Mercedes-Benz O405G

The Mercedes-Benz O405G is a rear-engined articulated transit bus built by Mercedes-Benz from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s. As part of the Mercedes-Benz O405 line of chassis, it was the successor of the Mercedes-Benz O305 chassis, which also offered an articulated version (the O305G).

Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS), the predecessor of SMRT Buses, acquired a total of 315 units between 1996 and 2004 over four main variants of bodywork. Being the first high capacity buses in Singapore, the O405G is one of SMRT’s flagship bus models. Singapore Bus Services (now SBS Transit) acquired one demonstrator unit that was subsequently rejected.

Technical Information:

The Mercedes-Benz O405 was the successor to the Mercedes-Benz O305, which stopped production in 1987. Many units were sold around the world, and to several bus operators in Europe, Australia and Singapore.

An articulated version of this chassis was also produced, the Mercedes-Benz O405G. The “G” stands for Gelenkbus, or articulated bus in German. A low-floor version of the O405G was also produced, known as the O405GN. The O405G was a ‘pusher‘ bendy, meaning that the rear-mounted engine powers the trailer drive axle which then ‘pushes‘ the bus forward. Longitudinal stability of the vehicle is maintained by active hydraulics mounted under the turntable.

The O405G is available with the Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA engine (11967cc) similar to the O405s, but rated at a higher torque output. Various Voith and ZF gearboxes were compatible with the engine. The Mercedes-Benz O405G was later superseded by the O530G, better known as the Citaro G.

Article Sections:

• Hispano Carrocera Mark 1 demonstrator
• Hispano Carrocera Mark 1
• Hispano Carrocera Mark 2
• Hispano Carrocera Habit
• Volgren

Further Reading:

• Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Mark II)
• Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit)
• Mercedes-Benz O405G (Volgren)

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Technical Specifications

Many Mercedes-Benz O405G buses share similar technical specifications. Here’s a table at a glance:

TIBS/SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G
	Hispano Mk1	Hispano MkII	Hispano Habit	Volgren
Registration	TIB838H*, TIB849B – TIB904A	TIB973A – TIB1001Z	TIB1019Z – TIB1177A (except 1024H), TIB1198P – TIB1247G	TIB1024H*, TIB1178Y – TIB1197S
Quantity	57	29	208	21
Registration Period	14 Mar 1996 (838H) 16 Jul 1997 – 19 Nov 1999	11 Jan 2000 – 8 Mar 2000	10 Jun 2000 – 4 Mar 2004	14 Jul 2000 (1024H) 8 Aug 2001 – 5 Jul 2002
	Technical Information
Engine	Mercedes-Benz OM 447 hLA (Euro I)		Euro I: 128 units Euro II: 80 units	Euro I: 1 unit Euro II: 20 units
Displacement	11967 cc
Power/torque	299 hp (220 kW) @ 2200 rpm / 1250 Nm @ 1000 – 1300 rpm
Transmission	ZF Ecomat 4HP 590 (4-speed)		ZF Ecomat 4HP 590 (132 units), Voith DIWA 863.3 (76 units)	ZF Ecomat 4HP 590 (10 units), Voith DIWA 863.3 (11 units)
Passenger Capacity**	L54 + S89 (838H) L53 + S89 (Twin abreast) L59 + S73 (Four abreast)	L30 + S58	L59 + S90	L59 + S73
EDS	Hanover (original) Gorba imotion Mobitec MobiLED	Transit Media (original) Mobitec MobiLED LAWO BENEFIT (994P)	LAWO ALUMA (original) Transit Media (original) Mobitec MobiLED Gorba imotion (1132D, 1133B, 1242U) Hanover (1034D) LAWO BENEFIT (1105H)	LAWO ALUMA (original) Transit Media (original) Mobitec MobiLED
—	—	—	—	—

* – TIB838H and TIB1024H are demonstrator units
** – Passenger capacity: U = Upper Deck, L = Lower Deck, S = Standing

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Carrocera Mark 1 (Demonstrator): TIB838H

While Singapore Bus Service (SBS) first launched high-capacity double-deck buses in 1977, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) did not acquire high-capacity buses until the mid-1990s, when there was a growing need for high-capacity buses to cope with population growth and the ever-increasing ridership in Singapore.

In 1996, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) brought in an articulated bus for evaluation purposes. It was registered on 14 March 1996 as TIB838H and ushered in a new era of articulated buses in Singapore.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

The introduction of TIB838H scored several firsts. It was shipped in completely-built-up from the Hispano plant in Spain via a Spair Airlines cargo plane, the first bus in Singapore to be delivered by air on 13 March 1996. It was also the first high-capacity bus in Singapore, a unique addition to the rigid buses of the past.

