Daimler Buses has been awarded the contract by Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH based in Deuben (Leipzig district) for the construction of a new e‑bus depot including the complete charging infrastructure with a total of ten CCS2 charging points at the Zwenkau bus depot south of Leipzig.
Daimler Buses has also received the order to supply nine battery‑electric eCitaro solo buses by the beginning of 2027, for which an Omniplus maintenance contract will be concluded. Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH will also conclude a service and maintenance contract with Daimler Buses for the entire charging infrastructure for a term of five years.
As a general contractor, Daimler Buses will supply all components of the entire service package turnkey and from a single source in close cooperation with the experts of Daimler Buses Solutions GmbH and their partners Schlender, Consass, ABB and Sinos.
Steffen Germ, CEO of Daimler Buses Solutions GmbH, emphasises: “We listen to the customer and implement the individual charging infrastructure solution for them and with them. So, we are proud that we have also convinced Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH to order a complete tailor‑made solution that will prepare it for bus transport that will be CO2 free.”
To finance e-bus depots, e-buses and services, the Federal Republic of Saxony and the Free State of Saxony will provide Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH with funding of around 3.6 million euros. Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH has also placed an option for a further 17 charging points and 18 additional eCitaro vehicles, which could go into operation by mid-2028. Additional funding has already been applied for this project to be implemented.
Construction services, charging management and service from a single source
In Zwenkau, Daimler Buses is to add an independent electric bus depot, which is prepared for future scheduled operation with electric buses, to the existing diesel bus depot of Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH. On the open ground, right next to the existing bus depot, a completely new, covered bus carport with eleven bus lanes open on all four sides will be built on the proverbial “green meadow”, which has 20 electric bus parking spaces and charging bays and is protected by a fire protection wall in the middle. The new e‑bus depot will be equipped by Daimler Buses with its own transformer station, battery storage, photovoltaic system, power storage and charging infrastructure.
The scope of services of Daimler Buses includes not only the entire planning, architecture, underground engineering, superstructure work, paving and steel work, but also the complete electrical installation, the connection to the 20-kilovolt medium-voltage power grid via a transformer as well as the installation of the load and charging management system and the photovoltaic system with a large battery storage unit for charging the e-buses.
Controlling the load via the Sinos load management system ensures maximum flexibility for Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH when moving out the vehicles. At the same time, the load control ensures maximum efficiency of the charging process: Controlling the power consumption during the charging process ensures that the available electrical capacity of the power grid is not exceeded and load peaks in the power grid are avoided, thereby ensuring grid stability.
The service and maintenance contract that Daimler Buses will conclude with the Deuben‑based bus company includes, among other things, a 24/7 hotline including on‑site service, all spare parts, annual maintenance as well as the electrical safety check of all charging systems and chargers in accordance with the current legal requirements and the regulations of the German statutory accident insurance scheme (DGUV).
Charging infrastructure with CCS2 plug charging: expandable and future-proof
The charging infrastructure built by Daimler Buses in Zwenkau will be prepared for 20 charging points right from the start. In the first stage of construction now commissioned, it initially comprises ten charging points, distributed over three stationary ABB charging stations with currently nine charging points as well as a mobile charger. The charging capacity per charging point is 90 kW on average and can be increased to 150 kW if required. All charging points are prepared for CCS2 plug charging of the vehicles in the future eCitaro bus fleet. The energy supply is ensured via the public power grid and the additional photovoltaic system on the roof of the e‑bus carport.
Four eCitaro solo buses with a maximum length of 15 metres can be charged simultaneously in the parking areas at the individual charging stations. Alternatively, the parking area at each charging station offers sufficient space for simultaneous charging of two eCitaro solo buses of up to 15 metres in length and an articulated bus 18 metres in length.
Nine eCitaro buses contribute to the transition to locally CO2 -free bus transport
The battery-electric Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro low-floor buses are painted white and feature the Regionalbus Leipzig GmbH design with their characteristic logo in blue, green and orange. They have a length of 12 metres, two entrance doors and a capacity of 76 passengers (31 seats and 45 standing spaces) plus the driver.
The eCitaro buses are equipped with modern assistance and safety systems such as the active emergency braking assistant Preventive Brake Assist 2 and have high‑quality equipment. A manual folding ramp on the rear entrance door and two roomy special‑use areas facilitate use by passengers with disabilities, senior citizens and parents with prams.
The Mercedes‑Benz Inter Star Eco intercity bus seating, a powerful CO2 air conditioning system, numerous passenger information systems, ten USB sockets and many other features ensure that passengers always ride in comfort on the new eCitaro buses in the districts around the city of Leipzig.
The new electric buses are all equipped with two charging sockets, which are located on the right‑hand side above the front axle and on the left at the rear. They have five high‑voltage battery packs from the new NMC4 battery generation, which guarantee a long range with an energy storage capacity of a total of 555 kWh per bus. To optimise the battery service life, the eCitaro buses are equipped with the on‑board charging control, “SmartCharge”.
