BusToCoach on-line Magazine - Luglio-Agosto 2015

Daimler Buses will participate at the Busworld in Kortrijk (October 16-21)

with a huge stand that covers an area of 2,600 square metres, where Mercedes-Benz and Setra will have separate presentations but stay tied together by the service brands Omni-plus, FleetBoard and BusStore. In addition, Mercedes-Benz Powertrain will be present at Busworld for the first time with its own stand (refer to the box).In the Daimler Buses area there are nine ran-ges of buses. Curtain call for the Citaro NGT with natural gas engine. A citybus of the latest generation powered by methane and available as a solo bus or as an articulated vehicle. It’s

Daimler Buses will take part to the 2015 Busworld in Kortrijk with a mega stand, nine bus ranges on show and previews from the Mercedes-Benz and Setra brands

equipped with the new compact and lightwei-ght M 936 G Mercedes-Benz engine that can match the diesel performance. It has a displa-cement of 7.7 litre and is rated at 222 kW (302 hp) mated to an automatic transmission with the Voith or ZF torque converter.The strong points of the Citaro NGT (Natu-ral Gas Technology) are the following: low weight compared to previous model, a cor-respondingly large number of passenger se-ats (96 versus 93 for the solo bus), increased refill capacity (from 190 to 227 litres), clean combustion with high power output and low emissions (the CO2 is also lowered by 20% compared to a diesel engine). Fuel consum-

CITARO NGT AND EVEN MORE

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THE RANGE OF SERVICES FOR THE DAIMLER BUSES CUSTOMERS

There are new proposals from the Omniplus brand at

Busworld in Kortrijk with Bus Depot Management. This service involves authorised workshops rendering their services directly at the customer’s workshop. The operator gets everything from a single source and is consequently able to reduce annual fleet expen-ses by up to 10%.

For the ‘used’, the Daimler Buses BusStore brand (in Euro-pe with 17 centres) launches the App BusStore for direct access to the Internet site www.bus-store.com. Available in 18 lan-guages, the site provides a wide selection of used buses.Also new is the Bus.app for the FleetBoard service. The app now lets users who want to monitor

their buses while away from the office retrieve the most important data. FleetBoard Messaging for buses allows drivers and com-panies to exchange messages, receive geocoded addresses and get navigation instructions strai-ght to the destination. Moreover, the expected time of arrival is calculated and communicated to the head office.

For the first time, Mercedes-Benz Powertrain, the manufactu-rer of assembled units, is also re-presented at the Busworld show (Hall 8) presenting two Euro VI medium and heavy engines by Mercedes-Benz, the fully auto-mated Mercedes PowerShift GO 250-8 eight-speed transmission and the weight-reduced HL6 formed axle. •

ption is reduced by about 15 to 20%. These benefits are due, in addition to the engine downsizing, which now weighs 747 kg (230 kg less than the old 12-litre one), to the hi-gh-tech gas cylinders. Positioned above the front axle (above the central axle on the arti-culated version) they are made of composite material with coating made of carbon fibres and glass fibres. This combination of mate-rials is very lightweight on one hand and hi-ghly robust on the other. Thanks to the incre-ased refill capacity, it therefore requires one tanks less that result in further weight savings The Citaro version powered by natural gas benefits from the latest improvements of the range: the LED headlamps (optional), the folding seats with increased width (single or mother-and-child) and the new articulation angle control system ATC (Articulation Tur-ntable Controller) for the articulated buses.Deliveries of the new Citaro NGT will start in autumn 2015. Full series production will start in spring 2016.For the touring service, Mercedes-Benz will put on show Travego and Tourismo. Both in the 10,000th unit produced. Since last spring the two standard tourist coaches fit AEBS (Advanced Emergency Braking System), whi-ch dramatically reduces the speed in case of danger. There are the new two-way adjustable luxury head restraints (optional).The Tourismo is now available with lift and

wheelchair bays for passengers with reduced mobility.The Travego of the latest version is powered (optional) by the revised OM 471 engine ra-ted at 350 kW (476 hp). The engine’s cues are even more brilliant and reduce power consu-mption.In the spotlight there is the Mercedes Intouro, a model in three lengths that covers a wide range of uses, fitted with the AEBS Emer-gency Braking System and the Lane Depar-ture Warning System. And then there is the Mercedes Sprinter City 65 with the low-floor zone between the axles and padded seats at the rear. For the Setra brand, there will be the su-per-raised S 516 HDH of the TopClass 500 series. It is 13,32-metre long fitted with luxury head restraints, new fibre composition

upholstery, footrest with a wide support base, LED headlamps (optional).On display also the S 431 DT TopClass 400 double-decker bus with Euro VI powertrain of the “Blue Efficiency Power” engine generation.The testimonial of the ComfortClass 500 will be the 10.46-metre S 511 HD in the club-bus version with exclusive equipment and vis-à-vis seats.For intercity service, next to the S 415 LE business of MultiClass 400 will debut the 14.6-metre S 418 LE business with 61 seats.Setra will also present the OM 471 in-line six-cylinder Euro VI engine delivering 350 kW (476 hp), standard on the TopClass 500 models.In the outdoor area Setra will provide for testing various vehicles including an S 515 MD, a medium-decker of the Setra family of

buses within the Setra Comfort Class 500. With a height of 3.56 metres, these coaches combine the passenger compartment of the hi-gh-deckers with lowered substructures. The new Comfort Class 500 MD series covers the segments of tourist services, short journeys and excursions and can optionally be used for shuttle and company in-house transport. •