Gas Hybrid Buses For The Netherlands

Beginning at the end of August, the EBS public transport company will be operating 93 of Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT hybrid low-floor urban buses in the Rotterdam – The Hague metropolitan area. The fleet is made up of 83 Citaro NGT hybrid solo buses and 10 Citaro G NGT hybrid articulated buses. Their common characteristic is the combination of a gas-powered engine with a hybrid module.

The EBS (Egged Bus Systems) public transport company is located in the town of Purmerend north of Amsterdam. EBS is operating 93 urban buses on bus routes around The Hague.

The combination of a gas-powered engine with a hybrid module is a unique selling point for the Citaro NGT hybrid in Europe. The 7.7 L Mercedes-Benz M 936 G gas-powered engine delivers 222 kW (302 hp) and achieves a maximum torque of 1200 Nm. When used in conjunction with biogas or biomethane, the Citaro NGT hybrid is almost CO2 neutral, Daimler said.

The electric motor of the hybrid module supports the gas-powered engine primarily when the vehicle pulls away and the demand for power is high with an output of up to 14 kW and 220 Nm torque. The ability to provide for this maximum demand in power reduces fuel consumption, which is already low, by up to 8.5 percent. Accordingly, emissions are lower. Daimler said the use of the hybrid module also further reduces the low noise levels of the natural-gas engine when pulling away. The electric power for the electric motor is recuperated during braking and overrun phases at no cost. It is stored in double-layer capacitors – so-called supercaps

In addition to the gas-powered engine, hybrid module and the ZF Ecolife automatic transmission, the urban buses are equipped with electrohydraulic intelligent eco steering – a recuperation module for recuperating electric power – and LED headlamps.