The bus was fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA engine paired with a ZF Ecomat 4HP590 four-speed automatic transmission which was to be standard for the later Hispano MkI and MkII production batch orders. Bodied by Spanish company Hispano Carrocera, it bore a similar design to TIBS’ existing Mercedes-Benz O405 buses, including the use of underfloor air-conditioning (supplied by Konvekta), and three sets of dual-leaf inward-gliding doors supplied by Bode Masats. An Electronic Display Signage (EDS) of the Green Flip-Dot type was supplied by Hanover Displays.

The bus made its debut on 16 March 1996, running on Bus Service 171 between Yishun and Marina Center. Pictures of the delivery are courtesy of SMRT Moving Stories.

Further Specifications:

TIB838H had a licensed carrying capacity of 143 passengers, comprising 54 seated and 89 standing passengers.

TIB838H’s original Volgelsitze seats were unique, with slanted handles. They were later replaced with Arianne Fainsa bucket seats, transferred from the Scania L113CRL ELBOs which underwent early retirement. In 2012, the original Hanover Flip-Dot EDS was replaced with a new Orange LED unit from Gorba; however, the bus never underwent mid-life refurbishment.

As its 17-year statutory lifespan approached, its last day of revenue service was on 11 March 2013 and the bus was scrapped afterwards. A MAN A24 demonstrator was acquired shortly afterwards (SMB388S) and was seen as a direct replacement for this bus.

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Carrocera Mark 1) Production Batch: TIB849B – TIB904A

After the successful trial of TIB838H, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) placed an order for 56 units of the Mercedes-Benz O405G, built with the Hispano Carrocera (Mark 1) bodywork identical to that used on the demonstrator unit. They were registered between 16 July 1997 and 19 November 1998 as TIB849B – TIB904A.

Unlike TIB838H, these buses were delivered by ship on a 26 day journey from Spain. The first 10 units arrived on 2 July 1997 and were put onto service from 18 July 1997 on Services 851 and 82.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

The design of the Hispano Mark 1 bodywork was of high resemblance to the other Mercedes-Benz O405s, earning them the nickname “box bendies”.

These buses were fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA engine paired with a ZF Ecomat 4HP590 four-speed automatic transmission. Bodied by Spanish company Hispano Carrocera, underfloor air-conditioning was supplied by Konvekta, and three sets of dual-leaf inward-gliding doors were supplied by Bode Masats. An Electronic Display Signage (EDS) of the Green Flip-Dot type was supplied by Hanover Displays.

Further Specifications:

All buses of this batch underwent mid-life refurbishment, which included repainting of interiors and changing of seat covers, from the original green fabric to PVC seat covers, coloured blue and purple with red for priority seats.

Originally, all Mercedes-Benz O405G Mark Is have a licensed carrying capacity of 142 passengers, comprising 53 seated and 89 standing passengers. Between the front and middle door, three rows were fitted as two seats abreast to accommodate more standing space. Some of the buses were later refitted with additional seats, restoring the conventional four seats abreast layout at the expense of reduced licensed carrying capacity. The modified buses were licensed for 59 seated and 73 standing passengers for a total of 132 passengers.

All buses have had their original Mobitec Flip-Dot matrix EDS units replaced with Orange LED units of either the Gorba imotion or Mobitec MobiLED type.

TIB890E is the first public transit bus in Singapore to have headrests, which was likely part of a trial. The headrests were retained even after refurbishment.

EDS Model Information (Click to expand)

Retirement:

Despite mid-life refurbishment, their 17-year statutory lifespan were not extended by two years (most likely due to LTA’s disapproval of keeping bendy buses on the roads), and were fully retired by 2015.

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Carrocera Mark 2) Production Batch: TIB973A – TIB1001Z

Main Article: Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Mark II)

After the intake of the O405G Hispano Mark 1, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) placed an additional order for 29 units; however, the Mark 1 bodywork was out of production. Hispano Carrocera devised a new bodywork largely based on the Mark 1 with improved aesthetics, hence the Hispano Carrocera Mark 2 bodywork was born, with its main distinguishing feature being its curved front design. These 29 buses were registered between 11 January 2000 and 8 March 2000 as TIB973A – TIB1001Z.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

The design of the Hispano Mark 2 bodywork is distinctively different from the Mark 1, featuring improved aesthetics. It is sometimes nicknamed “smiley bendy” for the curved metal design at the front. Only 29 units were acquired, all of which were registered in Year 2000.

