102 electric buses to Oslo: VDL’s largest electric bus fleet to date
VDL’s largest fleet of electric buses to date will be operational in Oslo from January 2022. With 102 Citeas, VDL is contributing to an important objective of the Norwegian capital: by 2028, public transport must be emission free. The 83 Citeas SLFA-180 Electric and 19 SLF-120 Electric will cover approximately 7 million clean kilometres each year.
‘We are happy to use our knowledge and experience as a European leader in the field of electric public transport to contribute to Oslo’s ambitious climate goals,’ says Frank Reichel, Executive Vice President of VDL Bus & Coach Norway. ‘Our 40 electric VDL Citeas that are already operating in Oslo and the 8 VDL Citeas Electric that are used as a shuttle bus at Avinor Oslo Airport have driven nearly 2 million electric kilometres. We’re very proud that the largest e-bus fleet in Norway will consist almost entirely of VDL buses. It’s also proof that our strategy to approach the market in Norway proactively is successful.’
Norgesbuss to carry out the project
The project in Oslo will be carried out by Norgesbuss from 9 January 2022. The 83 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric are equipped with a roof-mounted pantograph and the 19 VDL Citeas SLF-120 Electric are charged with a plug, via a charging facility at the depot. The electric VDL Citeas will operate south of Oslo. Some vehicles will be deployed ‘around the clock’.
‘With the continuous transition to more emission-free operations, we’re proud to be working with VDL for this tender,’ says Atle Rønning, CEO of Norgesbuss AS. With VDL’s track record of major e-bus operations, combined with our experience, we look forward to transporting even more passengers in Oslo in an environmentally friendly way.
Oslo: Green capital
Currently, 10 percent of the 1,200 city buses run by public transport company Ruter is electric. Oslo, European Green Capital in 2019, aims to be the world’s first capital without greenhouse gas emissions by 2030. While transforming into a city where pedestrians and cyclists are more important than private cars, the city is a laboratory for testing new electric transport solutions. From 2023, all taxis in Oslo must be emission free.
100 million electric kilometres
The order for 102 VDL Citeas Electric by Norgesbuss is the largest order for electric buses for VDL to date. This concerns 2 more buses than delivered for the Amstelland Meerlanden concession, where 100 electric articulated VDL Citeas have been deployed at and around Schiphol Airport since April 2018.
VDL has been active in the field of electric transport for over 25 years. Since the introduction of the first VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric in Geneva, during the UITP Mobility & City Transport trade fair in 2013, VDL Bus & Coach has focused strongly on electric mobility. Today, with almost 800 buses in 10 countries, driving more than 150,000 kilometres each day in many European cities and regions, the figure of 100 million electric, clean kilometres is within reach.
New generation VDL Citea
VDL is one of the most important players in Europe in the electrification of heavy-duty transport. In 2021, VDL Groep will present the new generation of electric VDL Citea buses. Based on the VDL vision, a bus concept has been developed, based entirely on an electric drive train, which is ready for the future and in which zero emissions are self-evident. The buses can be seen for the first time during Busworld in Brussels this October.