VDL Bus & Coach expands electric fleet in Amsterdam. The VDL fleet used in the Dutch city, currently consisting of 31 electric Citeas, will be expanded to 75 vehicles. VDL Bus & Coach will deliver 44 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric to GVB, the public transport company of Amsterdam, by the beginning of 2022. 

 Amsterdam is working to further reduce CO2 emissions in the city. To this end, the municipality has developed ‘Route Map Amsterdam Climate Neutral 2050’. Amsterdam will reduce its CO2 emissions by 5% in 2025, 55% in 2030 and 95% in 2050, compared to 1990 levels. Part of this includes GVB providing completely emission-free bus transport from 2025 onwards.

135,000 electric kilometres per day

“In this way, GVB is clearly making a massive contribution to the objectives of the city of Amsterdam,” says Ard Romers, Managing Director of VDL Bus & Coach Nederland. “We are proud to continue our cooperation with the partners in this project, based on the trust built up in recent years. As a transition partner, we are happy to offer our experience and expertise. More than 900 Citeas now cover more than 135,000 electric kilometres together every day in a large number of European cities and regions. The fact that we can now once again supply e-buses for Amsterdam is, of course, very special. The Netherlands is a leader in Europe in the electrification of public transport.”

Contributing to clean air 

At the end of 2018, GVB and VDL Bus & Coach signed the contract for the delivery of 31 electric Citeas, with the option of 69 additional zero emission city buses. The contract concerns close cooperation between the Amsterdam Transport Region as the granter of the concession, the City of Amsterdam, GVB and VDL. In 2020, the VDL Citeas will be running on routes 15, 22 and 61, all of which start or end at Sloterdijk Station. The series of buses consists of 9 VDL Citeas SLF-120 Electric and 22 articulated VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric. The 44 electric Citeas that VDL will deliver to GVB are all articulated buses.

“Despite coronavirus and all the uncertainties that come with it as a city transport company, we believe it is extremely important that the process of making our bus fleet more sustainable goes ahead,” says Claudia Zuiderwijk, General Manager of GVB. “It’s nice that we’re getting support from all the parties involved. We consider it our duty as Amsterdam’s public transport operator to make a maximum contribution to the city’s sustainability goals. Amsterdam is growing, and as a public transport company we want to keep the city accessible for everyone in a high-quality manner. Electrifying our buses, thus contributing to clean air, is an important part of that.”

Charging infrastructure

For the expansion to 75 VDL Citeas, VDL Bus & Coach is once again responsible for the implementation of the charging infrastructure. Rapid charging is possible at Amsterdam Central Station; vehicles can also be charged at Garage West or Garage Noord. The 44 articulated vehicles, VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric, will be equipped with a 422 kWh High Energy battery system. The e-buses will also be equipped with camera mirrors, which in combination with two screens in the bus will enable the driver to participate in traffic better and more safely. All of the vehicles are equipped with an electric wheelchair ramp so that passengers with mobility impairments can also travel with them.

A completely flat floor, a high degree of modularity, compact dimensions and excellent manoeuvrability make the Citea Low Floor Electric suitable for public transport in the city. The wide entry and exit doors ensure optimal accessibility and make this type of Citea ideal for large passenger flows at high frequencies. The VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric offer the solution for electric public transport on bus routes with high passenger numbers.

New generation of VDL Citeas

VDL Bus & Coach has become one of the leading players in Europe in the field of e-mobility. VDL has been active in the field of electric transport for over 25 years. Since the introduction of the first Citea SLF-120 Electric in Geneva, during the UITP Mobility & City Transport exhibition in 2013, VDL Bus & Coach has focused strongly on electric mobility.

In 2020, VDL Bus & Coach will continue to make a name for itself as a leading transition partner on the road to zero emission public transport. With more than 900 buses in 11 countries, delivered between 2015 and 2021, VDL Bus & Coach has a market share of 20% in Europe. The 100 million electric kilometres achieved in February of this year represent a saving of more than 14.7 million kilograms of CO2 emissions. 

In 2021, VDL Bus & Coach will present the new generation of electric Citeas. Based on the VDL vision, a bus concept has been developed, entirely based on an electric drive train, that is ready for the future and where zero emissions are a given. Among other things, VDL Bus & Coach is introducing an innovative composite sidewall construction that is 15% lighter than a conventional sidewall. The battery pack is integrated into the floor as standard. This ensures better weight distribution, greater stability (safety) and increases passenger capacity. The choice of efficient components, lightweight construction, good insulation, aerodynamic design and optimal energy management reduce the vehicle’s energy consumption by up to 30%.