VDL Bus & Coach is to supply 4 Citeas SLFA-181 Electric to Keolis Sverige AB in Karlstad, Sweden. These 4 buses will be deployed on the new BRT-inspired line in Karlstad. The delivery of these 4 articulated electric buses will also create a new look and feel for the Karlstad buses on the BRT line. The buses for Karlstad will go into operation on 9 December 2018.
“Of course, it is encouraging that our new buses and the investment in a BRT-inspired line is noticed internationally. We worked hard on the specification, design and appearance. We are really happy with the result and are expectant to show the buses for the residents of Karlstad,” says Mathias Lindgren, Business Development Manager at Karlstadsbuss.
“As pioneers in the field of electric buses in Western Europe, we are working day in day out to introduce further innovations in E-Mobility and so contribute to a cleaner natural environment and a healthier living environment for the residents. We are delighted that this delivery will help make an ever greater contribution to sustainable public city transport in Sweden,” commented Sami Ojamo, Business Development Manager Public Transport Nordics at VDL Bus & Coach Sweden AB.
VDL SLFA-181 Electric
The VDL SLFA-181 Electric is a low-floor bus with a length of 18.1 metres, equipped with a fully electric driveline. This custom-built, articulated bus has a flexible interior with maximum standing room capacity and 12 fold-down seats. As such, it is ideally suited for the high passenger flow rate on the BRT line in Karlstad. The Citea SLFA-181 Electric for Karlstad is finished with a wood-look floor and integrated USB chargers. During operation, the bus will be recharged via an inverted pantograph. VDL will be displaying the bus, equipped with its charging connection for the inverted pantograph, during the InnoTrans event in Berlin. The maximum charging capacity is 450 kW which means that in quick-charging mode, the battery can be fully recharged within just 35 minutes. For charging in the depot and for vehicle preconditioning, the vehicle relies on the conventional CCS plug. The climate system is equipped with a heat pump to improve yield at lower temperatures. To cope with the winter conditions in Sweden, additional HVO heating is available.
Karlstadsbuss
Karlstadsbuss is a Public Transport Authority responsible for urban transport in the city of Karlstad, with its 63,000 inhabitants. In total, Keolis operates 65 vehicles on 18 lines. In 2017, the customers of Karlstadsbuss made more than 7 million journeys, representing an increase of almost 80 percent since 2005.
Keolis
With 63,000 employees in 16 countries on 4 continents, Keolis is one of Europe’s largest public transport service providers, and a world leader in shared mobility. Keolis operates public transport networks for 300 transport authorities all over the world. Every year, 3 billion passengers use the mobility services supplied by Keolis. In Sweden, Keolis has around 6,000 employees, and generated turnover of 4.7 billion Swedish Krone in 2017.
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.
