First customer test drive (and first order) for the Mercedes eIntouro: will be deployed by Eurobus Rustexpress
BEV intercity bus Mercedes eIntouro successfully passed its first customer test drive at the beginning of April, travelling for 380 kilometres on the regular route of the Eurobus Rustexpress from Swiss Bassersdorf via Zurich to the Europa-Park theme park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, and back. As a consequence, one of the first series production vehicles will […]
BEV intercity bus Mercedes eIntouro successfully passed its first customer test drive at the beginning of April, travelling for 380 kilometres on the regular route of the Eurobus Rustexpress from Swiss Bassersdorf via Zurich to the Europa-Park theme park in Rust, Baden-Württemberg, and back. As a consequence, one of the first series production vehicles will then be used on one of the Rustexpress lines. It’s reported in a press note shared by Daimler Truck.
The eIntouro will celebrate its world premiere at the Busworld Europe 2025 trade fair in Brussels in October and will mark the debut of Daimler Buses in the nascent intercity electric bus market. The start of production is planned for 2026.
Mercedes eIntouro, the first order
Interestingly enough, it’s equipped with a different set of battery and driveline than the eCitaro range, made of LFP batteries and central motor by ZF. It’ll be produced in the OEM’s plants in Turkey and in France.
Two lengths will be available: the 12.18-metre eIntouro and the 13.09-metre eIntouro M. Seating variants from 50 to a maximum of 63 seats are covered.
The near-production prototype of the all-electric Mercedes eIntouro interurban bus is based on the diesel-powered Intouro, but is equipped with a battery-electric drive with LFP batteries and a central motor instead. As a result, Daimler Buses is able to switch to electric mobility for the first time for interurban routes, school buses, shuttle buses and excursion routes, as well as for short trips.
Mirko Sgodda, Head of Marketing, Sales and Customer Services at Daimler Buses, explains: “Before market launch, all newly developed vehicle types at Daimler Buses have to go through a very extensive testing phase. This naturally also applies to the new eIntouro. We test the driving characteristics of the bus under a wide range of conditions, such as the recent winter test at the Arctic Circle at up to minus 30 degrees. However, this also includes extensive testing in real customer applications. This test drive in collaboration with Eurobus, the Swiss market leader, is the first of many in which the eIntouro will prove its performance and reliability.”
Thomas Knecht, owner of the Knecht Group, to which Eurobus belongs: “Together with Europa-Park, we are working on concepts to make Rustexpress journeys even more climate-friendly. Our regular shuttle operations involve a single journey of 200 to 300 kilometres with a subsequent waiting time of several hours. It makes sense to utilise this waiting time and therefore to operate the route with electric intercity buses used as coaches. The Mercedes‑Benz eIntouro is the first electric bus to meet our requirements in terms of seating, equipment, ride comfort and range. The Eurobus Group is a pioneer in the operation of electric buses for local public transport and will use this know-how productively for the intercity bus. That’s why we are very interested in this mobility solution.”
