Mercedes-Benz has produced more than 1,000 eCitaro electric buses
20 June 2023
More than 1,000 units of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro low-floor electric bus have rolled off the production line in Mannheim in the nearly five years since its start of series production at the end of 2018.
The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro combines the tried and tested platform of the best-selling Mercedes-Benz city bus with new technological solutions and a novel design. In 2018, the eCitaro was initially launched as a solo bus with a battery capacity of up to 243 kWh. From the outset, the new innovative thermal management system reduced the energy needed for heating, ventilation and air conditioning by around 40% compared to the internal combustion engine Citaro, thus laying the foundations to give the eCitaro a practical range.
The next development steps to follow at short intervals had already been outlined at its introduction: solutions for opportunity charging for the eCitaro. With the second-battery generation, the driving range was extended without increasing the weight, opening the way for the successful eCitaro G articulated bus, which was launched onto the market in mid-2020.
Another milestone at the end of 2022 was marked by the introduction of the third generation of high-performance NMC lithium-ion batteries (nickel, manganese and cobalt oxide). They increase the capacity of the battery cells by 50% at the same weight, thus allowing driving ranges of up to 280 kilometers (solo bus).
For even longer routes, the eCitaro fuel cell is ideal for extending the driving range. It made its world premiere at the beginning of June at the Global Public Transport Summit 2023 in Barcelona. In the currently available articulated bus variant, the eCitaro fuel cell can run for around 350 kilometers without recharging, while offering space for up to 128 passengers.
The basis of the eCitaro fuel cell is a battery-electric drive system with NMC 3 high-performance batteries, while the fuel cell with an output of 60 kW serves as a hydrogen-based electricity generator to extend the driving range.
This combination enables particularly economical operation because electricity from the grid is available at a lower price than green hydrogen. Compared to a hydrogen-only vehicle with a small buffer battery, the eCitaro fuel cell is also much better at storing the energy recovered by recuperation when braking fully and profitably in the large batteries.
I think that is the sweet spot.
Use fuel cells where they can do a job more effectively than an ever larger battery.
Not mentioned is that the fuel cell range extender option would also give far superior cold weather performamce, as the fuel cell can keep both the passengers and the battery at optimum temperature.
Posted by: Davemart | 20 June 2023 at 12:33 AM
Hi Davemart,
time will tell. My numbers say a battery for 4 hours operation + 1 hour fast charging should be much cheaper than H2+fuel cells.
Truth is, I still don't know how much potential there is in H2 for lowering prices.
As an example, in Spain we have a company that sells hydrogen stations and they speak of 1 million euros each, plus frequent technical revisions.
I would like to see how much does Tesla ask for a megacharger, but my experience with power electronics says it should be much cheaper and requiere little maintenance.
Posted by: peskanov | 20 June 2023 at 01:29 AM
Hi peskanov:
Perhaps you would share your sourced figures and calculations to show that the battery solution is more economic than H2 including fast charge battery degradation, and the cost of the fast charge station wherever the bus is when it needs a top up.
Hydrogen fuelling only needs to happen at base, and they can run way more than 4 hours
You do not source the figures for the hydrogen stations either - 'a company' is pretty vague!
Nor is there any discussion of how much hydrogen we are talking about - a modern petrol station can easily cost more than a million, as they don't just do it the old fashioned way where most of out network came from of ignoring the pollution and leakage.
Actually, I have higher figures than you for the hydrogen stations, so I am not just trying to be dismissive, just nail down sources.
Here is a discussion of hydrogen costs, 18 months old, so rather out of date:
https://www.e3s-conferences.org/articles/e3sconf/abs/2021/88/e3sconf_ati2021_07010/e3sconf_ati2021_07010.html
The Mercedes solution is only to be used where the range etc are needed, and costs of hydrogen delivered are now coming down on a very fast path, similar to earlier days for batteries.
My view is that the accountants at Mercedes have got their sums right.
Posted by: Davemart | 20 June 2023 at 03:08 AM
Daimler Truck does have this right.
Comments are based on this 2023 reference:
https://media.daimlertruck.com/marsMediaSite/en/instance/ko/World-premiere-at-Global-Public-Transport-Summit-2023-Mercedes-Benz-eCitaro-fuel-cell--greater-range-thanks-to-fuel-cell.xhtml?oid=52237510
Right Size Fuel Cell 60 kW (half the size of a Toyota Mirai FC, i.e., minimum platinum).
Quote from reference:
“ the fuel cell with an output of 60 kW serves as a hydrogen generator to extend the range. This combination enables particularly economical operation because electricity from the grid is available at a lower price than green hydrogen, ”
“ . . . and the sophisticated electronic control system regulates the mix of battery power and fuel cell operation in the best possible way. In contrast to a fully fledged hydrogen vehicle with a small buffer battery, the eCitaro fuel cell is also significantly better at completely and usefully storing the energy recovered during
braking by recuperation in the large batteries.“
“ Last but not least, the vast battery capacity of at maximum 392 kWh in the articulated bus also enables high levels of drive output to be used over longer distances – for example on inclines in mountainous terrain – without the fuel cell having to operate in the top, inefficient power range.”
Most important consideration:
“ Thanks to the long range, opportunity charging en route is not envisaged; charging is always carried out by plug at the depot.”
That is - No Infrastructure Needed and “Green Hydrogen” from the Bus Depot Solar Grid. Maryland and California in the USA are planning just that.
“ Maryland Plans Largest US Green Hydrogen Powered Bus Depot”
https://www.enr.com/articles/56473-maryland-plans-largest-us-green-hydrogen-powered-bus-depot
Even in the not so sunny UK.
https://bus-news.com/first-bus-to-install-solar-panels-across-20-uk-bus-depots/#:~:text=Infrastructure,-by%20Tiana%20May&text=First%20Bus%20has%20invested%202.5,office%20equipment%20and%20engineering%20bays.
