Postbus AG will be putting eleven new Mercedes-Benz eCitaros into operation. These low-floor solo buses will be used on behalf of the transport association Ost-Region (VOR) for the “Schweinbarther Kreuz” project in the southern Weinviertel region of Lower Austria. They are the first all-electric Mercedes-Benz buses in regular service on Austria’s roads.
Sophisticated deployment strategy with intermediate battery charging
The current project is a public transport hub connecting the train stations at Gänserndorf, Wolkersdorf, and Mistelbach in the southern Weinviertel region. Regular bus service is provided at hourly intervals. Eight buses are in constant operation on two routes. During this time, the batteries in two other buses are rapidly charged with up to 300 kW in barely 30 minutes in Gänserndorf, thus avoiding unproductive downtimes. The buses are also charged overnight in Gänserndorf as well as in Mistelbach and Wolkersdorf. EVN is currently setting up charging stations on behalf of VOR. These are expected to go into operation in August. This means 100% green power coverage.
The buses are equipped with a wheelchair area, a folding ramp at door 2, an enclosed driver’s cab, a passenger counting system, and two TFT monitors for passenger information. In addition, all eleven vehicles have a pantograph for rapid intermediate charging of the high-voltage batteries. Furthermore, these eCitaros are equipped with the Omniplus ON Bus Data Center real-time communication module. This means that the control center can constantly monitor all vehicle operating conditions, such as battery charge level or remaining range, as well as all diagnostic messages. ÖBB Postbus is even going one step further and integrating vehicle data from the Daimler Buses Cloud into its own fleet management systems.
Almost 600 buses bearing the star in ten years for Postbus AG
In the last ten years, Postbus AG has added a total of 579 Mercedes-Benz buses to its fleet. Headquartered in Vienna, this company connects more than 1,700 municipalities throughout Austria to the route network. Buses are the only public transport vehicle used in the region in more than one third of cases. VOR is the largest transport association in Austria and has provided comprehensive mobility services and support to all passengers in Vienna, Lower Austria, and Burgenland since 1984 in cooperation with more than 40 rail and bus transport partners.