The bodywork design, especially the head of the bus, might have incorporated several design elements from the first-generation Citaro buses launched in 1997 while having no relation to the integral Citaro product offered by Mercedes-Benz or Evobus. This has led to some sources of information incorrectly referring to these buses as the “Hispano Citaro”.

These buses were fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA engine paired with a ZF Ecomat 4HP590 four-speed automatic transmission, similar to the previous 57 units bodied with the Hispano MkI bodywork. Bodied by Spanish company Hispano Carrocera, underfloor air-conditioning was supplied by Konvekta, and three sets of dual-leaf inward-gliding doors were supplied by Bode Masats. This time, all doors were operated with electric motors, in contrast to pneumatic doors used on previous and later Mercedes-Benz O405Gs.

A TwinVision LeDot Electronic Display Signage (EDS) of the Green Flip-Dot type was supplied by Transit Media. These displays had LEDs behind each flip-dot for improved visibility.

Further Specifications:

All buses of this batch underwent mid-life refurbishment, which included repainting of interiors and changing of seat covers, from the original green fabric to PVC seat covers, coloured blue and purple with red for priority seats.

Mark 2 O405Gs have a licensed carrying capacity of 149 passengers, comprising 59 seated and 90 standing passengers. New features on the Mark 2 include electronically controlled wing mirrors, and thicker, more comfortable seats.

TIB984T and TIB986M have modified fronts, with a slight resemblance to the Volgren front. TIB986M received the modified front after an accident, while the cause of TIB984T’s modification is unknown (see Gallery at bottom of page).

All buses of this batch have been fitted with the Mobitec MobiLED EDS unit, an orange LED matrix. TIB994P is an exception, with a LAWO Benefit EDS unit.

EDS Model Information (Click to expand)

Retirement:

Despite refurbishment, their 17-year statutory lifespans were not extended by two years (most likely due to LTA’s disapproval of keeping bendy buses on the roads), and are expected to be fully retired by 2017.

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Carrocera Habit)

Main Article: Mercedes-Benz O405G (Hispano Habit)

SMRT’s 208 units of the O405G with Hispano Habit bodywork are split into two batches, namely:

• Batch 1: TIB1019Z – TIB1177A (excluding TIB1024H) (128 units)
• Batch 2: TIB1148J – TIB1177A and TIB1198P – TIB1247G (80 units)

Batch 1: TIB1019Z – TIB1177A (excluding TIB1024H) [128 units]

In 2000, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) introduced a third series of the Mercedes-Benz O405G buses, now fitted with the ‘Habit’ citybus bodywork by Hispano. A first batch of 158 units were acquired, and were registered between 10 June 2000 – 30 December 2000 as TIB1019Z – TIB1023K and TIB1025E – TIB1177A. TIB1024H breaks the sequence and was reserved for the Volgren demonstrator (below section).

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

Hispano Carrocera had engaged renowned Italian design company Pininfarina for the bodywork design, a company well-known for its long-term partnerships with leading car manufacturers. TIBS was the ‘launch customer’ for the Hispano Habit bodywork, purchasing the first batch of buses with this new bodywork. The design of the Hispano Habit was iconic, and soon became TIBS’s flagship bendy bus, as well as being the most common on the roads. The new Hispano Habits featured wider legroom with its cantilever seats, adjustable air-con louvres, and more vertical stanchion poles.

These buses were fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA (Euro I) engine paired with a mix of Voith DIWA 863.3 (3-speed) and ZF Ecomat 4HP590 (4-speed) automatic transmissions. 37 units were fitted with the Voith gearbox while the remaining 121 buses had the ZF gearbox.

Underfloor air-conditioning was supplied by Hispacold. Dual-leaf inward-gliding doors were used for the entrance and two sets of outward-swinging plug doors were used for the exits, all supplied by Bode Masats. Electronic Display Signage (EDS) of the Green Flip-Dot type was supplied by LAWO (formerly Lawo Luminator Europa, of Aluma make) or Transit Media (of TwinVision LeDot make).

