High‑voltage battery services: Daimler Buses aims to continue growing with e‑services

• Expanding the e‑portfolio beyond vehicles and infrastructure
• Services to extend the service life of e‑bus batteries
• First battery replacement programs successfully completed in customer fleets
• Digital service portfolio to maximize battery life in the vehicle
• Up to 15 years of warranty on NMC4 batteries
• Growing number of eBus service locations in Europe with comprehensive offerings
• The life of the batteries after their use in the vehicle

Daimler Buses offers services designed to extend the service life of electrically powered buses, including the reconditioning of e‑bus batteries. The company has also expanded its service offering to include battery replacement with the latest generation of batteries that provide greater range. The goal is to ensure the longest possible useful life for its electrified vehicles. These two offerings are part of an e‑services initiative that considers the full life cycle and total cost of ownership of e‑buses and their batteries. Daimler Buses is initially providing the new services for the Mercedes‑Benz eCitaro electric city bus. The low‑floor city bus has been in series production since 2018 and will be equipped with fourth‑generation (NMC4) batteries starting in 2026. These services are also a potential future option for the new Mercedes‑Benz eIntouro intercity bus.

Maximized service life thanks to new e‑services

Daimler Buses aims to ensure long‑term and therefore sustainable use of batteries in its vehicles through battery reconditioning and replacement services. Like all batteries, e‑bus batteries lose capacity over years of intensive use. When needed, the manufacturer reconditions first‑generation NMC1 batteries so they can remain in service for longer. In the future, this “rework” offering is planned to expand to NMC2 and NMC3 batteries as well.

Daimler Buses also offers, on request and depending on the customer’s intended operating period, the replacement of batteries from older generations (NMC1 to NMC3). These batteries are replaced with the latest NMC4 models, enabling higher capacity and therefore greater range for existing e‑buses — in some cases even more than when the vehicles were new. A particular advantage is that, depending on vehicle configuration and the original battery generation, fewer NMC4 batteries may be required while still providing equal or greater total capacity. Several customers have already successfully upgraded older battery generations to the newest NMC4 technology.

Daimler Buses will also use reconditioning and battery replacement for the new NMC4 generation in its BusStore pre‑owned vehicle offering. This allows customers to purchase used e‑buses with very high battery capacity or the latest battery technology.

Digital service portfolio for maximum battery life in the vehicle

Before reconditioning or replacement becomes necessary, Daimler Buses supports extended battery life through a comprehensive digital service portfolio. Software continuously checks the status of the batteries in the electric bus fleet and provides fleet operators with this information along with actionable recommendations. It identifies parameters such as charge state, temperature, and idle periods, and recommends measures to protect the batteries. 

To provide additional protection and prevent serious consequences, Daimler Buses equips the Omniplus On Battery Monitoring service with an emergency call function. This function is recognized by many insurers as an effective fire‑prevention measure.

Up to 15 years of warranty on NMC4 batteries 

As part of new‑vehicle sales, Daimler Buses will offer a warranty of up to 15 years with the introduction of the new NMC4 battery generation in 2026. This allows customers to operate their vehicles economically and with reduced risk over a long period of time. The manufacturer also relies on a modular battery design, which simplifies repair work.

Growing number of eBus service locations in Europe with comprehensive services 

Omniplus already includes more than 130 eBus service locations across Europe, and the network continues to grow. Service employees receive specialized training for the safe and professional handling of electric vehicles and high‑voltage systems. The locations are equipped with dedicated facilities such as overhead gantries and battery cranes to work directly on high‑voltage components or to repair and replace entire battery systems. Daimler Buses customers benefit from tailored, locally available service solutions even after the vehicle purchase, including fast and reliable spare‑parts supply, which ensures consistently high operational readiness of their electric buses. 

The life of the batteries after their use in the vehicle 

After their first life in the vehicle, Daimler Buses offers solutions for so‑called repurpose applications. Former traction batteries can be used in stationary energy‑storage systems, for example to help stabilize power grids during peak loads or as buffer storage for solar and wind farms. After this second life, at the end of the battery’s overall lifecycle, the company and its partners offer recycling solutions aimed at recovering valuable raw materials as extensively as possible. Together with Daimler Truck, Daimler Buses is involved in several funded projects in Germany with the goal of developing even more efficient recycling methods and enabling a closed product lifecycle.