Ebusco, MAN, Mercedes and Solaris are taking part to the E-Bus Test 2024 in Bonn (featuring also MCV, Mellor and Rampini)

Mercedes eCitaro G, Solaris Urbino 18 Electric, MAN Lion’s City E 18, and Ebusco 3.0 18-meter. These manufacturers have converged in Bonn (Germany) to subject their 18-meter electric buses to scrutiny and driving performance evaluations during the yearly initiative E-Bus test, promoted since 2017 by German trade media Omnibusspiegel. Sustainable Bus is attending and reporting from the event.

E-Bus Test 2024 in Bonn, a few guest e-buses

In addition to the headline participants, the E-Bus test in Bonn has also welcomed a selection of ‘guest’ e-buses available for test drives (therefore vehicles outside the category of articulated BEV buses then no subject to comparison). Among these are the Mellor Sigma 7 (that has entered the German market), MCV C127 EV (‘crowned’ earlier this year with its first order), and Rampini Eltron (the unit tested in Bonn comes from Genoa’s fleet).

Among the highlights of the event, we must mention the newly-updated version Solaris 18-meter e-bus equipped with as many as 800 kWh of Solaris High Energy battery modules (with capacity for 105 passengers). It was presented at Busworld last year, and the same operation of innovating layout has been more recently done on the 12-meter). MAN brought in Bonn one of the units commissioned by VAG Nuremberg, with 640 kWh battery capacity and room for 116 passengers.

Ebusco is joining the initiative with its first 3.0 pre series articulated model (presented in late 2022, with major contracts awarded in Sweden and France). The Dutch company is currently switching (or better, going back) to a business model that includes assembly operations held in China by a partner, as an answer to ongoing difficulties in delivering vehicles.

The initiative is supported by the public transport company of Bonn (SWB), which is making depot space available. It is aimed at the German market but, due to the quantity and quality of the participants, is undoubtedly of international significance.

The E-Bus test by Omnibusspiegel is a journalistic event that aims to bring together the state of the art of an electric bus category, for a whole week. Their technical specs and behaviour are tested along a tight schedule of static examinations in the depot and service simulations on a specially laid out city circuit.