Posted by: Gryf | 20 June 2023 at 08:22 AM
Cheers, Gryf.
Top info and sources, as always.
Perhaps I should add that operationally, having some buses with fuel cell range extenders gives loads more flexibility to operations and simplifies management, as they can be used as more or less drop in replacement for diesel, which exclusively battery electric can't.
Even having a few in your fleet means that if the weather turns nasty etc, you are far less likely to have to cancel services.
Obviously the more you have, the more your flexibility, but in practise even relatively few would help a lot.
Posted by: Davemart | 20 June 2023 at 09:47 AM
Davermart,
yes, I am just using ballpark figures.
However:
- eCitaro fuel cell bus, 1.5 million euros, BYD high end BEV bus 0.5 millions.
- Tesla supercharger stations are estimated to cost around 0.25 millions (with several charging posts); H2 stations with several hydrogen compressors are usually on the millions range.
- Cost per km using H2 fuel vs electricity always favours electricity
I cannot see a case for H2 fuel cell buses, the numbers are just to far away.
Posted by: peskanov | 20 June 2023 at 01:26 PM
Hi peskanov
Again, I have no idea where you are getting your figures from
I have only:
' With regard to the start of series production, Daimler Buses says that the articulated bus version can be ordered at any time starting from the trade fair premiere. The manufacturer has not yet given any details on the market debut of the solo bus, and the bus manufacturer also has not mentioned prices.'
https://h2.live/en/news/2936/
It does not seem reasonable to lift the figures from BYD, with totally different specs for the regular bus either,
However, the fuel cell version will obviously be substantially more expensive, or their extra utility would mean that they would be used as the default option, since they can always run just on electric where that does the trick for the journey.
And again, they will only be bought for part of the fleet, so no way even if your guess of the price premium is accurate would total costs rise proportionately.
Your statement that they are currently much more expensive is however accurate, but the market is being developed on the basis that costs will fall substantially, much as the battery electric market for expanded on the same expectation:
https://www.sustainable-bus.com/news/fuel-cell-buses-europe-funding/
' Fuel cell buses (FCEB) today have a higher TCO than diesel and battery-electric buses. However, by the end of the decade, as hydrogen prices fall we expect fuel cell buses to beat diesel buses on TCO in Europe, assuming hydrogen prices are under $5 per kilogram by then. '
Note that that is for fuel cell buses, and the hybrid Daimler are building is far less dependent on hydrogen cost, as mostly they would use electricity.
Posted by: Davemart | 20 June 2023 at 03:57 PM
Last Comment:
The Daimler eCitaro Fuel Cell Bus is there to remove any range requirement that might make one want to select a Diesel or NG bus. Plus if you are a public bus operator it makes sense to generate your own H2.
The eCitaro is basically a BEV bus with a range extender, which guess what, uses a “Toyota” Fuel Cell.
https://www.toyota-europe.com/news/2022/toyota-motor-europe-to-supply-toyota-fuel-cell-module
Posted by: Gryf | 20 June 2023 at 05:49 PM
Davemart,
you are right, the bus price I found is not for the fuel cell version of the Citaro, it's just the BEV version:
https://www.electrive.com/2021/05/18/basel-orders-54-ecitaro-buses/
This bus is similar to the BYD long range bus, but price is x3!
So, let's say Mercedes (Daimler) is just uncompetitive, no matter the powertrain.
I searched for chinese FC buses, and found this recent one:
https://www.sustainable-bus.com/alternative-drive-coach/sinosynergy-fuel-cell-coach-iaa/
Price is "under $500000". Pretty decent for an electric bus of this size, and very similar to long range BEV buses.
Posted by: peskanov | 21 June 2023 at 12:52 AM
Hi peskanov
' So, let's say Mercedes (Daimler) is just uncompetitive, no matter the powertrain.'
I've got no idea if that applies to buses too, but in the case of Mercedes cars the price premium over many others is large, so on the same basis one could argue that the whole of their output is uncompetitive!
Likewise much European industrial output, when compared to Chinese.
I don't think one can arrive at an evaluation of the costs of adding the range extender by that comparison, as the cost basis is very different.
Likewise subsidies, and in Germany over the next few years hydrogen for heavy transport is likely to get lots of them, just as batteries did in earlier days.
Again, I doubt that the accountants at Daimler are incompetent, and in the German context at least and perhaps in the European one, to the bus operator the costs are likely to be viable, or they ain't gonna take them.
Of course, it is a very different debate whether the subsidies needed are wise, but fuel cells and hydrogen are at a different stage of the development curve than batteries, which got similar subsidy, and costs are likely to come down in a similar way with volume as well as experience.
Posted by: Davemart | 21 June 2023 at 01:14 AM
Shell has defined the H2-folly as an economic disaster and as a consequence has shut down all of its' H2-stations in the UK.
https://www.electrive.com/2022/10/18/shell-quietly-closes-all-hydrogen-filling-stations-in-the-uk/
Posted by: yoatmon | 21 June 2023 at 07:54 AM
@yoatman:
From your link, what Shell actually say:
'Shell has closed down all its hydrogen filling stations in the UK, saying the installed “prototype tech had reached its end of life”. However, this is just a small part of the story since the oil and gas corporation now wants to refocus – on bigger vehicles.
Instead of waiting for the very few fuel cell cars to come and refill, Shell wants to explore opportunities to build “multi-modal hubs for heavy-duty trucks” in the UK. '
Do try to make some space between what is announced and the spin you wish to put on it,
Posted by: Davemart | 21 June 2023 at 10:41 AM