Daimler Buses has successfully completed the summer testing of the Mercedes‑Benz eIntouro. For a total of around five weeks, test personnel trialled the battery-electric inter-city bus at extreme temperatures of up to 45 degrees Celsius in Andalusia in southern Spain.
The range of tests ranged from the performance of the electric drivetrain to the function of energy management and battery thermal management, as well as measurements during charging processes at rapid charging stations and the functionality of the air conditioning system in high heat.
In addition to long and steep climbs in the mountains of the Sierra Nevada up to an altitude of 2,500 metres at full load, the test programme also included long descents using the electric continuous brake (recuperation).
The test vehicles covered around 300 to 500 kilometres a day.
Results prove operational capability even at extreme temperatures
The extensive tests on the behaviour of the batteries and the electric drivetrain at very high outside temperatures did not just reveal important findings for further optimisation up to series production maturity. They also showed that the battery‑electric eIntouro is fully operational even in extreme summer conditions.
The test team, strengthened by specialists from various development areas, also used the extensive tests for further adjustments to the control and regulation of the air conditioning and drive components as well as the charging components.
The eIntouro proves its travel readiness right from the start
The eIntouro also proved its suitability for short trips and excursions on the way to and from the tests. The two prototypes completed the entire almost 4,000-kilometre round trip from Mannheim to Granada in Spain and back on their own wheels. The high-voltage batteries were charged at various public quick-charging stations along the motorways in Spain, France and Germany and thus tested for charging compatibility.
All new bus types from Daimler Buses undergo an extensive test routine before the start of series production, which includes safety tests and load tests as well as driver tests under extreme heat and in extreme cold. Last winter, two eIntouro prototypes had already successfully completed extensive winter tests in Rovaniemi, Finland, at temperatures of up to minus 30 degrees Celsius, in addition to the summer tests now being carried out.
Mercedes‑Benz eIntouro: Premiere in October at Busworld Europe 2025
The Mercedes‑Benz eIntouro is based on the familiar diesel-powered high-floor Mercedes‑Benz Intouro bus, but is equipped with a battery-electric drive instead. As a result, Daimler Buses is now able to switch to electric mobility for classic inter‑city routes, school buses and shorter excursions for the first time.
In addition to the 12.18‑metre eIntouro, the eIntouro M with a length of 13.09 metres will also be available. This allows seating variants from 50 up to a maximum of 63 seats. For the first time in a European bus, software updates can be installed in the eIntouro “over the air” – without a workshop visit.
The new eIntouro will celebrate its world premiere from 4 to 9 October at Busworld Europe in Brussels. The vehicle can already be ordered now.
