Joint test drive in the “Electrified Coach” funding project: Daimler Buses and its project partners have reached an important milestone in Neu‑Ulm on the way to a marketable battery‑electric touring coach. The technology carrier developed in the project is designed for a range of more than 500 kilometres.
News 2026
Daimler Buses reaches milestone in battery‑electric touring coach.
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22 October 2026
At the beginning of October, the partners of the “Electrified Coach” funding project, abbreviated to “ELCH”, met for a final personal consortium meeting in Neu‑Ulm. The focus was on a joint trip with the technology carrier developed in the project. The funding project will continue until the end of 2026.
Electric touring coach for touring.
Daimler Buses and its project partners are working to create the technological and economic deliverables for the electric touring coach of the future. The objective is the development and validation of a marketable battery‑electric coach concept. In addition to the drive and battery, the focus is on energy consumption, aerodynamics, lightweight construction, profitability and practical usability in touring traffic.
The purpose of the joint trip to Neu‑Ulm was to test and validate the technical concepts under practical conditions. In addition, the project partners discussed the progress of the project so far and agreed on the next steps until training completion.
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Research and practice work together.
Daimler Buses coordinates the funding project together with research and industrial partners. The consortium includes the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT, Institut ITIV), the University of Mannheim (MISES), the Rhineland‑Palatinate Technical University Kaiserslautern‑Landau (RPTU) with the institutes iMAD and SAM as well as Flix SE. Together, the project partners are investigating the technical, economic and operational deliverables for the use of battery‑electric touring coaches in long‑distance haulage.
The KIT analyses and processes vehicle data and works on optimising the operation strategy of the electric touring coach. The RPTU unit is investigating potential in the areas of lightweight construction and aerodynamics to further improve energy consumption and range. MISES evaluates the profitability of battery‑electric coach concepts for different usage profiles and analyses their competitiveness. Flix brings real operating and deployment data from long‑distance bus traffic and supports the development of practical application and driving cycles.
Fundamentals for future electric touring coaches.
The results of the project form a fundamental basis for the further electrification of the coach segment at Daimler Buses. The enterprise’s objective is to offer battery‑electric touring coaches by the end of the decade. The findings from the project are incorporated into the further development of corresponding vehicle concepts and technologies.
The “ELCH” research and development project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Energy with a total of EUR 6.26 million within the framework of the “Competition for electrified heavy‑duty and passenger transport” funding programme (funding code: 01MV22010A‑E). The funding programme is implemented by the DLR project‑executing agency.
