The largest electric bus fleet yet to be supplied by VDL Bus & Coach will take to Oslo’s roads from January 2022. With the delivery of 102 Citeas, VDL Bus & Coach is contributing to the Norwegian city’s aim that by 2028, public transport will be completely emission-free. The 83 Citea SLFA-180 Electric articulated buses and 19 SLF-120 Electric rigid buses are expected to cover a total of approximately 7 million clean kilometres per year.
“We are keen to use our knowledge and experience as a European front-runner in electric public transport to contribute to Oslo’s ambitious climate targets,” said Frank Reichel, Managing Director of VDL Bus & Coach Norway. “Our 40 Citeas already operating in Oslo and the eight Citeas used as shuttle buses at Avinor Oslo Airport have already travelled nearly 2 million electric kilometres. We are extremely proud that the largest e-bus fleet in Norway will consist almost entirely of VDL buses. This is further proof that our strategy of proactively approaching the market in Norway is a successful one.”
The buses will be operated by Norgesbuss and will run in the south of Oslo, in the districts of Søndre Nordstrand, Nordstrand and parts of Nordre Follo. Some vehicles will be in use 24/7.
“Norgesbuss is one of the leading bus operators in Norway and we are working continuously to make public transportation more attractive for passengers,” said Atle Rønning, CEO at Norgesbuss AS. “We offer solid, future-proof solutions. With the continuous transition to more zero-emission operations, we are happy to have partnered with VDL for this tender. With their track record in large e-bus operations and our combined experience, we look forward to providing environmentally-friendly transportation to even more passengers in Oslo.”
At present, 10% of the 1,200 city buses run by the public transport authority Ruter are electric. By 2030, Oslo aims to be the world’s first capital without greenhouse gas emissions. The city has become a laboratory for testing new electric transport solutions as it transforms into a city where pedestrians and cyclists have priority over private cars. From 2023, all taxis in Oslo must have zero emissions.
