In the coming week, passengers on the RMV express bus route X17 between Hofheim, Frankfurt Airport and Neu-Isenburg will be able to "experience" for themselves what the locally emission-free future of local transport feels like. The bus company Autobus Sippel is testing an electric bus from the manufacturer Mercedes-Benz on the route from Monday to Friday (14 to 18 October 2019). The eCitaro e-bus is expected to be in operation from around 4 a.m. to 9 a.m. and between 3 p.m. and 7 p.m.
"Our goal is to make public transport in the RMV area even more environmentally friendly and sustainable," said RMV Managing Director Prof. Knut Ringat. "From 2023, RMV will therefore be home to the largest hydrogen train fleet in Europe. In bus transport, electric buses are an exciting future technology alongside hydrogen vehicles. That's why we are very pleased about the commitment of our partner Autobus Sippel."
"We are delighted to be able to give passengers on RMV line X17 to Frankfurt Airport the opportunity to experience the technology of battery-electric buses, and we are looking forward to seeing how the vehicles perform in everyday testing and what our passengers have to say," said Stephanie Schramm, Managing Director of the Autobus Sippel transport company.
The Sippel company has a solo bus from German manufacturer Mercedes-Benz at its disposal for the trial run on express bus route X17. The 12-metre-long, 13-tonne eCitaro demonstration vehicle offers a total of 80 seats, including 31 seats. The battery capacity is 288 KWh, enabling a range of up to 160 kilometres.
Autobus Sippel is a long-standing partner in the RMV network area. The company operates 20 bus routes in the Frankfurt city area and in the Groß Gerau region. The trial use of the electric buses is part of the bus company's intensive preparations for the era of alternative, locally emission-free drive technologies.
