VDL Bus & Coach secures a sizeable order to supply electric buses to Amsterdam public transport company GVB. The company will supply 54 VDL Citeas LF-122 and 30 examples of the new generation VDL Citeas type LF-181 to the GVB. VDL is also responsible for implementing the associated charging infrastructure.
GVB has been running electric buses from VDL for some time; the company has been deploying the vehicles since the end of 2019. There are currently 44 GVB electric buses operating in Amsterdam. In the summer months, GVB will put 31 more into service, bringing the total to 75. In all cases, these are VDL Citeas. GVB is now expanding this number further. VDL Bus & Coach is supplying 54 VDL Citeas LF-122 and 30 new-generation VDL Citeas type LF-181.
Reducing CO2 emissions
GVB's switch to electric buses is part of the Amsterdam municipality's commitment to reducing CO2 emissions in the city. To this end, the 'Route map Amsterdam Klimaatneutraal 2050' has been drawn up. According to this roadmap, compared to 1999, Amsterdam will reduce CO2 emissions by 5% in 2025, 55% in 2030 and 95% in 2050. Part of this includes fully emission-free bus transport by GVB in 2025.
The new buses now ordered by GVB should be operational by 2023. The Eindhovens Dagblad reports that GVB has an option on another 130 electric VDL Citeas.
Has been active with electric buses for years
VDL has been active with electric city buses for many years. The company introduced the first VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric in 2013 at the UITP Mobility & City Transport fair in Geneva. Since then, the technology has continued to develop. VDL presented the latest generation of electric VDL Citeas last year. This features an electric powertrain and has zero CO2 emissions.
The latest generation of electric VDL Citea's features include in-floor batteries, a one-piece composite sidewall, smart energy management, a climate control system and an ergonomic driver environment. The Citeas are available in five types with four lengths: LF-122 and LE-122, LE-135, LE-149 and LF-181. Here, LE stands for Low Entry and LF for Low Floor. The models will be in service from this year in various cities and areas, including the Netherlands (Eindhoven), Finland (Kotka and Lahti), Belgium (all of Flanders), Germany (Oberhausen and Braunschweig) and France (Bordeaux).
'Making Amsterdam a cleaner city'
President and CEO Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep: "With the development of the new generation VDL Citea, we have developed a versatile mobility platform that matches our customers' sustainability ambitions. This also applies to GVB. In this way, we continue to lead the way in the public transport market, where we are leading the way in Europe based on our more than 150 million electric kilometres. By signing this contract, we are making an important contribution from our strength through cooperation to make Amsterdam an even cleaner city for residents and visitors. We are proud to once again be able to supply buses to our capital city. GVB and VDL have been working together for many years. That this cooperation is being continued is a sign that it is successful."
Claudia Zuiderwijk, managing director GVB: "This order is a great step towards a nicer, cleaner and more sustainable Amsterdam public transport. More and more Amsterdam residents will start to experience that the whirring of buses disappears from the cityscape and that the air is cleaner when you cycle or walk nearby."
"With this order, in time, the GVB fleet also colours entirely VDL," says Ard Romers, managing director of VDL Bus & Coach Nederland. "GVB is going to phase out the last diesel buses and switch permanently to zero emission VDL Citeas in Amsterdam. We are proud that, based on the trust built up over the past decade, we can continue our cooperation with the partners in this project. In Europe, the Netherlands is a forerunner in the electrification of public transport and VDL is happy to use its experience and expertise as a transition partner for this. Meanwhile, more than 1,000 VDL Citeas together cover more than 135,000 electric kilometres every day in a large number of European cities and regions."
Large order
This is a sizeable order in the Netherlands and Europe. In 2019, China's BYD won an order to supply 259 buses to Keolis for the IJssel-Vecht concession. Commenting on this order, VDL chief executive Van der Leegte expressed his concerns to the FD about its impact on employment in the high-quality Dutch manufacturing industry. For a long time, this BYD order was the largest bus order in Europe. Last month, however, Ebusco, which assembles buses in Deurne, announced it would supply up to 800 buses to Deutsche Bahn.
Author: Wouter Hoeffnagel
Photo: VDL Bus & Coach
