Following a Europe-wide tender from SWU Verkehr GmbH (SWU for short), Daimler Buses has been awarded the contract to supply 37 battery-electric Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro and eCitaro G solo and articulated buses. The contract was signed on 18 July and includes the option of a further nine eCitaro electric buses. SWU’s total investment for all 46 electric buses amounts to 34.6 million euros.
The 37 battery-electric vehicles will be delivered successively by the end of 2026, and the optional nine vehicles are planned for use from 2027. The new electric buses will gradually replace the existing diesel buses in the SWU bus fleet and will be used for public transport in the two towns of Ulm and Neu-Ulm on the Danube.
There are already 14 eCitaro G articulated buses in operation, procured by SWU in 2024 and 2025, and these significantly contribute to the reduction of CO₂ emissions in urban traffic and the improvement of air quality in Ulm and Neu-Ulm.
The 37 new electric buses are divided into 15 three-door, 12.14-metre-long eCitaro solo buses and 22 four-door eCitaro G articulated buses with a length of 18.3 metres. They offer a transport capacity of up to 65 passengers in the solo buses and up to 143 passengers in the articulated buses. The new electric buses also improve accessibility: enlarged special use areas provide plenty of space for wheelchairs, prams or walking aids. Climate control is provided by a state-of-the-art CO2 air conditioning system with sophisticated thermal management.
The new SWU electric buses are equipped with the fourth and thus latest lithium-nickel-manganese-cobalt battery generation (NMC4). With 111 kWh of energy per battery pack, NMC-4 batteries combine high power density, and thus significantly longer ranges, with a very long service life, even with regular quick charging processes with up to 300 kW charging power.
The battery charging options are also flexible: solo and articulated buses can be charged not only in the bus depot using sockets on the left and right-hand sides above the front axle, but also while travelling at specifically designed stops using a pantograph on the bus roof. This so-called ‘opportunity charging’ is necessary to fulfil the demanding bus routes in Ulm and Neu-Ulm under all conditions and to avoid the use of additional vehicles. A special roof-mounted camera system helps the driver to approach the pantograph charging station with maximum precision.
Innovative assistance systems increase active safety
The latest assistance systems from Daimler Buses ensure the safety of passengers and other road users. Sideguard Assist 2, which warns of impending collisions with pedestrians and cyclists, Frontguard Assist, which warns of obstacles or people directly in front of the vehicle, and the active emergency braking assistant, Preventive Brake Assist 2, protect vulnerable road users and help to prevent accidents. Added to this is the innovative Traffic Sign Assist system. Thanks to GPS and camera support, it continuously compares the vehicle speed with the valid traffic rules and gives visual and audible feedback if the permitted speed is exceeded.
Digitally networked bus fleet in Ulm and Neu-Ulm
Daimler Buses has equipped the new SWU electric buses with the Digital Services Package from Omniplus. The use of the digital services and telemetry-based vehicle diagnostic systems has been contractually agreed with SWU Verkehr GmbH for a period of twelve years.
Omniplus On Uptime pro, for example, is one of the services that makes a significant contribution to improving availability and TCO cost optimisation.
This digital solution permanently monitors all relevant vehicle systems and provides both fleet management and the workshop with important diagnostic information in real time. Another important component for electric buses especially is Battery Monitoring, which monitors the battery condition and provides recommendations for action to extend the battery service life and comply with the warranty conditions for high-voltage batteries. The Digital Services Package allows repair or maintenance requirements to be detected at an early stage and major damage or consequential damage to be avoided. SWU also uses Omniplus On data packages to integrate vehicle and diagnostic data from the eCitaro into the existing fleet and workshop management systems of other providers, thereby creating consistent processes and operating procedures. To this end, SWU has drawn up a detailed plan to ensure the efficiency and digitisation of its operational processes.