An interesting note is that TIB1019Z – TIB1023K were registered very late, on 30 Dec 2000 together with the last few buses of the Batch 1 Hispano Habits (Registration of TIB1025E onwards started in June 2000). This has roots going all the way back to the Dennis Lance. Originally, TIB1002X – TIB1021R was reserved for the 20 UK Lances, TIB1022M & TIB1023K was reserved for the Volgren Lance, and TIB1024H was reserved for the Volgren O405G demonstrator. However, due to the expansion of SMRT’s charter division Busplus which required 12-metre buses, five UK Lances were transferred and registered under the PA-plate. As a result, only 15 UK Lances were registered under the TIB sequence (TIB1002X – TIB1016G) , pushing forward the Volgren Lance (TIB1017D & TIB1018B), and leaving five unused numbers between TIB1019Z to TIB1023K as TIB1024H was already registered. In keeping with long-time practices, TIBS was keen to fill up the missing numbers rather than leaving them empty, and as such, the last few Batch 1 Hispano Habits were registered to fill up those unused numbers.

Batch 2: TIB1148J – TIB1177A and TIB1198P – TIB1247G [80 units]

In 2000, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) introduced a third series of the Mercedes-Benz O405G with the Hispano Habit bodywork. A final 80 units formed the Second Batch, registered between 29 May 2001 – 04 March 2004 as TIB1148J – TIB1177A and TIB1198P – TIB1247G.

Hispano Habits of this batch were similar in all technical aspects to the Batch 1 buses, except that their engines were tuned for Euro II emissions standards. They and also came in a mix of Voith DIWA 863.3 (3-speed) and ZF Ecomat 4HP590 (4-speed) automatic transmissions. Half of them were fitted with the ZF gearbox (TIB1148J – TIB1177A & TIB1198P – TIB1207Y) while the remaining half received the Voith gearbox.

One curious feature of this batch is the extended period of time needed for registration. While the first 50 units (TIB1148J – TIB1177A  TIB1198P – TIB1217T) were delivered in eight months (29 May 2001 – 21 Dec 2001), the last 30 units (TIB1218R – TIB1247G) took around two years (05 Jul 2002 – 04 Mar 2004). The slow registration is attributed to space constraints: At the time, Kranji Depot had not been completed, and Woodlands and Ang Mo Kio Depots were experiencing shortage of parking space and maintenance capabilities. As such, the registration of buses was likely to have been slowed down deliberately.

On a whole, the Hispano bodywork is of superb build quality unparalleled even in the buses of today. That might explain why assembly and shipment of these buses were slow as compared to other models.

Further Specifications:

All buses of this batch underwent mid-life refurbishment, which included repainting of interiors and changing of seat covers, from the original dark mosaic fabric to PVC seat covers, colored blue and purple with red for priority seats.

The Hispano Habit has a licensed carrying capacity of 149 passengers, comprising 59 seated and 90 standing passengers.

All buses were upgraded with a Mobitec MobiLED EDS unit, an orange LED matrix. Exceptions are:

• Hanover: TIB1034D
• LAWO BENEFIT: TIB1105H
• Gorba imotion: TIB1132D, TIB1133B, TIB1242U

EDS Model Information (Click to expand)

TIB1105H: The rebuilt Habit

On 20 August 2008, at around 6:18am, TIB1105H (WLDEP 187) was deadheading towards Boon Lay Interchange (without passengers) where it caught fire along Marsiling Lane, near the junction of Admiralty Road. By the time the fire was extinguished, the bus was reduced to its bare skeleton. The incident was featured in the news.

Despite the fire damage, enough of the chassis survived the accident. The bus was subsequently deregistered and underwent a two-year period of absence where it was rebuilt from scratch. On 23 August 2010, it was back on the roads, appearing on Service 962.

Much of the bus was rebuilt with new parts, bearing a resemblance to SMRT’s OC500LEs, and red/purple leather seats were used, identical to the ones found on early refurbished O405s. Two Konvekta air-conditioning pods were mounted on the roof, and a new set of LAWO BENEFIT EDS units (of an orange LED matrix design) made it the most unique Hispano Habit on the roads.

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Volgren) Demonstrator – TIB1024H

Main Article: Mercedes-Benz O405G (Volgren)

In 2000, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) brought in a demonstrator Mercedes-Benz O405G with a Volgren bodywork. It was registered on 14 July 2000 as TIB1024H.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

TIBS had previously engaged Volgren of Australia to build small batches of its buses, such as the Hino HS3KRKK, Dennis Lance and Mercedes-Benz O405. This would be the first time that it engaged Volgren for the building of an articulated bus.

The bus was fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA (Euro I) engine paired with a Voith DIWA 863.3 (3-speed) automatic transmission. Bodied by Australian company Volgren, it bore a similar design to existing Volgren-bodied buses in TIBS’ fleet as they were all adaptations of the CR221 bodywork. Underfloor air-conditioning was supplied by Konvekta. Dual-leaf inward-gliding doors were used for the entrance and two sets of outward-swinging plug doors were used for the exits, all supplied by SMC Transit (rather than Bode Masats). An Electronic Display Signage (EDS) of the Green Flip-Dot type was supplied by LAWO of the ALUMA type.

