Mercedes-Benz launches an electric bus chassis in Brazil

Mercedes-Benz has unveiled its first electric bus chassis developed for the Brazilian market. Named eO500U, the chassis will be launched in 2022, meeting the demands of Brazil and Latin American market (but it will also be commercialized in Europe and Oceania, the group says).

Mercedes-Benz do Brasil has recently showcased the new chassis, which has been developed by the Brazilian engineering team with focus on the mobility and passenger transport reality. The group points out that the chassis has been extensively tested in Germany, where it relied on Daimler’s expertise in electric buses.

More than just launching a new product in Brazil, the electric bus chassis represents a new step of the Company towards an ecosystem that also includes exclusive services dedicated to electric vehicles

Roberto Leoncini, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Trucks and Buses of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil

Mercedes-Benz do Brasil, the first e-mobility solution

The Mercedes-Benz eO500U chassis is a 4×2 standard model of the renowned O 500 range. Low floor, it can receive bodies up to 13.2 meters long. Its mileage will reach 250 km, Daimler says.

With electric motor integrated to the rear axle, the eO500U will come equipped with EBS electronic brake and energy regeneration system. The batteries are charged via plug-in cables.

“Our strategic decision to present a solution in electromobility starting from buses, more specifically in the urban segment, is due to a thinking about the cities’ scenario. We have 65 years of experience in Brazil, always offering new technologies for transport and now, meeting the demands of our customers and society, we will add to our universe of multi-solutions the electric technology”, says Karl Deppen, president of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil & CEO Latin America. “Buses share space in large cities with cars and people, bicycles, motorbikes and other means of locomotion. These places are being prepared to receive new technologies for mobility, taking into consideration efficiency, economic development and environmental sustainability”.

Mercedes eO500U electric bus chassis ready in 2022

“We have allocated about R$100 million (around 16 million euros) to the eO500U project, within the current investment cycle that totals R$2.4 billion in Brazil, from 2018 to 2022,” reports Karl Deppen. “I am confident that together, our teams our partners are building a great legacy for Brazilian electromobility, supported by the extensive experience that the Daimler Group has accumulated in other markets. Besides, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil is Daimler’s Worldwide Competence Center for the development of the brand’s bus chassis. This means that we have a solid expertise in this vehicle segment. We keep on working for everyone who moves the world. And with a lot of energy, we are again making history in Brazil”.

“More than launching a new product in Brazil, the electric bus chassis represents a new step of the Company towards an ecosystem that also includes exclusive services dedicated to electric vehicles“, emphasizes Roberto Leoncini, Vice President of Sales and Marketing Trucks and Buses of Mercedes-Benz do Brasil. “In this entry into the electromobility era, we will provide all the necessary support for customers to work with total safety in their operation and in their business.”

The range of services will include a specialized consultancy for bus companies and urban public transport managers regarding vehicle operation, energy supply and battery recharging infrastructure and fleet management with electric buses.

“Together with our customers and partners, we will build the best opportunities in this new scenario of technological transformations, which demands a new look at the day-to-day operation,” says Roberto Leoncini.

“When it reaches the Brazilian and Latin American markets next year, as well as the countries of Europe and Oceania, the eO500U will meet the specifications of each country, inserted in the brand’s global multisolutions context“, adds Roberto Leoncini. “Besides the electric one, Mercedes-Benz will keep betting on alternatives, such as biofuels Biodiesel and HVO, which can also help reduce CO2. Besides, diesel, which use is the majority in fleets in Brazil and in the world, has already been presenting a high potential of improvement in efficiency, consumption and emissions reduction”.