 | | | The Citaro G BlueTec® Hybrid bus |
| The Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec® Hybrid is equipped with a technologically highly sophisticated, serial hybrid-drive system which uses electric wheel hub motors. It is capable of emissions-free operation under battery power alone over short distances. |
The diesel engine does not work as a permanent drive unit, serving instead as a generator drive for temporary power generation. The diesel engine has no mechanical connection to the drive axles. The generated current is stored by maintenance-free lithium-ion batteries, which are installed on the roof of the Citaro.
The batteries are charged not only by the diesel generator, but also by the energy generated during braking, in a process known as recuperation. The actual drive power is transferred to the wheels of the Citaro Hybrid by four electric hub motors at the centre and rear axles; each motor delivering 80 kW.
The energy recuperated during braking is used both to power the vehicle when at standstill and when moving off. When approaching a bus stop, at standstill and when accelerating away from a bus stop, the hybrid bus is able to operate under electrical power alone, and therefore with practically no emissions - which also means a significant reduction in noise and fuel consumption.
The Mercedes-Benz Citaro G BlueTec® Hybrid will shortly be entering field trials with public-transport operators. This is in combination with a further ambitious plan: the goal is to create a diesel-electric, hybrid urban bus which is economical for the operator. With the current number of units produced still low, the cost-effectiveness threshold has not yet been reached despite fuel savings of up to 30%.
In addition to further advances on the part of manufacturers, the decisive factor for the success of hybrid vehicles will be the willingness of the public to acknowledge or incentivise the ecological added value of the concept. The success of alternative drive technologies in the USA and Japan, where they are publicly subsidised, confirms this. In Europe, however, transport operators still lack this basis for decision-making. |
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