Arriva Denmark A/S has placed an order with VDL Bus & Coach for 21 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric. These VDL Citeas Electric are the first electric articulated buses for Denmark. The buses will be deployed on the revised line 2A in Copenhagen from December 2019. VDL Bus & Coach will also provide the charging infrastructure at the depots. During the day the buses will be topped up at the end points of the route by means of a charging connection on the bus via an inverted pantograph. With this order VDL Bus & Coach has sold its 500th fully electric VDL Citea in Western Europe.
Jens Boe Jacobsen, business development director at Arriva Denmark, said “Arriva’s past experience with VDL Bus & Coach via our Dutch branch has been exemplary, and the collaboration between VDL and Arriva in Denmark is now progressing smoothly as well. Furthermore, VDL Bus & Coach is known for its good products with excellent quality. The good collaboration between Arriva and VDL Bus & Coach is the key to the success of this project.”
Line 2A in Copenhagen
The 21 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric will operate on line 2A in Copenhagen. This line was recently revised and connects a new part of Copenhagen to the bus network. Starting in late 2019 the 13.7-metre-long buses currently serving the line will be replaced by the electric articulated VDL buses, which are 18 metres long. Thanks to the rapid charging stations at the end points of the route, line 2A will be in operation 24 hours a day.
“We are very proud to have received this order and are delighted to be working with Arriva Denmark as a transition partner to zero-emission public transport in Copenhagen. We also look forward to seeing the electric articulated VDL Citea articulated buses become part of the daily street scene of Copenhagen,” said Anita Palm Laursen, managing director VDL Bus & Coach Denmark.
500th VDL Citea Electric sold
With this order VDL Bus & Coach has reached the milestone of the 500th VDL Citea Electric sold. With already more than 40 E-Mobility projects in Western Europe, VDL Bus & Coach is a proven transition partner for efficient zero-emission public transport systems. Beyond the Netherlands, electric VDL buses are currently operating in various cities in Germany, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Sweden and France. In many cases VDL is also responsible for implementation of the infrastructure, project management and the repair and maintenance of the entire system. Arriva and VDL Bus & Coach have already carried out a number of successful projects with electric buses in the Netherlands, including those in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, South-east Friesland & Terschelling, Venlo and Maastricht.
Quiet and emission-free
The VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric for Danmark A/S are equipped with 288 kWh batteries and have a fully electric climate control system, which means that the buses will be completely emission-free in operation. Despite its length, the VDL Citea SLFA-180 Electric drives very quietly. This not only means improved passenger comfort but also contributes to a more pleasant and peaceful living environment for the residents of Copenhagen.
Arriva Denmark A/S
Arriva Denmark has operated in the Danish bus market since 1997 and has since become the country’s largest bus company. With nearly 1,200 buses, Arriva has a market share of 40% in Denmark. The public transport company now operates more than half the bus lines in the capital city of Copenhagen. Arriva also has a market share of 15% in the regional train network.
VDL Bus & Coach
The core activities of VDL Bus & Coach consist of the development, manufacturing, sales and after-sales of a wide range of buses, coaches and chassis modules, the conversion or extension of mini & midi buses and the purchase and sales of second-hand buses. Manufacturing takes place in the Netherlands and Belgium. VDL Bus & Coach places high value on quality, safety, durability, the environment, low fuel consumption, comfort and low maintenance costs. Sales of VDL Bus & Coach products take place through a worldwide network consisting of corporate-owned sales offices, importers and agents in more than 30 countries. This makes it possible to offer custom- made transport solutions. For aftersales and maintenance, the client can count on rapid, hassle- free assistance from VDL Bus & Coach employees in any of the many service locations. An extensive distribution network ensures that spare parts and accessories are delivered to the requested destination as quickly as possible. VDL Bus & Coach is one of the largest bus producers in Europe.
VDL Groep
VDL Bus & Coach is part of VDL Groep. VDL Groep, with its head office in Eindhoven (The Netherlands), is an international industrial company focused on the development, production and sales of semi-finished products, buses & coaches and other finished products and the assembly of cars. Since the founding in 1953 this family-owned company has grown to include 99 operating companies, spread over 20 countries with more than 17,000 employees and an annual turnover of 5.049 billion euros in 2017. The strength of VDL Groep lies in the mutual cooperation between the companies.
SOURCE: VDL
