Delivery of 2 VDL Citeas LLE-99 Electric for Arriva

At the beginning of July, VDL Bus & Coach supplied 2 Citeas LLE-99 Electric to Arriva Netherlands. This delivery is for the city services in Gorinchem, a historical fortress in the west of the Netherlands.

The new 9.9-metre-long VDL Citeas Electric are deployed on lines 1, 2, 3 and 4 and drive through the old town on parts of the routes. The compact size and low weight of these buses make for low energy consumption and perfectly meet the requirement for zero emission transport in a more regional environment. With a range of 125-150 km, the 180-kWh battery pack provides sufficient flexibility within the selected operation. Because the buses are deployed during the morning and evening rush-hours, they can be slow-charged in the off-peak and evening hours by means of a plug at the depot. The purchase of the 2 VDL Citeas LLE-99 Electric follows on from the previous order of 12 units for Venlo. This demonstrates Arriva’s confidence in the concept of a compact electric bus that can provide zero emission public transport in a flexible manner.

VDL Citea LLE-99 Electric

The VDL Citea LLE-99 Electric has been specially developed for less busy urban and regional bus lines so that these areas can also take advantage of zero emission public transport. Measuring 9.9 metres in length and with a very friendly appearance, this bus perfectly complements the street image that many villages and smaller towns wish to project. Usually electric buses are much heavier than conventional diesel buses. A higher weight means fewer passengers and higher consumption. However, the VDL Citea LLE is known as the lightweight champion and VDL Bus & Coach has succeeded in keeping the weight very low for the electric variant too, achieving a reduction of up to more than 1000 kg compared with a conventional 12-metre diesel bus. The combination of a large spacious feel, a high degree of comfort, quiet operation, an exceptionally low kerb weight, optimum energy efficiency and a very low absolute consumption is unique for an electric bus.

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.

About VDL Bus & Coach

The core activities of VDL Bus & Coach consist of the development, manufacturing, sales and after-sales service of a wide range of buses, coaches and chassis modules and the purchase and sales of second-hand buses as well. VDL Bus & Coach consists of multiple bus companies that operate cooperatively in the global market. Manufacturing takes place in the Netherlands and Belgium.

VDL Bus & Coach places aspects such as quality, safety, durability, comfort, the environment, low fuel consumption and low maintenance costs in high regard.

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 service 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, 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 85 operating companies, spread over 19 countries with more than 10,000 employees. The strength of VDL Groep lies in the mutual cooperation between the companies.