Customers take delivery of first series production Citaro buses meeting the Euro-VI

Wiesbaden-based ESWE has taken delivery of a Mercedes-Benz Citaro meeting the future Euro-VI emission standard in a handover ceremony attended by Dr. Helmut Muller, Lord Mayor of the provincial capital of Wiesbaden. A further two vehicles are due to be delivered in the next few days. These are the first series production buses to go into operation featuring the clean technology.

Emission control system comprising SCR technology plus exhaust gas recirculation
In order to meet Euro-VI, the buses feature a sophisticated emission control system: this combines the customary Mercedes-Benz SCR technology comprising AdBlue injection and oxidizing catalytic converter with exhaust gas recirculation and a closed particulate filter. Comprehensive design measures have helped to ensure that the buses do not weigh any more despite the additional equipment, and contrary to initial assumptions both the fuel consumption and therefore the CO2 emissions have even been reduced.

Citaro Euro-VI: a milestone in bus development
Application of Euro-VI will not become compulsory for the Citaro until 2014 - making advance fulfilment of the standard by the first series production regular service bus by the middle of 2012 all the more remarkable. According to Uwe Cramer, Chairman of the Board of ESWE, "We take our responsibility towards both people and the environment extremely seriously. Buses meeting the highest possible emission standard play a significant role in this."

"As far as we are concerned, it's not a case of only striving for environmental protection when the lawmakers force us to do so. We provide our customers with the best possible emission control. Taking on this challenge is of course part of the pioneering role played by Mercedes-Benz," said Hartmut Schick, Head of Daimler Buses.

Clean, powerful and economical engines
The vehicles being delivered are articulated buses from the Mercedes-Benz Citaro G model series. The clean, powerful and economical OM 470 engines are part of the latest Mercedes-Benz engine generation and produce 265 kw (360 hp). The latest-generation Voith DIWA.6 automatic transmissions have also been tuned to meet Euro-VI.

Passengers are able to board the buses via three electrically-operated inward folding doors. Other on-board equipment includes an air conditioning system for the passenger compartment as well as a separate air-conditioning system for the driver's area.

Intensive cooperation for more than 90 years
ESWE Verkehrsgesellschaft based in Wiesbaden, the state capital of Hesse, has a history dating back more than 130 years including the experience of its predecessor company. The company has relied on Mercedes-Benz buses for a number of years now. The cooperation began some 90 years ago with the first regular service buses in Wiesbaden. Today the company's own fleet comprises around 200 buses. Since 2008, regular service buses meeting what was previously the highest EEV emission standard have been purchased - all of them from Mercedes-Benz. Two-thirds of the regular service buses are now star-branded models.

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