VDL delivers 16 electric buses for Braunschweig

The signs in Braunschweig, Lower Saxony, also point to a traffic turnaround – the Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Braunschweig has strengthened its fleet with 16 new generation Citea electric buses from the Dutch bus manufacturer VDL. Three of the new electric buses of type LF-122 will be deployed immediately in the Helmstedt transport area, with another one to follow in a few weeks, according to the transport company.

"We want to significantly reduce our CO₂ emissions," emphasizes Axel Gierga, Managing Director of KVG. "By 2030 at the latest, the last diesel bus should be purchased. In doing so, we benefit from the high pace of innovation by manufacturers like VDL who can provide suitable models for our growing demands in this case."

Details: 300 kilometers range even in winter

A 429-kWh battery pack in the vehicle floor, a one-piece composite sidewall, intelligent energy management, a sophisticated climate system with a heat pump without additional diesel heating, and an ergonomic driver environment with improved seating position for the driver, as well as a steering column with a larger adjustment range, characterize the latest generation of Citea LF-122 – which also has a significantly increased range, and according to VDL, reaches up to 300 km without recharging even under severe weather conditions.

Up to 72 passengers can be accommodated in the low-floor Citea LF-122, with sufficient special areas designated for strollers and wheelchairs.

"Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Braunschweig and VDL Bus & Coach can look back on a long-standing good and successful cooperation, which is now entering a new phase," says Boris Höltermann of VDL Bus & Coach Deutschland GmbH. "We are particularly proud of the development we have undergone with this customer: from Citea LLE to Citea SLF-E and now to our new Citea generation. This is another step towards a sustainable future right on our doorstep."

According to KVG Braunschweig, the Citea LF-122s are part of a large e-bus order (a total of 32), in which the transport company combines funding from the state of Lower Saxony with newly launched federal funds, thereby achieving nearly 65% funding of the procurement costs. This means that with the updated procurement costs totaling 15.8 million euros, the overall funding amount from the federal and state governments will reach approximately 9.9 million euros. The funding volume from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) amounts to approximately 6.5 million euros. The BMUV program for promoting the acquisition of electric buses in public transport provides for a grant of up to 80% of the additional costs for the procurement of electric buses compared to diesel-powered buses.The state of Lower Saxony is also significantly contributing to the procurement of electric buses with 3.4 million euros in funding. The Landesnahverkehrsgesellschaft Niedersachsen mbH (LNVG) is responsible for the implementation.

13 million passengers climate-friendly mobile

As a regional public transport company, Kraftverkehrsgesellschaft mbH Braunschweig meets the mobility needs of around 13 million passengers annually with almost 200 buses. More than 400 employees ensure that customers reach their destinations in a reliable, comfortable, and safe manner. With the company's focus on a climate-friendly public transport system, the emphasis is on gradually converting the bus fleet to alternative drives, primarily focusing on electromobility.

VDL Citea: Operating across Europe

The Citea LF-122 has already been sold in several countries and has been operating this year in Eindhoven, Netherlands; Kotka and Lahti in Finland; throughout Flanders in Belgium; Oberhausen in Germany; and Bordeaux, France. According to VDL, more than 1,000 VDL Citea electric buses are currently in operation in 11 countries, delivered between 2015 and the first quarter of 2022. The Dutch e-bus manufacturer sees itself well on the way to surpassing the 200 million electric kilometers mark.