Mercedes eCitaro goes dedicated BEV platform from 2028

Ten years after the eCitaro's 2018 series launch, Daimler Buses will replace it in 2028 with a second generation on a dedicated battery-electric platform — and from 2030 the company will sell no diesel Citaros at all in Europe. The near-production study, unveiled at an event in Munich, breaks with the current model's shared architecture with the combustion-engine Citaro. Official world premiere: Busworld Europe in Brussels, October 2027.

What changes under the floor?

The headline technical shift is a U-turn on batteries. The current eCitaro has taken three battery generations through its lifecycle (NMC 1 to NMC 4), staying loyal to nickel-manganese-cobalt chemistry even after switching pack suppliers from Akasol to BMZ Polen. The successor moves to LFP (lithium iron phosphate) cells, packaged in smaller, more numerous packs of roughly 50 kWh each, housed in the underfloor and on the roof.

Daimler Buses states: "In the solo bus, depending on the desired battery configuration, an additional two, four, six, or eight battery packs can be mounted on the roof." That yields roughly 300–600 kWh total for solo buses and 400–700 kWh for articulated versions. The company hasn't said whether those are gross or net figures, though LFP typically allows nearly full use of gross capacity. For reference, the current NMC-4 eCitaro offers up to 666 kWh gross (solo) and 777 kWh (eCitaro G), with ranges up to 600 km and 450 km respectively. No range figure was given for the new model — but with LFP's tighter gross-net gap and a promised 750 kg lower kerb weight, matching today's numbers looks plausible.

The platform spans 10 to just over 18 metres, with a modular body shell, roof and underfloor producing seven variants:

• Three low-floor city buses: 10.63 m, 12.13 m, 18.13 m
• Four low-entry versions: 10.63 m, 12.34 m, 13.08 m, 14.68 m — the first eCitaros able to cover intercity routes

All seven share the same front and rear modules, what Daimler Buses calls its new "modular kit principle." Charging goes up too: 400 kW DC via CCS plug, 450 kW via pantograph or charging rail.

Two drivetrains, two suppliers' worth of thinking

Low-floor variants get the ZF AxTrax 2 LF e-portal axle with wheel-hub motors and up to 360 kW system power, up from about 280 kW peak today. The articulated eCitaro G drops its two driven axles (2x 250 kW) for a single 360 kW axle, saving weight. A new MMTI system (Modular Multi Torque Interface) controls recuperation and braking per wheel, which Daimler expects to cut energy use, brake wear and improve stability.

Low-entry variants take a different route: a central motor with Mercedes' own RO 440 rear axle and speeds up to 100 km/h — "for intercity use." No power rating yet. The layout echoes the eIntouro intercity bus, which starts deliveries this month with a ZF CeTrax 2 central drive (320 kW continuous, 24,700 Nm), two 207 kWh LFP packs from CATL and roughly 500 km range.

Lighter, angular, connected

A new multi-layer "sandwich roof" is about 42 mm thick versus 70 mm for steel, cutting roughly 100 kg on the 12-metre bus and 150 kg on the articulated version. Total kerb weight drops around 750 kg, based on comparing a solo bus with eight LFP packs against today's model with five NMC-4 packs. Design goes angular, with references to the O321 bus (1954–1970) and the W123 saloon, plus camera mirrors and a three-stripe light bar.

Inside: a fully low-floor compartment, two 12-inch displays, and ThexMO, an integrated thermal management system running on propane (R290) that recovers drivetrain waste heat. A new electronics platform enables OTA (over-the-air) updates and paid function activation via the Omniplus service arm — a recurring-revenue play Daimler Buses explicitly flags.

Where it's built, and what to watch

Development runs primarily in Mannheim; production is planned in Germany, France and the Czech Republic. The stakes are real: Daimler says two of every three city buses sold in Europe in 2025 were electric, and it has delivered over 4,600 electric buses across the continent to date. Watch Busworld Brussels in October 2027 for the production-spec reveal — and whether the 2028 launch hits timing with the 2030 diesel cutoff breathing down its neck.