Daimler Buses has received the order from Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn SZU AG (SZU) for the planning and implementation of the charging infrastructure at the Rütihof bus depot in Wädenswil on Lake Zurich.
The Rütihof bus depot is SZU’s largest bus depot for so-called “Zimmerberg buses”. By the end of 2026, Daimler Buses Schweiz AG will create several charging stations in the existing depot buildings for charging at the depot during the day and at night, including digital load and charging management.
In the final expansion stage, plans are in place to integrate a total of 43 CCS2 charging points into the existing bus garage, with a DC rapid charging capacity of up to 150 kW per vehicle. Investment in the new bus depot of Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn SZU AG for the scopes realised by Daimler Buses Schweiz AG amount to around CHF 7.3 million (approx. EUR 7.8 million).
This is already the fourth e-bus depot that Daimler Buses has implemented as a turnkey contractor in Switzerland and integrated into existing building structures. These were larger projects with ten to 28 charging points which were implemented throughout Switzerland.
In particular, the SZU would like to highlight its strategic decision for a sustainable and future‑proof mobility solution. By choosing Daimler Buses Schweiz AG as a turnkey contractor, it is underlining its innovative strength and environmental awareness. Daimler Buses Schweiz AG bears overall responsibility and supplies all components of the entire service package turnkey from a single source. The project team includes the project partners Sihltal Zürich Uetliberg Bahn SZU AG, EBP Schweiz AG, AHW Busbetriebe AG, ABB E‑mobility AG, WV Baumanagement AG, Impuls Bern AG and Sinos GmbH.
The scope of services of Daimler Buses Schweiz AG includes all construction steps required to set up the charging infrastructure with CCS2 plug charging at the Rütihof bus depot. This includes all planning, architectural, structural and civil engineering services as well as electrical installations, erection of the metal structure for the charging stations, delivery of the chargers and integration of the complete charging infrastructure into the existing buildings of the Wädenswiler SZU bus depot prepared for this purpose.
The main focus is on the creation and implementation of the power supply concept, which is achieved by the construction of transformer stations with several transformers and the existing medium-voltage power line. The installation of a digital load and charging management system from Sinos is also of central importance. This ensures preconditioning and monitoring of the remaining range of the electric buses in use as well as the efficient control of power consumption and the avoidance of load peaks and blackouts during the charging process. This is particularly important if all buses are to be charged almost simultaneously overnight between one and five a.m. – but also matters during the day if several electric buses require an intermediate charge at the same time.
SZU has concluded a service and maintenance contract with Daimler Buses Schweiz AG for the entire charging infrastructure, which ensures operation over a period of 15 years and guarantees high availability.
In addition, AHW Busbetriebe AG, which operates on behalf of SZU, has commissioned the delivery of 13 battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro solo and articulated buses. The electric buses are all equipped with the new NMC4 battery generation. The CCS2 charging sockets on the 13 eCitaro and eCitaro G vehicles are positioned on the sides at the front and rear in order to provide maximum flexibility for the charging process at the individual stations of the Rütihof bus depot. Deliveries will take place in stages from the fourth quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2027.
