Daimler Truck invests €50 million at its Ligny-en-Barrois site (Meuse – Eastern France)

The German group Daimler Truck has announced that it will invest €50 million between now and 2030 to adapt its Evobus France site in Ligny-en-Barrois (Meuse – Eastern France) to the production of electric buses. A modernisation which should be accompanied by 250 additional jobs.

Production of the eCitaro Mercedes-Benz, 100% electric city bus planned for the Meuse

Evobus France is a subsidiary of the German Daimler Truck. As a result of this investment, the site should be adapted to allow the assembly of the Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, a city bus with 100% electric propulsion. Launched on the market in 2018, the vehicle has so far only been produced at the plant in Mannheim, Germany. Available in two versions, 12 and 18 metres long, the eCitaro will be produced in Ligny-en-Barrois from the first quarter of 2024. Daimler Truck believes that the challenges of electrification should lead to the creation of 250 new jobs at the Meuse site.

With more than 2,500 employees in France, just over a quarter of them in the Meuse department, the German group will also have to train its staff in the production of this new model by means of electrical qualifications linked to the high-voltage technology of the eCitaro vehicles.

Versatility of industrial lines

Evobus recently acquired 3 hectares of land in order to begin the transformation of its hexagonal plant. The industrial project plans to adapt the existing production lines so that they can produce both diesel and electric versions.

An additional building combining quality and finishing activities will also come out of the ground. For example, some painting work needs to be made possible by modern technology, while a new vehicle leak test bench needs to be built.

The Citaro remains the main model assembled at the Evobus France site in Lorraine. In recent years, the Citaro hybrid has accounted for around half of its production volume. In addition to Ligny-en-Barrois and Mannheim, Evobus has three other production sites: Neu-Ulm (Germany), Holysov (Czech Republic) and Samano (Spain).

Source: L’usine nouvelle