Visitors to the 2009 UITP World Congress and Mobility and City Transport Exhibition in Vienna (June 7-11) will get a first
glimpse at Mercedes-Benz’s next step in cleaner transportation. The
Mercedes-Benz Citaro FuelCELL Bus was not the venerable automaker’s shot in the
dark toward alternative fuel but rather a result of a decade-long R&D project. Mercedes-Benz began research on hydrogen fuel cells with the NEBUS research
vehicle in 1997 along with the next-generation Citaro G BlueTec Hybrid.
The Citaro FuelCELL Bus demonstrates
Mercedes-Benz’s step away from diesel hybrids to alternative fuels. The
FuelCELL was shelved briefly in favor of diesel hybrids with 12 and 4.8-liter
engines that could be fueled easily in major cities. Mercedes-Benz developed a
lithium-ion battery pack for the diesel and hydrogen versions of the Citaro
that stores plenty of power. The Citaro FuelCELL is moved by a set of hydrogen
fuel cells that produce few emissions and squeeze out greater fuel mileage than
diesel hybrids.
Mercedes-Benz installed electric hub motors
on the vehicle’s axles to power individual wheels. The Citaro features four
80kw motors that are powered in part by energy saved from regenerative braking.
The automaker projects that regenerative braking could reduce hydrogen
consumption by 25% on commuter routes with few stops.
The Mercedes-Benz name is known for
sophisticated design and performance but it may soon be known for cleaner
public transit. Company representatives have indicated that the Citaro FuelCELL
Bus will be included in large-scale fleet tests throughout Europe starting in
fall 2009. The Citaro FuelCELL Bus has been tested in its various permutations
since 2003 with 36 units traveling two million kilometers in 135,000 hours of
operation. Mercedes-Benz has deployed these test buses to 12 transit systems on
three continents to determine differences in performance based on hot, cold and inclement weather.
If the Citaro FuelCELL sweeps easily
through its fleet testing, public transit systems may beginning purchasing
units within the next two years. Mercedes-Benz is unlike smaller manufacturers
in terms of name recognition, financial resources and connections to buyers
throughout the world. Even with these considerable assets, Mercedes-Benz has
approached fuel cell vehicles from the perspective of an upstart automaker. The
slow but steady progression of the FuelCELL idea within Mercedes-Benz gives
hope to governments and consumers frustrated by the glacial pace of alternative
fuel development.
