First Mercedes eCitaro bus rolls of the line in France

The first French-built Mercedes eCitaro electric city bus rolled off the Ligny-en-Barrois production line in France after the model was initially only built in Mannheim, Germany. Daimler Truck has confirmed its dedication to the French plant with a €50 million investment between now and 2030.

Until now, the Ligny-en-Barrois production facility in Lorraine, France, exclusively made combustion-powered and hybrid Mercedes Citaro city buses. The eCitaro has been added to the workload, the battery-electric model was introduced in 2018, and over 1,000 units have been built in Mannheim, Germany.

Mixed powertrain production

The first French-built model is a standard-length eCitaro (12 meters) with an NMC3 battery. The eCitaro has a battery capacity of up to 588 kWh, suitable for a 280 km range, while the articulated eCitaro G (18 meters long) gets up to 686 kWh and 220 km. A hydrogen version was also introduced in 2023, with up to 350 km of range, but this will only be produced in Germany.

With the introduction of the electric variant of the Citaro to the French factory, Daimler Truck confirms its intention to continue producing in France. A €50 million investment was announced in 2023 to transform the factory with mixed-powertrain production lines, a new building for quality control, and last-stage finishing touches, including paintwork.