Daimler Buses has been producing the battery-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro in series since 2018. Exactly ten years after its debut, the successful e-city bus is set to be replaced by a successor. At its own event in Munich, Daimler Buses has now unveiled a near-production study of the new eCitaro. The key message: the brand is positioning the eCitaro as its flagship city bus. The second generation will no longer share its platform with the combustion-engine Citaro but will instead stand on a dedicated battery-electric vehicle platform. Furthermore, from 2030 onwards, no more diesel Citaros will be sold in Europe. The spotlight today, therefore, belongs to Mercedes’ new city bus flagship.
At the presentation in the Bavarian capital, Daimler Buses already provided plenty of details about it. At the heart of the new electric architecture is a new battery technology featuring LFP cell chemistry and a modular compact battery kit, as the manufacturer puts it. In the new eCitaro, the battery packs will be smaller but more numerous. They will be housed in the underfloor and on the roof. There are also significant developments in the motors – more on the drivetrain details to follow.
Three low-floor and four low-entry versions
For context, it is important to note that the new BEV platform supports vehicle lengths from ten to just over 18 metres. The body shell, roof, and underfloor are designed in such a modular way that seven variants are possible: three low-floor city buses of different lengths (10.63, 12.13, and 18.13 metres) and four low-entry versions (10.63, 12.34, 13.08, and 14.68 metres). The latter can cover both urban and intercity routes – a first for the eCitaro.
Interestingly, all seven variants share the same front and rear modules. Daimler Buses refers to this as a newly created ‘modular kit principle’. This system will be showcased in its final form at the next Busworld Europe in Brussels: for the trade fair in October 2027, Daimler Buses has announced the official world premiere of the second model generation.
eCitaro battery: departure from NMC cell chemistry
How much has changed in ten years of e-bus development is already clearly evident in the Munich prototype – above all in Daimler Buses’ U-turn on batteries: over the past eight years, the current eCitaro has received three new battery generations during its product lifecycle (NMC 1 to NMC 4), most recently this year. Although Daimler Buses switched suppliers before the last battery change – from Akasol to BMZ Polen – the brand with the star has always remained loyal to nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry.
Now we know: Daimler Buses has been planning the second eCitaro generation for some time, aware that the more cost-effective LFP cell chemistry could be embedded in a major product overhaul. In Mercedes’ future e-city bus, the LFP cells are packaged in relatively small units of approximately 50 kWh each. “In the solo bus, depending on the desired battery configuration, an additional two, four, six, or eight battery packs can be mounted on the roof,” the company states. The total energy content thus amounts to around 300 to 600 kWh for solo buses and 400 to 700 kWh for articulated buses. Daimler Buses does not specify whether these are gross or net values. In any case, with LFP batteries, almost the entire gross energy content can typically be utilised. Gross and net values are therefore traditionally close for this battery technology.
Energy content: a gross / net calculation
For comparison: the current eCitaro with NMC-4 battery technology offers up to 666 kWh, and the articulated bus variant, the eCitaro G, offers up to 777 kWh—both gross. The individual battery packs are 111 kWh each, with the solo bus accommodating four to six and the articulated bus four to seven of these packs. Daimler Buses specifies the range here as up to 600 km for the solo bus and up to 450 km for the articulated bus. For the second generation of the eCitaro unveiled today, the manufacturer has not yet provided a range figure during the Munich presentation. However, it is unlikely that the new model will have a shorter range (given the lower gross capacity). Firstly, net capacity is the deciding factor, and with the current eCitaro’s maximum NMC battery options, this could easily be 100 kWh or more less. Secondly, the promised lower kerb weight of the successor will play a significant role. Thirdly, it would be marketing-wise difficult to present a shorter range in 2028 as progress. In short: the current model sets the benchmark for range.
In any case, autonomy is just one factor determining the everyday suitability of e-buses. Another is charging power. Here, too, the manufacturer is raising the bar. Up to 400 kW DC is possible via CCS plug, while other charging methods using pantographs or charging rails can deliver up to 450 kW. However, it is still too early for more detailed information on the charging curve and corresponding charging times. The 400 kW via cable is already a statement.
Two fundamentally different drivetrain layouts
When it comes to the drivetrain, Daimler Buses is pursuing a dual approach: the powertrain for the low-floor and low-entry versions of the future eCitaro will differ. As a low-floor bus, the series will feature the ZF AxTrax 2 LF e-portal axle with wheel-hub electric motors and up to 360 kW of system power. This is significantly more than the approximately 280 kW peak power of the current e-portal axle. While this power increase may only be noticeable in certain situations in the solo bus, the new e-axle in the eCitaro G means it will no longer require two driven axles (2x 250 kW peak) but only one with 360 kW. This will make the eCitaro G lighter, among other benefits.
Another innovation within the new drivetrain is the so-called MMTI system (Modular Multi Torque Interface), which can individually control the recuperation and braking behaviour for each wheel. Daimler Buses expects this real-time solution to improve energy efficiency, reduce brake wear, and enhance driving stability.
