Daimler Buses will deliver at least 95 battery-electric solo and articulated Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and eCitaro G city buses to the city of The Hague together with the e-infrastructure required for operation by 2024. The Hague is not only the third largest city in the Netherlands, it is also the parliamentary and governmental seat of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and the capital of the province of South Holland.
The Mercedes-Benz low-floor electric buses with a length of 12 and 18 metres and state-of-the-art NMC 3 battery technology will be delivered to the transport company HTM, which operates trams, light rail vehicles and buses in the Hague region. With the new eCitaro, HTM is replacing the existing bus fleet with natural gas drive and is the first public transport operator in the Netherlands to convert its entire fleet to locally emission-free and CO2-neutral electric buses. With the transition to electrification, HTM is underlining its green commitment to public transport in the Hague region.
However, the fully electric scheduled-service buses can only achieve their full performance by being embedded in a well-planned and coordinated integrated system. In addition to supplying the all-electric eCitaro vehicles, Daimler Buses is therefore also responsible for planning and installing the complete e-infrastructure, including charging infrastructure and charging management. The complete e-package solution for HTM also includes the necessary civil engineering measures for the HTM depot in The Hague.
In Europe, only zero-emission vehicles are to be used from 2030 – in the Netherlands, however, this is to apply from 2025. The kingdom is thus becoming a pioneer in the energy revolution. For this reason, Daimler Buses is very proud to have won the tender and concluded a contract with HTM.
Joost van der Bijl, CEO of Daimler Buses Netherlands: “We are very pleased that HTM has placed its trust in us. The fact that HTM chose us after an extensive tender process confirms to us that we are on the right track with our solution for e-mobility. We are therefore looking forward to the start of our long-term cooperation with HTM and the joint realisation of a green The Hague.”
The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro and eCitaro G electric buses are equipped with the latest generation of NMC 3 batteries with lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt-oxide cells. Mercedes-Benz low-floor electric buses are charged at HTM via pantographs.
All eCitaro buses for use in the HTM fleet are equipped with numerous safety assistance systems. These include, for example, the cornering assistant Sideguard Assist with pedestrian detection, and Preventive Brake Assist, the active braking assistant for city buses. This creates a safe environment for both passengers and other road users.
In the interior, passengers are welcomed by a friendly ambience with a wood-look floor and luxuriously upholstered seats in HTM design. Special wheelchair spaces have been set up on board the buses for passengers with reduced mobility or passengers with prams. The state-of-the-art automatic climate control system ensures a pleasant and comfortable climate in the eCitaro. What is special about this is that the driver can regulate the temperature at their workplace separately from the temperature in the passenger compartment via their own climate control system.
