Daimler buses are planning on offering CO2 neutral buses in Europe by 2030 and to put their first electric city bus into action by 2025.
The hydrogen cells are intended as ‘range extenders’ for the battery cells. 600 of these hybrid hydrogen. / electric buses have already been produced. The hydrogen / electric powertrains are Daimlers solution to carbon neutrality for their public and commercial transport production.
It also plans to retrofit their currently electric city bus, the eCitaro, with hydrogen fuels cells in 2023, only a year from now. This means the bus with have hybrid options to move between hydrogen and electric. The current eCitaro bus holds a 588-kWH battery providing 173 miles of range.
Daimler are hoping that the hydrogen extender will allow their buses to manage intercity travel, something that currently isn’t possible due to range restrictions on battery tech for heavy vehicles. The hydrogen extender is said to add approximately 80 miles on to the range.
Electric buses are staring to appear across the world, such as in South Korea and Russia but it may be some time before the tech and infrastructure becomes affordable for many cities across Europe and the world.