VDL to supply 55 Citea Electric buses for RET in Rotterdam

Rotterdam public transport company RET awards VDL Bus & Coach an order for 55 VDL Citeas Electric. These are of the type Citea SLF-120 Electric.

With this order RET intends to take the next step in improving the sustainability of their bus fleet. The electric Citeas will be deployed for scheduled service in Rotterdam, Schiedam and Vlaardingen starting in late 2019. VDL Bus & Coach is also system supplier and will provide the charging infrastructure as well.

"With the preliminary award our transition to a sustainable bus fleet is one step closer", said Maurice Unck, managing director of RET. "The 55 electric buses from VDL will be used on the shorter city lines. We are pleased to be able to contribute in this way to the shared sustainability objectives of the national government, the region and the RET."

President and Chairman of the Board Willem van der Leegte of VDL Groep said, "This past year VDL has taken big steps to further strengthen our position as electric mobility transition partner. As European market leader, our fully electric buses have travelled over 11 million kilometres. And we are naturally thrilled that together with our partners, through the delivery of buses, charging infrastructure and project management, we are now also the first to contribute to the sustainability of the public urban transport in the Rotterdam region."

The electric buses for the RET, equipped with a rapid charging battery pack, will be charged at the Kleiweg depot each night by means of a 50 kW slow charger. During the day the buses will be topped up through "˜opportunity charging' at various points along the lines. 300 kW rapid chargers are installed at these points.

Both the daytime and night-time charging will be done via a pantograph on the roof of the e-buses. A fully charged bus has sufficient capacity to remain in operation throughout the rush hour without top-up charging. As a system supplier VDL will not only deliver the 55 Citeas Electric but also all the charging stations along the routes and at the depot.

The VDL Citea SLF-120 Electric is a low floor e-bus with a two-door configuration and a length of 12 metres. The entire VDL Citea range is known for its lightweight concept and modular construction method, which guarantees a low "˜Total Cost of Ownership'.