Busworld 2017's methane premieres

© MercedesCombining the benefits of a hybrid and CNG - the Citaro Hybrid NGT

One of the most interesting premieres may be the Mercedes-Benz Citaro Hybrid NGT (Natural Gas Technology), a methane-powered version of the already known Citaro Hybrid city bus. It will be available in articulated variant (which has been sold as Citaro G Hybrid for a few years now) and as a newly introduced 12-metre bus. All versions will be motivated by the M936 G combustion engine. It's a 6-cylinder turbocharged unit with spark ignition and 7,7 l of capacity. It offers 222 kW/302 PS of power at 2200 RPM, while maximum torque is 1200 Nm, available between 1200 and 1300 RPM.

Since the bus is a hybrid, its drivetrain also features an electric motor – a 14 kW unit generating 220 Nm of torque. Braking energy is recovered and stored in supercapacitors, which are characterised by remarkably high longevity and their ability to release large portions of energy in very short time. According to the manufacturer, a single braking from 50 km/h to full stop allows to fully charge the Citaro's supercapacitors. Their capacity is 2 Ah.

© innermobil.comLow entry is often more imporant than entirely low floor

Another new methane-powered bus will be unveiled at the Iveco Bus stand – the Crossway Low Entry Natural Power, motivated entirely with compressed natural gas (CNG). It features an inline 6-cylinder, turbocharged Cursor 9 NP engine, offering 400 PS of power at 2000 RPM and 1700 Nm of torque at 1200 RPM. Fuel tanks are located on the bus' roof so as not to limit the vehicle's passenger capacity.

Just like Iveco's other Natural Power trucks and buses, the Crossway LE NP will offer outstanding environmental performance – particulate matter is hardly detectable, nitrogen oxides are reduced by 1/3 (compared to diesels) and noise levels are halved. Also, Iveco's NP engines can run on biomethane, which reduces carbon dioxide emissions by 95%.

The Busworld 2017 fair will be available to visitors between October 20 and 25, 2017.