Amsterdam gets 100 electric buses by VDL

Amsterdam’s public transport operator GVB has ordered 31 electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach with the option for another 69 Citea models. The signed deal also includes charging infrastructure with service to start in 2020.

++ Kindly see update below ++

By then, the electric buses will serve on routes 15, 22 and 36 in the Dutch capital that all run via Sloterdijk station. The first batch comprises of nine Citea SLF-120 Electric and 22 Citea SLFA-180 Electric articulated buses.

Considering the option to order more, Alexandra van Huffelen, managing director of GVB, said, that “in the coming years we will replace our entire bus fleet, some 200 vehicles, with zero emission buses”.

The electric Citeas for GVB are equipped with a pantograph and VDL says, the “operational availability of the electric buses has been maximized through an optimized rapid charging concept”. VDL had introduced said extra fast charging options for the first time this September.

The articulated electric vehicles will be equipped with a 288 kWh battery system, and the Citeas SLF-120 will get a 216 kWh battery pack. Once in service, the buses will be recharged with seven rapid chargers at Sloterdijk station. During the night the batteries will be fully recharged with 31 slow chargers at GVB’s Garage West location.

For VDL it is not the first effort in electrifying Amsterdam. The provider has teamed with Heliox to install the “world’s largest charge depot” close to Schiphol airport earlier this year. 109 fast-charging stations, including 24 with 450 kW are to charge up to a 100 electric bendy buses from VDL that will serve on six routes around Schiphol Airport 24/7 (we reported).

The Netherlands wants to halt sales of diesel buses from 2025 and aim for zero-emission public transport by 2030.

Update 3 April 2019: Heliox has now announced that it will supply the necessary charging infrastructure with a total capacity of 8 MW. Specifically, the order includes 31 DC rapid charging systems for the depot, as well as 450 kW occasional chargers to be placed along the bus routes.

vdlbuscoach.com, heliox.nl (update)