The Mercedes-Benz Citaro is a single-decker, rigid or articulated bus manufactured by Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus. Introduced in 1997, the Citaro is available in a range of configurations, and is in widespread use throughout Europe and parts of Asia, with more than 40,000 produced.
The first generation Citaro was launched in 1997, as a successor to the Mercedes-Benz O405.
In 2005, an updated version of the Citaro to coincide with the introduction of Euro IV- (and later Euro V- and EEV-) compliant engines. Apart from minor technical alterations, mainly to accommodate the new generation of engines, the external design received a facelift to give the buses a less angular look, with internal panelling altered accordingly. Production of the old model ceased by autumn 2006.
In 2006 the Citaro received a much more substantial facelift, which can be seen from the outside by a revised front and rear design (analogous to the recently introduced low-entry buses). The hitherto characteristic feature of the first series, the "washboard trim" on the front of the vehicle, which was also available as a front advertising area and smooth surface without Mercedes star, accounted for a somewhat rounded front baffle. The lateral sweep of the front turn signals was reversed.
In May 2011, the second generation Citaro, referred to internally as the C2, was launched. From 2012 the C2 could also be equipped with Euro 6 engines. The C2 versions of the Citaro LE models were the last to be presented, at Busworld Kortrijk in October 2013.
There are three basic versions of the Citaro available as of 2018: The standard 12m Citaro, the shorter 10m Citaro K and the articulated 18m Citaro G. Hybrid versions of all three lengths are also available.
The standard urban model is available in a number of versions:
A series of suburban/interurban versions is also produced, with all seats fitted on platforms:
Operators are able to choose between two different front stylings: the standard design features an angled destination display, like a roof dome, and is primarily marketed for urban buses, while a version with a one-piece windscreen covering the destination display also is available and is primarily intended for interurban use. However, all models are available with either version.
Other customizations include the number and type of doors as well as the internal layout. Two types of seats are offered as part of the standard range, again with a basic model for urban use and an enhanced version for longer-distance routes, although both also are available on all models.
Aside from the usual diesel engines, the Citaro is also available with a powerful Euro IV natural gas engine (model M 447 hLAG) rated at 185 kW (252 PS) or 240 kW (326 PS) - the latter rating used mainly for interurban and articulated buses or standard-length city buses operating in areas with a hilly topography. These engines are also optionally available with Enhanced Environmentally friendly Vehicle (EEV) certification, meaning that their emission levels are lower than even the most stringent European Union emissions standards.
As a one-off, German operators üstra of Hanover and LVB of Leipzig took delivery of a batch of Citaros bodied to a special design by James Irvine for Expo 2000. Leipzig's vehicles were lent to Hanover for the duration of the exhibition, but subsequently returned to normal service in their home city. All other Citaros bodied by Mercedes-Benz were to standard designs, however a number of chassis were bodied by independent manufacturers, most notably Hess of Switzerland. However, the Citaro has more recently only been sold as a complete product.
In 2007 the workshops of the Szeged (Hungary) bus operator SZKT converted a regular Citaro to a trolleybus. As of April 2010, five such buses are already serving as a trolley and more examples are in preparation in the near future.
In 2009, the Centre of Ambulance Services in Dubai took delivery of three Citaros, which had been modified to become the world's largest ambulances.
In 2010, the French city Rennes ordered a longer version of the Citaro, the Citaro M, which is 13 meters long with an urban arrangement. 15 vehicles were built over the chassis of the Setra S416NF.
Even though the usual Citaro models are powered by diesel or natural gas, there is also a hydrogen fuel cell-powered version, designated Citaro BZ or O530BZ. About 35 of these buses have been in service in a variety of different world cities in order to test the feasibility of hydrogen fuel cells in different operating circumstances and different conditions, especially weather conditions.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid is a series-hybrid articulated bus with a compact 450 kg, 4-cylinder, 4.8-litre, 160 kW, Euro 4 OM-924LA diesel engine providing power for a roof-mounted 19.4 kWh lithium-ion battery pack, and four 80 kW electric wheel hub motors located on the centre and rear axles. (Contrast a conventional bus diesel engine: 6-cylinder, 12-litre, 1,000 kg.) The battery pack is also charged by regenerative braking (recuperation). The manufacturer anticipates fuel consumption 20% lower than conventional diesel Citaros. In 2010, selected bendy buses were delivered in hybrid version to Wuppertal, Stuttgart, Krefeld, Hamburg and Mülheim. Other buses were also delivered to Essen, Duisberg, Munich, Mainz, Hamburg and Rostock are also in the rigid versions. The Dresden and Leipzig also delivered their Citaro hybrid buses in 2011.
Since 2015, Aachen Transport runs a battery-powered Citaro articulated bus as a test in scheduled operation. The vehicle was converted in 2014 from a hybrid bus to a battery bus. They removed all diesel components and installed 1300 traction batteries with a total capacity of approximately 180 kWh. The axle loads remained unchanged. The vehicle has four wheel hub motors with 60 kW continuous power on the second and third axle and has a range of more than 50 kilometers. The conversion was carried out as part of the EU project Civitas (Cleaner and better transport in cities) and was funded by the Aachen Transport Association to 75 percent. The costs for the hardware (eg batteries) amounted to approximately 700,000 euros.
Mercedes-Benz is currently testing prototypes of the Citaro with all-electric drive. The bus will feature a modular battery pack design and use the same electric wheel hub motors as the Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid. It is scheduled for presentation at the IAA Commercial Vehicles show in Hanover in September 2018.
Because EvoBus itself does not offer trolleybuses, the transport companies of the Hungarian city of Szeged independently built six second-hand Citaro solo cars into trolleybuses between 2006 and 2010. This is expected to save on spare parts inventory - this can be done together with the same diesel buses of the dispenser series - as well as lower acquisition costs compared to standard production trolleybuses. The modified type designation is O-530 Tr12, the six wagons bear the operating numbers T-860 to T-865.
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