Meanwhile, the low-entry variants of the eCitaro will not feature an e-axle but instead a central motor combined with Mercedes-Benz’s own RO 440 rear axle. The advantage here is potential speeds of up to 100 km/h – “for intercity use,” as the manufacturer emphasises. However, it does not provide a power rating for the central motor.
A certain resemblance to the Mercedes eIntouro?
At this point, a side glance at the eIntouro – Mercedes’ earlier foray into electric intercity transport – is worthwhile. The eIntouro is set to celebrate its delivery launch this month, and shares its platform with the combustion-engine Intouro but also features an electric central drive. Specifically, the ZF CeTrax 2 dual CX332 with 320 kW of continuous power and a maximum drive torque of 24,700 Nm. The manufacturer has not yet revealed whether this will also be used in the new eCitaro LE. What is clear: the eIntouro also has an RO-440 axle at the rear. And: the eIntouro also uses LFP batteries, though it adopts them one-to-one from Daimler Truck’s commercial vehicle division. Accordingly, the intercity bus features two very large LFP packs, each with 207 kWh. The supplier here is CATL. The range of the eIntouro is given by the manufacturer as approximately 500 km.
This as a brief digression. But let’s look at another innovation in the near-series eCitaro prototype: the developers have created a new, multi-layer ‘sandwich roof’. “With an overall thickness of only around 42 millimeters, compared with approximately 70 millimeters for the steel roof, the new roof also contributes to a lower overall vehicle height. At the same time, the new roof structure reduces vehicle weight by around 100 kilograms for the 12-meter solo bus and approximately 150 kilograms for the 18-meter articulated bus,” the company comments.
Three-quarters of a tonne less kerb weight
Weight, as touched on earlier, is a central issue that the engineers have tackled: overall, the eCitaro is set to be around 750 kilograms lighter than its current counterpart. For this comparison, the company compares a future solo bus with eight LFP compact packs to a current eCitaro with five NMC4 battery packs. This match-up is unlikely to be a coincidence; both are probably at a similar level in terms of range and performance.
As another new feature, the Stuttgart-based company highlights the continuously straight side wall in the new eCitaro. This allows for the standardisation of the roof and underfloor across all vehicle variants. What remains unchanged compared to the current generation, however, are the defined crash zones designed to protect the high-voltage power technology at the rear. At the front, the proven impact protection remains.
Externally angular with references to the 1970s
The question remains: will the new eCitaro be visually distinguishable from the current version? The answer: probably, as the near-series prototype features a rather distinctive look. How much of this will make it into series production remains to be seen. The study already stands out with its pronounced rectangular cuboid shape. The rounded corners of the current generation are giving way to a more angular successor. Daimler Buses describes the design language as ‘timeless and distinctive’. The designers have “incorporated elements of iconic Mercedes-Benz models such as the Omnibus O321 and the W123 car series”. The former is a cult bus series built between 1954 and 1970, while the latter is the classic Mercedes saloon of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Indeed, the hinted radiator grille and angular lights of the new eCitaro earn nostalgia points, while the cameras replacing the side mirrors and a three-stripe light bar for daytime running lights, position lights, and indicators bring us firmly back into the 2020s. We will find out at Busworld whether this blend of designs will prevail.
Inside, the new eCitaro features a fully low-floor passenger compartment. The cockpit has also been revised: two 12-inch displays of the new Multimedia Cockpit Interactive bundle driving data and control functions. The instrument panel and steering wheel also offer greater adjustability. With the so-called Thermal Exchange Module (ThexMO), the Stuttgart-based manufacturer is also introducing an integrated thermal management system using the natural refrigerant propane (R290), which combines heating, ventilation, and air conditioning and actively utilises waste heat from the drivetrain and auxiliary consumers.
Daimler Buses is also stepping up connectivity. Via Omniplus, the company will provide digital services such as over-the-air updates for vehicle software and the activation of additional vehicle functions. The basis for this is a new electronics platform that will allow such OTA updates and the subsequent activation of optional functions in the future. With these new recurring revenues, Daimler Buses aims to establish an additional pillar for its business.
New eCitaro also to be produced in Central Europe
Regardless of the above, an important message from the Munich event is that the new eCitaro is being developed primarily in Mannheim and is set to be produced in Germany, France, and the Czech Republic. This reaffirms the manufacturer’s commitment to its Central European production. The second generation plays a key role in the Stuttgart-based company’s city bus strategy, as Daimler Buses intends to offer only electrically powered city buses in its European new vehicle business from 2030 onwards. The days of the classic Citaro in our regions are therefore numbered.
“Electric drives have already become widely established in the European city bus market,” explains the company headquarters. According to in-house evaluations, in 2025, two out of every three city buses sold in Europe were already electrically powered. The Stuttgart-based manufacturer itself states that it has already delivered over 4,600 electric vehicles to customers across Europe to date.