The bus was registered shortly after the start of Hispano Habit registration. A later 20 more units were ordered in the Production Batch.

Further Specifications:

TIB1024H has a licensed carrying capacity of 132 passengers, including 59 seated and 73 standing passengers. A newer orange LED Mobitec MobiLED EDS unit replaced its old flip-dot LAWO Aluma EDS.

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SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G (Volgren) Production Batch – TIB1178Y – TIB1197S

Main Article: Mercedes-Benz O405G (Volgren)

Following the successful evaluation of the Volgren demonstrator TIB1024H, Trans-Island Bus Services (TIBS) brought in 20 additional units of the Mercedes-Benz O405G with Volgren bodywork. They were registered between 8 Aug 2001 – 5 Jul 2002 as TIB1178Y – TIB1197S.

Technical Specifications:

Additional Specifications:

The buses were registered after the complete delivery of the first batch of Hispano Habits. The intake of a small number of Volgren O405Gs is reminiscent of the O405, where TIBS also purchased a small number of Volgren-bodied buses in addition to a majority of Hispano-bodied buses.

These buses were fitted with a standard Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA (Euro II) engine paired with in a mix of Voith DIWA 863.3 (3-speed) and ZF Ecomat 4HP590 (4-speed) automatic transmissions.

Bodied by Australian company Volgren and assembled in Malaysia, underfloor air-conditioning was supplied by Hispacold. Dual-leaf inward-gliding doors were used for the entrance and two sets of outward-swinging plug doors were used for the exits, all supplied by SMC Transit (rather than Bode Masats). A Green Flip-Dot type Electronic Display Signage (EDS) was supplied by Transit Media of the TwinVision LeDot model.

The first 10 units (TIB1178Y – TIB1187X) were built with slightly different specifications than the last 10 units (TIB1188T – TIB1197S):

TIB1178Y – TIB1187X	TIB1188T – TIB1197S
– ZF 4HP 600 gearbox – Normal window line (smaller windows)	– Voith DIWA 863.3 gearbox – Lower window line (larger windows)

All buses of this batch underwent mid-life refurbishment, which included repainting of interiors and changing of seat covers, from the dark mosaic fabric to PVC seat covers, coloured blue and purple with red for priority seats.

Volgren O405Gs have a licensed carrying capacity of 132 passengers, including 59 seated and 73 standing passengers.

In 2013, these buses underwent mid-life refurbishment, with new blue/purple/red seat covers. All buses were fitted with a newer orange LED-type Mobitec MobiLED EDS units, replacing their older flip-dot Transit Media EDS.

EDS Model Information (Click to expand)

TIBS/SMRT Mercedes-Benz O405G
Registration	Units	Engine	Gearbox	Introduced	Retired	Bodywork
TIB838H	1	Mercedes-Benz OM447hLA	ZF 4HP 590	1996	2013	Hispano Carrocera Mark I
TIB849B – TIB904A	56			1997-1998	2015
TIB973A – TIB1001Z	29			2000	2017	Hispano Carrocera Mark II
TIB1019Z – TIB1023K	5			2000	2018	Hispano Carrocera Habit
TIB1024H	1		Voith DIWA 863.3	2000	2017	Volgren
TIB1025E – TIB1147L	123		ZF 4HP 590 (86)	2000	2018	Hispano Carrocera Habit
			Voith DIWA 863.3 (37)
TIB1148J – TIB1177A	30		ZF 4HP 590	2001	2019
TIB1178Y – TIB1197S	20		ZF 4HP 590 (10)	2001-2002	2019	Volgren
			Voith DIWA 863.3 (10)
TIB1198P – TIB1247G	50		ZF 4HP 590 (10),	2001-2004	2020	Hispano Carrocera Habit
			Voith DIWA 863.3 (40)
Total	315

Underlined registrations indicate demonstrator units.

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Early Retirement

The last day of revenue service deployment for Mercedes-Benz O405G buses was on 30 November 2020, on Service 169, 903 & 912M.

Non-wheelchair accessible buses were no longer deployed on revenue service from 1 December 2020.

The statutory lifespan expiry date of TIB1242U – TIB1244P & TIB1245L – TIB1247G is on 2 Jan 2021 & 3 Mar 2021 respectively.

Preserved Unit

In December 2020, TIB1238H was spotted in Woodlands Bus Park bearing a new set of brown vehicle license plate.

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