VDL Special Vehicles provides chassis for urther greening of public transport by province of North Brabant and Arriva with 64 new generation VDL Citeas
In the North Brabant East concession, Arriva is expanding its fleet with 64 new electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach. Arriva is thus responding to the objective set by the province of North Brabant of emission-free public transport in 2030.
To support this goal, VDL Bus & Coach is supplying Arriva with 40 new generation VDL Citeas of type LF-122 and 4 articulated buses of type LF-181. These vehicles will be used primarily for public transport in the city of Tilburg. VDL is also supplying 20 vehicles of the Citea LE-135 type for use on HOV lines between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch.
Major step in greening public transport in North Brabant
"With this expansion of our bus fleet, we are taking an important step in our zero emission ambitions," explained Jan Pieter Been, regional director of Arriva Zuid. "As one of the largest public transport operators in the Netherlands, we have a name to uphold. We have to lead the way. For our passengers, our drivers and our clients. That is why we have set ourselves the goal of working completely CO2 neutral as early as 2027. We do this 90% through the ZE transition and the last 10% by offsetting. For example, to compensate, we recently planted a forest between Boxtel and Vught."
North Brabant ambition
The province is responsible for public bus transport in North Brabant and sets itself the goal of a clean and responsible public transport fleet, with the smartest and most sustainable mobility system in Europe as the intended end station. Delegate Suzanne Otters-Bruijnen: "These 64 buses are another big step in the provincial ambition for public transport to be completely emission-free by 2030. Less emission of harmful substances is good for Brabant and its inhabitants. As it looks now, by the end of 2023, 1 in 4 buses will already be electric, which is good news."
Sustainability in optima forma
"Electric buses in Brabant, from Brabant: Sustainability in optima forma," said Ard Romers, managing director VDL Bus & Coach Nederland. "It is our ambition to contribute to clean and sustainable public transport. With the development of the new generation VDL Citea, we have taken another giant step forward in this. Travelers will experience more comfort and a quieter journey. The driver's working environment has been completely redeveloped and designed according to the latest standards. These new vehicles will give public transport a fresh and clean look."
New generation VDL Citea
VDL Bus & Coach has grown over the past decade to become one of the leading players in Europe in the field of e-mobility. Since the introduction of the first VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric in Geneva, during the UITP World Congress and Exhibition in 2013, VDL Bus & Coach has focused strongly on electric mobility. Based on the VDL vision, a bus concept has been developed, based entirely on an electric powertrain, that is ready for the future and where zero emission goes without saying. Batteries in the floor, a one-piece composite side wall, smart energy management, a sophisticated climate system and an ergonomic driver environment. With these 5 important innovations, VDL Bus & Coach introduces the product range of the new generation VDL Citea, which consists of 4 improved length variants and 5 types.
Focus on passenger and driver
All 64 new vehicles for Arriva feature both left and right CCS Combo 2 charging sockets for optimal loading flexibility at depot locations. Also, the buses include ISO ePM1 filters in the passenger compartment including virus filter, which protects against bacteria. In addition, the vehicles have camera monitoring systems instead of conventional mirrors, are completely emission-free and equipped with the innovative climate control system. They are also equipped with an AVAS system, which ensures optimal safety for fellow road users. The ergonomic driver environment in each bus is designed to provide maximum support for the driver. All vehicles are equipped with wood print on wheel arches and ceiling, and the LE-135 HOV buses have additional interior lighting. These vehicles are characterized by the large number of deluxe seats equipped with extra-thick seat and back cushions with primarily forward-facing seats for optimal passenger comfort. The city vehicles LF-122 and LF-181 are characterized by their good passenger throughput, full low-floor design and multifunctional spaces for disabled users and a baby carriage or walker area.
About Arriva
Arriva Netherlands is part of Arriva Group, which is owned by Deutsche Bahn. Arriva provides passenger transport and operates in thirteen European countries. In the Netherlands, Arriva has about 5,500 employees and operates in the provinces of Drenthe, Flevoland, Fryslân, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, North Brabant, Overijssel and South Holland. In addition to train and bus transport, Arriva operates in the Dutch