Italy saw the first delivery for the eCitaro K: four units (plus 13 eCitaro 12m) for Asti

First European delivery for the Mercedes eCitaro K, the short of the electric Daimler Buses family unveiled last year at the IAA, presented this morning in Asti Public Services livery. Series production started in autumn 2024.

The city of Asti has received a total of 12 eCitaro in the standard 12-metre size and 4 short 10.6-metre models. These were joined in autumn 2024 by a request for a further 12-metre eCitaro with subsequent delivery, bringing the supply to a total of 17 vehicles, Daimler Buses explained.

The handover ceremony and premiere of the eCitaro K, which took place at the ASP S.p.A. premises on 5 February 2025, was attended by numerous high-ranking personalities from politics and business, as well as Maurizio Rasero, the Mayor of Asti, and representatives of Daimler Buses.

Mercedes eCitaro for Asti

With a turning circle of only 17.28 metres, the four compact 10.63-metre eCitaro K vehicles of ASP S.p.A. are particularly suitable for application in local public transport with narrow, winding routes in the city centre and suburbs of Asti. Wheelbase of 4,398 millimetres, which is around 1.5 metres shorter than that of the eCitaro.

Equipped with six battery packs each, the 17 battery-electric city buses have the maximum configuration of the eCitaro from the current NMC3 battery generation. This means that each of the new regular-service vehicles of ASP S.p.A. has a maximum battery capacity of 588 kilowatt hours (kWh) and can achieve a range of around 400 kilometres under favourable conditions. The electric buses are charged overnight at charging sockets in the Italian transport company’s depot.

Maximum safety for drivers and passengers is guaranteed by the digital video surveillance system in conjunction with active filters with an antiviral function in the interior and numerous modern safety and assistance systems. These include Brake Assist, Sideguard Assist 2, Frontguard Assist, Traffic Sign Assist and Attention Assist.

The four eCitaro K vehicles have 26 seats and 54 standing places as well as a wheelchair space. They therefore offer space for 81 passengers (plus driver). The 13 eCitaro 12-metre solo buses are designed to carry a maximum of 77 passengers (plus driver) on longer routes. Each bus provides 30 seats, 46 standing places and a wheelchair space.

The conclusion of an Omniplus eServiceContract with a term of 12 years ensures the availability of the 17 new electric regular-service buses from ASP S.p.A. over a long period of use. In addition, the total cost of ownership of the transport company will be reduced to a precisely calculable, manageable and cost-saving level. 

The new eCitaro for Asti already has the Bus Data Centre installed on board as standard as an interface to the digital services from Omniplus. In the Italian region of Piermont, for example, the Omniplus On Uptime pro service is used to improve the availability of the fleet. Fault messages and important diagnostic information are transmitted to the workshop in real time to reduce service times.