A Daimler Brand OmnibusThe magazine for bus operators and transport companies. 3 | 2015 Next stop: green city. The new Citaro NGT. The benchmark. With up to 20% savings in fuel consumption over the previous model, our new natural-gas-powered bus is exceptionally The new Citaro NGT cost-effective. Not to mention that it’s considerably quieter and achieves lower CO² emissions. For more information go to www.mercedes-benz.com/buses Mercedes-Benz steps on it Supplier: EvoBus GmbH, Neue Straße 95, 73230 Kirchheim unter Teck 215x280_EVO_CitaroNGT_Omnibusmagazin_EN.indd 1 28.10.15 16:17 A warm welcome to you, dear customers and friends of Mercedes-Benz Omnibus. I am delighted to be able to present you with the third issue of our magazine in 2015. As it is also the first one for me in my new position with Daimler Buses, I would like to take this opportunity to tell you a little bit about myself. My name is Ulrich Bastert, and for the past eight the same (Citaro CNG). You can find out exactly years I was responsible for all the marketing what else it has to offer in this issue. and distribution activities at Mercedes-Benz Trucks. One of my main tasks while I was there Long-distance buses are another exciting topic – was the global introduction of our new product booming since the opening of the long-distance generation of trucks. On the one hand, this market in Germany. Whereas some 8.2 million meant lots of new challenges for me and my passengers were carried in 2013, today the staff. On the other, and again with my excellent figure is around 16 million, and there has also team, a tremendous amount of pleasure was been a dramatic increase in the number of gained from the work we did together and that companies in the Federal Republic in the past is now complete. And then the time came, just two years. A market with economic potential, at the right time for me, to start looking for new but also with commercial challenges. challenges. I am delighted about these new challenges at Daimler Buses. People who set standards – just read about Winfried Seidel‘s passion! The car, and in that Talking of new, the task of looking after the association his automobile museum Dr. Carl environment while lowering costs at the same Benz in Ladenburg. A life‘s work that makes time is one that is faced by the new Citaro NGT the history of mobility something that can be engine at its world première at the Busworld experienced. in Kortrijk. Its CO2 emissions are considerably lower than those of its predecessor, its fuel I hope you enjoy your reading! consumption 15 to 20% more economical than With best wishes, Ulrich Bastert Head of Marketing, Sales & Aftersales Daimler Buses Editorial 2 Omnibus Editorial 3 Omnibus Technology & Market & Branches Mobility Worldwide Innovation 6-9 Top theme 10-13 Long-distance 20-23 Latin American bus market Citaro NGT: Mercedes-Benz Engine for the bus industry? Best foundation for more steps on it 14-15 Tourismo as a touring bus mobility Born for long distances 24-25 Customer portrait 16-17 Busworld Kortrijk Nobina Group exhibition Perfect fleet management See the sights with the star 18-19 Public transport on demand Line sprinters to order Top theme Service Discoveries Spotlights Impressum The new Citaro NGT 26-27 Bus Depot Management 28-35 People who set standards 39 Drivers‘ Club 3.0 Factory service reduces The keepers of the treasure Mercedes-Benz steps on it costs 36-38 Edwards Coaches Tremendous response for „Croeso i de Gymru“ the Citaro in Australia 6-9 Curtain up for the Citaro NGT: With its new high-tech gas (Welcome to South Wales) engine, the city bus is now even more environmentally friendly 40 Intouro now even safer than a diesel, yet just as dynamic and highly efficient. A „4-star bus“ for the German Football Museum Contents 4 Omnibus Contents 5 Omnibus The Citaro NGT - combining cleanliness and economy on the highest level. Top theme Citaro NGT: Mercedes-Benz steps on it Curtain up for the Citaro NGT: With its new high-tech gas engine, the city bus is now even more environmentally friendly than a diesel, yet just as dynamic and highly efficient. Exhaust emissions reduced again and a quieter engine, long maintenance intervals and a lower vehicle weight – the new gas-engined Citaro NGT can do anything a state-of-the-art city bus needs to do. The Citaro NGT is not a city bus for the gallery, but for genuine practitioners: it is as dynamic as a diesel, holds more passengers than before, has a greater range and is only rarely seen in the workshop. In other