Dutch public transport firm Qbuzz has ordered 10 VDL Citeas SLFA Electric in BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) design from VDL Bus & Coach bv. These 10 articulated electric Citeas will be put in service on the first fully electric Q-link bus lines, 1 and 11, in Groningen from 11 December 2017. Q-link is the BRT bus network from the region to major destinations in the City of Groningen. Based on the principle of ‘opportunity charging’, the buses are charged during service, along the line. This boosts the buses’ range sufficiently to enable them to provide service on the long Q-link lines. VDL delivers special rapid charging stations for this purpose. At the end of scheduled service the buses are fully recharged in the Qbuzz depot overnight. VDL not only supplies these buses but is also responsible for the complete system and provides installation of the charging stations as well.
Further sustainability of bus fleet
In collaboration with Qbuzz, OV-bureau Groningen Drenthe has worked out a transition plan for further sustainability of the bus transport in Groningen and Drenthe. By 2030 the Netherlands’ entire bus fleet, and thus all buses in Groningen and Drenthe, must operate with zero emissions. As a first step in this transition Qbuzz will begin providing service on the line Q-link Green with 10 electric VDL Citeas from 11 December 2017.
Red Dot Award 2017 for VDL Citea SLFA Electric
The VDL Citea SLFA Electric is an articulated bus with a length of 18.1 metres built with an updated, futuristic BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) design. Recently, the VDL Citea SLFA Electric was crowned with the Red Dot Award 2017. The Red Dot Award is a prestigious international design award presented annually by Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen in Essen, Germany. The VDL Citea Electric won the award in the category ‘product design’. The jury was unanimously enthusiastic about the innovative design of the articulated VDL Citea SLFA that has made the electric transport of tomorrow fully operational today.
Qbuzz
Qbuzz, established in April 2008, is an ambitious and innovative quality driven company in the Dutch regional mobility market. It has recently won two concessions by offering high quality public transport. Qbuzz transports approximately 230,000 customers daily with 2,400 employees, 650 buses and 26 trams.