On 29 March 2018 the electric VDL Citeas for Arriva were presented in ’s-Hertogenbosch to Christophe van der Maat, Province of North Brabant Provincial Executive Member for Mobility and Cooperation, Jan Hoskam, Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch Municipal Executive Member and Anne Hettinga, Chair of Arriva Netherlands’ board of management. From 1 April, 9 VDL Citeas SLF-120 Electric will be in service on lines 8 and 9 in ’s- Hertogenbosch.
Anne Hettinga, chair of Arriva Netherlands’ board of management, says, “As an organization we are doing more and more in the areas of sustainability and cleaner buses. We are engaged in a challenging transition in public transport. Over the past few years we have gained a broad range of experience with electric transport, and I am proud that we can now also take a step towards more electric transport in ’s-Hertogenbosch. This is partly due to the good cooperation with the Province of North Brabant, the Municipality of ’s-Hertogenbosch and VDL Bus & Coach.”
Follow-up order
VDL Bus & Coach already delivered 3 electric Citeas to Arriva for ’s-Hertogenbosch in 2016. The 9 VDL Citeas Electric that will begin scheduled service from 1 April are a follow-up order. 3 of the 9 buses were already rolled out last month to test the new battery technology and the charging infrastructure in practice. Based on the positive results the vehicles can now be permanently integrated into the timetable. VDL Bus & Coach not only delivered the buses but also the charging infrastructure and, in cooperation with the electricity supplier, provides them with power. VDL is therefore the system vendor for this project and is also responsible for the guaranteed service level during operation.
Quick charging method
The VDL Citeas SLF-120 Electric for Arriva are equipped with a new battery technology that makes it possible to charge faster so the demanding timetable can easily be met. A quick charger is located at the end of lines 8 and 9. At the terminus the driver parks the bus at the charging station so the batteries can be charged via the pantograph on the roof of the bus.
Ard Romers, Managing Director VDL Bus & Coach Nederland, says, “In this type of complex project, close cooperation between various parties is an absolute prerequisite for successful implementation. This is already the 7th E-mobility collaborative project between Arriva and VDL Bus & Coach in the Netherlands, and the 2nd delivery of vehicles in ’s-Hertogenbosch. After Venlo, Maastricht, Vlieland, Ameland, Terschelling and Gorinchem, we are now working to develop zero- emission bus transport in ’s-Hertogenbosch. The leading role the Province of North Brabant has taken in the zero-emission project in ’s-Hertogenbosch is of essential importance for the further transition to clean and quiet electric transport.”
VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric
For ’s-Hertogenbosch, Arriva has opted for the type VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric with a 3-door configuration. These innovative buses produce no exhaust gas emissions and are also very quiet, which not only means greater comfort for the driver and passengers but also contributes to a more pleasant living environment for residents. The buses also offer extra comfort in the form of USB charging points for mobile devices and Wi-Fi.
Arriva
Arriva Netherlands is part of the Arriva Group, owned by Deutsche Bahn. Arriva is a leading passenger transport company, operating in 14 European countries. In the Netherlands Arriva employs over 6,000 staff in the provinces of Drenthe, Flevoland, Friesland, Gelderland, Groningen, Limburg, North Brabant, Overijssel and South Holland. In addition to train and bus service, Arriva operates the waterbus in South Holland in partnership with Koninklijke Doeksen and is active in the Dutch touring coach sector under the name of Arriva Touring.
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 after-sales 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 95 operating companies, spread over 20 countries with more than 16,000 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.
