In the coastal city of Kiel in northern Germany, the public transportation company Kieler Verkehrsgesellschaft (KVG) has placed an order for an additional 50 electric buses from the Dutch manufacturer VDL.
This contract was awarded after the public transportation provider launched a Europe-wide tender.
Starting from July 2024 until June 2025, three to five new electric buses will be delivered to the capital of Schleswig-Holstein each month for a period of one year.
The order includes 30 electric articulated buses of the latest generation, Citea LF-181, and 20 individual electric buses, Citea LF-122.
VDL states, “The introduction of the new Citea generation is VDL Bus & Coach’s response to the challenges of tomorrow’s public transport. While the motto of recent years was ‘Aiming for Zero,’ today zero emissions are the norm for a city worth living in. This requires new technologies and a different way of thinking. VDL’s new Citea bus concept offers uncompromising solutions.”
These units feature floor-mounted batteries, single-piece sidewalls, intelligent energy management, a sophisticated climate system, and an ergonomic environment for the driver.
They are priced at 800,000 euros for an articulated bus and 600,000 euros for an individual bus.
Andreas Schulz, the CEO of KVG, stated, “In total, this represents an investment of more than 37 million euros for climate protection, with subsidies of around 15 million euros approved by the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV).”
It’s worth noting that KVG ordered electric buses from VDL in 2019, which were fully electric articulated buses of the Citea SLFA-187 Electric type.
In 2021, VDL also secured the contract for an additional eleven electric buses for Kiel.
Read more: Changes in Incentives for Electrified Vehicles in Germany: What Are the Effects?
