On the first day of Busworld 2018 the VDL Citea SLFA-181 Electric won the Sustainable Urban Bus 2018 award. The award underscores the level that the electric Citea – European market leader in electric public transport – has now reached. The many vehicle length options and large passenger capacity of the 18-meter long version show that sustainable alternatives to public bus transport are already available. The fact that VDL also has various solutions for both fast and slow charging, to match the operational circumstances, is also regarded as an important selling point. Winning this award confirms the decision VDL made to commit to zero emissions public transport. As such, the development of a sustainable public transport system is at full steam, and VDL Bus & Coach is proud to lead this transition. We would like to thank our customers for their trust and cooperation. Their strong commitment to sustainability at an operational level has certainly contributed to winning this special award.
VDL Citea Electric
The VDL Citea Electric range consists of several public transport buses equipped with an electric powertrain. With these quiet and efficient buses, zero emission public transport is now already within reach. The length versions available in this range are the 9.9-metre low entry, 12-metre low floor and 18-metre articulated buses. The choice of battery systems with a capacity of 85 kWh to 248 kWh makes it possible to provide any type of service electrically. Sound solutions for climate control systems, with a range of heat pumps and auxiliary heating options, ensure a high comfort level. Various options for charging the batteries, with a focus on fast charging, can accommodate operation exceeding 400 km per day. Experience gained from system integration, from grid to bus deployment, enables VDL to provide complete system solutions for the transition from a diesel operation to zero emissions. With more than 4.5 million kilometres of experience and over 200 electric buses in daily operation at the end of 2017, the Citea Electric range is already ready for the future.
Sustainable bus of the year award
The prize, promoted by Italian magazine Autobus in cooperation with Politecnico University of Milan (in the person of professor Giulio Ceppi), is divided into three categories: Urban, Intercity and Coach. Launched in 2016, it’s the first and only European award that acknowledges sustainability in the field of buses. SBY comes to its second edition enriched with a prestigious showcase and an international jury, composed by French magazine Mobilités Magazine (Jean-Philippe Pastre), by the German editorial office Ntt (Wolfgang Tschakaert, also organizer of International Bus & Coach competition) and by Austrian magazine 1BUS (Ernst Müller).
