From 7 to 12 October 2023, Daimler Buses presented their latest products and services at a 2700-square-metre exhibition stand at the Busworld trade fair. Key topics were electromobility, safety and sustainability. The seven vehicular exhibits were of the usual high quality and were kitted out with first-class equipment, making them a real attention-grabber for exhibition visitors.

The most important topics of the entire event – electromobility, safety and sustainability – were also key themes of the Daimler stand. This was reflected both by the exhibited vehicles and OMNIplus information area. The seven presented buses/touring coaches were of the usual high quality and were kitted out with first-class equipment, making them a real attention-grabber for exhibition visitors. Visitors from all over the world were fascinated by the electrified chassis as well as by the four Setra and three Mercedes-Benz models.

The four Setra buses painted in striking yellow grabbed the attention of all visitors to the Daimler Buses stand. This was the first time the new Setra S 515 LE had been on show to customers. Erdil Etken Ires, project manager of the new LE, explained: “the new Setra MultiClass LE has a revised design with numerous equipment variants. For example, the numbers of seats, luggage racks and doors can be varied so that we can provide every customer with the right vehicle for their exact application requirements”.

Visitors were also able to see the driving comfort of the S 518 LE during a test drive outside the halls of the Brussels Trade Fair. Against the impressive backdrop of the Atomium, the MultiClass gallantly wound its way through the city traffic.

The buses/touring coaches come with further innovations, especially in terms of safety systems. All three exhibited models – S 515 HD, S 516 HDH and S 531 DT – are equipped with the new MirrorCam instead of the traditional front mirror. In future, all Daimler buses will come with this option. Jerome Mouret, president of Cars Bouisse and visitor to the trade fair, said: "safety is our priority because our job is to transport passengers safely to their destination. Daimler Buses has always been a safety pioneer – features that were already standard for this brand ages ago have now become mandatory for all. Here at Busworld, I have been looking at the Setra double-decker with particular interest; it will probably be the successor to one of my older Setra touring coaches."

Other safety and assistance systems that Daimler Buses demonstrated at Busworld and will install in its buses in the future include the Active Brake Assist 6 (ABA 6) emergency braking assistant for touring coaches and high-floor buses, the Preventive Brake Assist 2 active brake assistant for low-floor buses and the radar-based Sideguard Assist 2 turning assistant, which is installed on both sides of the vehicle.

Thomas Schneemann, Sales Representative at Daimler Buses, understands why safety is so important to customers: "I get a lot of questions about the MirrorCam and the assistance systems. The safety features are convincing and play a key role in buyers' decisions, as does the high passenger capacity of our vehicles and the individual design consulting services we offer."

Potential customers could also find out about Daimler's expertise in bus/touring coach design and equipment options at the Daimler Buses stand. “Our goal is to equip every vehicle according to customer demands and passenger requirements”, explained Juliane Rupp from Daimler Buses Design Consulting. Almost any vehicle can be visualised and adapted in the design program. Visitors were able to view and feel fabrics for seats and curtains on site. Sustainability also came up time and again during consultations. "We have a new sustainable collection that includes yarns made from recycled materials and want to expand this range in the future. We not only want to use materials that conserve resources, but also those that are suitable for eco-friendly disposal and recycling", added Dagmar Laurer-Martin and Marc Philipp Jech, both of whom also work in Design Consulting.

Visitors could also view sustainable products from OMNIplus at the heart of the Daimler Buses trade fair stand. For example, reconditioned and 3D-printed spare parts have been on offer for some time. Bernd Mack, head of Customer Services & Parts, explains: "OMNIplus is all about providing bus and coach-specific solutions and a comprehensive range of cost-effective services. These ensure that the buses and coaches are always ready for use and help our customers to make their business sustainable. At Busworld, we demonstrated this in impressive fashion". A further innovation – the OMNIplus ON monitor Performance Analysis digital service – was also launched at the event. It allows fleet managers to analyse different driving styles and optimise them in a targeted manner. The range of OMNIplus service contracts has now also been expanded. Two dynamic variants are now available in which the monthly fee adapts flexibly to the actual mileage covered by the customers' vehicles.

Daimler Buses dazzled visitors to Busworld 2023 in its usual fashion with high-quality, future-oriented products across the board.