The e-fleet is complete: All 19 new eCitaro solo buses from Daimler Buses have arrived in Osnabrück – and will officially go into regular service when the timetable changes on 1 November. Together with SWO Mobil Managing Director Tanja Stiegeler, City Planning Officer Thimo Weitemeier symbolically sent the new vehicles into service.
“The new eCitaros are another big step towards a climate-neutral city,” emphasises City Planning Officer Thimo Weitemeier. “Osnabrück has set itself ambitious goals with its pioneering climate protection concept. The almost completely electric city bus service shows that we are not just discussing climate protection, but actually implementing it. With every new e-bus, our contribution to a more liveable, clean and sustainable city grows.”
62 fully electric articulated buses from Dutch manufacturer VDL are already operating on the five MetroBus routes in Osnabrück. These vehicles cover around 3.6 million emission-free kilometres annually, thereby avoiding around 2,100 tonnes of CO₂ per year. With the new eCitaro solo buses, this saving will increase in future.
Osnabrück’s e-feeling continues to grow
SWO-Mobil Managing Director Tanja Stiegeler is also enthusiastic: “The eCitaros are further boosting Osnabrück’s e-feeling. The buses are quiet, comfortable and climate-friendly – and they bring modern technology to our streets. The fact that we are well ahead of the rest of Germany with an e-bus quota of 94 percent is the result of years of work and the tremendous commitment of our teams.”
The 19 eCitaros will be used primarily on the MetroBus lines from 1 November. Prior to this, employees from the transport service, workshop, control centre and service departments had familiarised themselves intensively with the new vehicles. This was based on the training concept developed in 2019 for the introduction of the first electric articulated buses.
Osnabrück remains an e-pioneer
With a total of 81 fully electric buses and an e-bus quota of 94 percent, Osnabrück is one of Germany’s leading cities in the use of climate-friendly public transport technologies. “Our e-buses stand for innovation, responsibility and the future. They are a visible sign that sustainable mobility has long been a reality in Osnabrück,” says City Planning Officer Weitemeier.
Background: Project funding
The project is being funded by the Federal Ministry of Transport (BMV) with a total of €5.17 million as part of the ‘Guideline for the Promotion of Alternative Drives for Buses in Passenger Transport” (“Richtlinie zur Förderung alternativer Antriebe von Bussen im Personenverkehr”), with additional funding also provided under the German Recovery and Resilience Plan (DARP – Deutscher Aufbau- und Resilienzplan) via the European Recovery and Resilience Facilities (ARF – Europäische Aufbau- und Resilienzfazilitäten) in the NextGenerationEU programme. The project is also co-financed by the federal state of Lower Saxony via the LNVG with €1.75 million. The funding guideline is coordinated by NOW GmbH and implemented by Project Management Jülich (PtJ).
Image: Kick-off for the new eCitaros: (from left to right) Tanja Stiegeler, Thomas Neuhaus (both SWO Mobil) and City Planning Officer Thimo Weitemeier.
Image credit: Stadtwerke Osnabrück / Marco Hörmeyer
Source: SWO Mobil GmbH
