• Winfried Hermann, Transport Minister for the State of Baden-Württemberg: "To achieve our climate protection targets, we have to drastically expand our public transport infrastructure. Buses and trains must become increasingly emission-free. I'm really pleased to see that a centre of competence for electromobility has been set up at the Mannheim location and that electric buses are manufactured on-site there. And that's exactly what the public transport sector has been waiting for!”
• Till Oberwörder: "In our bus plant in Mannheim, we've already set our course in the direction of tomorrow. This is where we produce the locally emission-free eCitaro city bus, on the same production line as the proven Citaro models with low-emission combustion engine, as well as those equipped with either a hybrid system or natural gas drive. In doing so, we're making a major contribution towards keeping the air in inner cities and urban areas clean. At the same time, we're also taking responsibility for the future of our Mannheim production plant."
• Michael Brecht: "Mannheim is and shall remain our centre of competence for city buses. As the only bus manufacturer still producing in Germany, we're sending a clear signal for Germany as a location for industrial activities. Besides our strong focus on the topic of electromobility, the future viability of the location also applies to the securing of jobs well into the future, something which we've managed to extend to the end of 2024."

Mannheim – The Transport Minister for the German State of Baden-Württemberg, Winfried Hermann, together with Franz Loogen, chairman of State Agency e-mobil BW, today visited the Daimler Buses Mannheim location in southern Germany where the fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city buses are produced as part of series production.

Till Oberwörder, Head of Daimler Buses, Michael Brecht, Chairman of the Daimler AG General Works Council, and Joachim Horner, Chairman of the Works Council of Mannheim plant, welcomed the special guests to the birthplace of Mercedes-Benz Buses and the present-day centre of competence for city and electric buses from Daimler Buses. The bus manufacturing plant produces Mercedes-Benz city buses and inter-urban buses – and since last year, it has also been manufacturing battery-electric city buses.

Winfried Hermann: "To achieve our climate protection targets, we don't just need to drastically expand our public transport – we also need the vehicles to become increasingly emission-free. I'm really pleased to see that a future-oriented centre of competence for electromobility has been set up by Daimler at the Mannheim location and that electric buses are manufactured on-site there. Many municipal and private bus companies are looking forward to bringing this innovative vehicle into operation."

The first part of the Transport Minister's visit saw him receive first-hand information on the electromobility activities of Daimler Buses. This didn't just concern the production of electric buses, but also the holistic approach which the company gives to transport companies and customers to assist them in making the switch to electrically powered bus fleets. In line with this, the challenges associated with the electrification of public transport systems were also jointly discussed. Following on from that, Winfried Hermann was given the opportunity to carry out a test drive of the eCitaro on a test track within the plant as well as the chance to observe the flexible production line in operation.

"In our bus plant in Mannheim, we've already set our course in the direction of tomorrow. This is where we produce the locally emission-free eCitaro city bus, on the same production line as the proven Citaro models with low-emission combustion engine, as well as those equipped with either a hybrid system or natural gas drive," said Till Oberwörder, Head of Daimler Buses. "In doing so, we're making a major contribution towards keeping the air in inner cities and urban areas clean. At the same time, we're also taking responsibility for the future of our Mannheim production plant."

Michael Brecht, Chairman of the Daimler AG General Works Council, added: "Mannheim is and shall remain our centre of competence for city buses. As the only bus manufacturer still producing in Germany, we're sending a clear signal for Germany as a location for industrial activities. Besides our strong focus on the topic of electromobility, the future viability of the location also applies to the securing of jobs well into the future, something which we've managed to extend to the end of 2024."

Tradition and future: about the Daimler Buses location in Mannheim

Mannheim is the strong backbone within the global production network of Daimler Buses. The plant is the centre of competence for city and electric-drive buses as well as being the location of the Mercedes-Benz Bus Customer Center. For more than 20 years, the Mercedes-Benz Citaro city buses which are produced here have been shaping the face of innumerable cities around the world.

In order to lower the CO₂ balance sheet even further, Daimler Buses has set its focus on buses with low-emission and emission-free drive systems. The Mercedes-Benz Citaro NGT with its natural gas drive and the Citaro hybrid are two prominent examples of this. Since the end of 2018, Mannheim has also been the series-production location for the fully-electric Mercedes-Benz eCitaro city buses. These expand the Citaro product portfolio with a locally emission-free product.

The products manufactured at the Mannheim bus location therefore make a valuable contribution towards responsible public transport systems of the future and to Daimler's own overarching sustainability targets of clean air, climate protection and liveable cities.

The company employs around 3500 people in central functions and bus manufacturing. Of them, there are approximately 250 apprentices and work placement students.