words: the Citaro NGT combines cleanliness and economy on the very highest level. One key feature of the Citaro NGT is the eye-catching cover on the roof, which conceals the newly-developed gas bottles for the Citaro NGT. They are made of a high-tech material, a composite with a synthetic core, a carbon fibre cover and – new – an additional fibreglass coil. It‘s light, and yet highly stable. The volume of the individual gas bottles has been increased by around 20 percent to 227 litres. So to cover the same range, the new Citaro NGT needs one gas bottle less than its predecessor - which noticeably saves weight. And if you’re watching the pounds and the range, the Citaro NGT can be equipped to match its use: the rigid bus comes as standard with four gas bottles but can be custom-ordered with up to six; the articulated bus comes standard with seven gas bottles and even an eighth if desired. Under the bottom line, the Citaro NGT has the range of a diesel bus, and so requires no special agreements to be included in the fleet. The same applies to the refuelling: it is at the rear as standard, but on request can be in the usual place above the wheel arch on the right. The heart of the Citaro NGT is its gas engine. The newly developed Mercedes-Benz M 936 G, a charged in-line six cylinder engine of 7.7 litres capacity that is based on the ever-popular OM 936 diesel engine. Both the performance of 222 kW (302 hp) Technology & Innovation 6 Top theme Technology & Innovation 7 Top theme 1 Key identifier of the Citaro NGT: the cover hood on the roof. and the maximum torque of 1200 Nm are on the diesel So the environmental balance is spot on – as is the 2 The newly-designed gas bottles are light and yet highly stable. level. Even more important: drivers will be delighted with economy. The long maintenance intervals also play their the identical performance development. The Citaro NGT part: the Citaro NGT only heads for the workshop for new 3 The heart of the Citaro NGT is the new Mercedes-Benz M 936 G gas engine. 2 accelerates away from a bus stop or traffic lights with the oil and spark plugs every 60,000 kilometres. So with the same dynamism as its diesel counterpart. This is due to the usual sort of mileage, this means there is only one visit a powerful engine and the appropriately configured auto- year. In the development, the engineers also made sure 1 matic drive with new switching programmes and a softer there was easy access to the gas control on the roof, and converter by Voith and ZF and the appropriate ratios. there is a service flap on the side of the cover over the gas bottles. At the same time, the Citaro NGT is undeniably a „Mr. Clean“. Emissions level Euro VI requires no further The M 936 G weighs about 25 percent less than its 3 comment, since the gas engine performs well below its 12-litre predecessor. Combined with the light gas bottles limits. It does this without the customary SCR techno- and general weight reduction measures, this downsizing logy and without particle filters. A three-way catalytic gives the current Citaro surprisingly favourable results converter (like that of a petrol engine) is all. The CO2 in the weight balance: with series features, the rigid bus emissions are well worth a closer look. Well to wheel, can carry up to 96 passengers, and the „bendy“ bus a so in the environmental balance from fuel production to maximum of 153. An achievement that is otherwise only transportation to combustion, the CO2 advantage is up matched by diesel buses. to ten percent. Using bio natural gas raises this figure to up to 80 percent in comparison with conventional diesel. It‘s almost as if some transport companies had been waiting for the Citaro NGT. As part of a double premiere, At the same time, the noise level of the Citaro NGT is the trade audience was recently able to see its advan- again much lower than that of the quiet, smooth-running tages for itself during the French public transport trade OM 936 diesel engine. Subjectively, the noise emission fair “Rencontres national du transport public” in Lyon/ is even halved – a distinct advantage in busy town and France, shortly before the Kortrijk omnibus trade fair in city centres and on highly frequented routes. Belgium. The first order from France has already been received: the Cars d‘Orsay company is to receive eight All this is due to the M 936 G gas engine. Both its cylinder rigid buses for use in the Île de France region in Paris be- block and the four-valve cylinder head are from the fore the end of the year.