the Constance fleet are called "Roter Arnold" and their future is electric. The name traces back to the "red" Mayor Fritz Arnold, who introduced the Constance bus service over 90 years ago. The conversion of the city bus fleet is expected to be completed by 2035 – this will require an average of four new electric buses to be purchased each year, according to Stadtwerke Managing Director Norbert Reuter.

High investments needed

In total, the Stadtwerke have invested around 5 million euros in procurement and charging infrastructure, with 2.3 million euros coming from subsidies from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection due to a decision by the German Bundestag, as well as a grant from the state of Baden-Württemberg.

“Public transportation, along with other forms of mobility such as bike rental systems, is the key to a climate-friendly and sustainable mobility transition,” says Mayor Uli Burchardt, who is also the Chairman of the Supervisory Board of Stadtwerke.

Details

The six eCitaros are equipped with cobalt-free solid-state batteries from the French manufacturer Blue Solutions. The maximum storage capacity of the battery is said to be available for up to 4,000 charging cycles. This results in a mileage of 1 million km, according to calculations by the city utilities, which assume that replacement of the drive battery will not be necessary during the lifetime of the bus. The three-door electric solo buses can carry 76 passengers each, 30 of them seated. The electric buses are charged overnight via plug on the premises of Stadtwerke Konstanz – charging with 100% certified green electricity. According to Stadtwerke, one charge provides at least 250 km of range. Each electric bus saves approximately 90 liters of fuel per day of operation and thus more than 300 tons of CO₂ per year, according to calculations by the transport company.