Electric articulated buses for city operation
The buses will be used for city operation in Umeå on lines 1 and 8. Umeå is the largest city in northern Sweden and also one of Sweden’s fastest growing cities. The bus service in Umeå is provided by Transdev Sverige AB. The buses will be put in service in June 2019.
“We are very proud to have won this tender and look forward to achieving the transition to zero emission public transport with Umeå municipality and Transdev Sverige. As European market leader in the area of E-Mobility, we have tremendous experience with the large-scale implementation of electric buses. Thanks to this experience we can achieve our ambition of also being seen in Sweden as the ideal transition partner for efficient zero emission public transport systems,” says Sami Ojamo, Interim Managing Director of VDL Bus & Coach Sweden.
Bus and system supplier
The 25 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 have a roof-mounted pantograph with a 169 kW battery, 48 seats and USB connections. The buses are also equipped with a ‘Nordic Pack’ which includes extra features such as additional insulation and heating to accommodate Sweden’s cold climate. These quiet, emission-free electric buses provide a healthier living environment.
The rapid charging of the buses takes place through a double 450 kW charger at three points of the lines, namely Tomtebo, Umedalen and Östra Ersboda. The buses are also charged with a slow charger at the charging depot during the night. The charging depot consists of 25 depot chargers, of which 12 are double 30 kW chargers and one is a 50 kW charger.
Umeå municipality
The concession is granted by Umeå municipality and Transdev Sverige in close cooperation with Västerbotten County. The purchase of the 25 electric buses is a major step in the development towards an energy-efficient city and contributes to the objective of increasing the city’s population from 125,000 to 200,000 by 2050.
Transdev Sverige AB
Transdev Sverige provides passenger transport services on behalf of regional public transport authorities in Sweden and has its own commercial train and bus services. Transdev is one of the largest passenger transport companies in Sweden. Safety, reliability and customer service are Transdev’s main priorities. There are around 4,500 people working throughout the country to ensure that these standards are met. Transdev Sverige is part of Transdev Group, a world leader in the field of mobility. Transdev Group has 82,000 employees in 19 countries, 43,300 vehicles and 22 tram networks. In 2017 Transdev had a turnover of 6.6 billion euro.
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 98 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.
