• Five Citaro LE hybrid buses delivered to Stadtwerke Heilbronn (SWHN)
• SWHN representatives arrive for the handover in a Mercedes‑Benz O 3500 vintage bus
• Delivery of six eCitaro and five Citaro G planned for the second half of 2026 and 2027

Mannheim – Representatives of Stadtwerke Heilbronn (SWHN) arrived in fitting style for the handover of five Mercedes‑Benz Citaro LE hybrid buses at the Mercedes‑Benz plant in Mannheim – in an immaculately restored Mercedes‑Benz O 3500 from 1950, which was the very first Mercedes‑Benz city bus delivered to Heilbronn.

This marks the 350th Mercedes‑Benz bus delivery to the city of Heilbronn. The vehicle was ceremonially handed over by Markus Fischer, Head of Sales Public Transport and Authorities Germany, Daimler Buses, and Carsten Reineck, Sales Public Transport and Authorities Germany, Daimler Buses, to Tilo Elser, Managing Director of SWHN, and Marco Trovato, Operations Manager at SWHN.

Economical operations with the Citaro LE Hybrid

The five blue‑and‑white Mercedes‑Benz Citaro LE hybrid buses, each measuring 12.13 meters in length and offering a maximum passenger capacity of 97, provide an ideal combination of high performance, efficiency, and sustainability. Designed specifically for use in urban metropolitan areas, the Citaro hybrid city buses are powered by a six‑cylinder OM 936 diesel engine delivering 220 kW (299 hp). The mild hybrid system, featuring a 14‑kW electric motor as its core component, reduces fuel consumption by up to 8.5 percent by supporting the combustion engine during acceleration. The required electrical energy is generated automatically during coasting or braking. Safety equipment includes systems such as Sideguard Assist 2, Traffic Sign Assist, Attention Assist, Frontguard Assist, and a reversing camera.

63 Buses: Heilbronn Runs on Mercedes‑Benz

With the addition of the five new Citaro LE hybrid buses, the SWHN fleet now comprises a total of 63 buses, including 22 articulated buses—all bearing the Mercedes‑Benz star on the front. As recently as last December, nine additional Citaro LE hybrid buses were put into service. In October of this year, the fleet will be further expanded with fully electric city buses: one eCitaro G and two eCitaro models. For next year, Stadtwerke Heilbronn has already exercised an option for three additional eCitaro buses and five Citaro G articulated buses.

About Stadtwerke Heilbronn transport operations

Stadtwerke Heilbronn GmbH employs around 230 people in its transport operations, which include city buses and light rail services. Its fleet of 63 scheduled‑service buses operates 13 routes across Heilbronn and the surrounding area, covering a network of 207 kilometers. Each year, approximately 27 million passengers are transported, around 17 million of them on Mercedes‑Benz buses.