Public transport operator KVB in Cologne has ordered 53 electric VDL Citeas. The order is for 48 Citea SLFA-181 Electric articulated buses and five rigid Citea SLF-120 Electrics, taking KVB a step closer to full electrification of its bus fleet. Initial deliveries are scheduled for the last quarter of 2020.
Boris Höltermann, Managing Director of VDL Bus & Coach Deutschland GmbH, said: “KVB ordered the first fully electric articulated Citeas from us in 2016. The decision for this follow-up order makes us very proud because it shows that the vehicles have proven themselves in daily use. We will continue our trusting cooperation and, together with KVB, take another important step towards ‘Aiming For Zero.’
The partnership between KVB and VDL Bus & Coach in the field of electric buses goes back many years. In 2016 VDL delivered the first eight Citea SLFA-181 Electrics to Cologne, making KVB the first operator in Europe to have articulated e-buses in its fleet. The eight Citeas have been running on Germany’s first all-electric bus line since December 2016: line 133 from Cologne railway station to Zollstock.
The new buses will be used on routes 126, 141, 145, 149 150, 153 and 159. As a result of this new order, KVB will have replaced a quarter of its diesel fleet with electric vehicles by the end of 2021. The entire energy requirement of the 53 new vehicles is handled by the battery, meaning that the heating, air conditioning, lighting and ticket machine are also electrically powered. The buses are therefore 100% emission-free, which KVB says will lead to cleaner air in the city and thus more comfort for the inhabitants of Cologne.
