As of today, Connexxion, the Amsterdam Transport Region and Schiphol have Europe’s largest electric bus fleet. As a result, Eindhoven has lost that status. From 1 April onwards, 100 electric articulated VDL Citeas will be driving at and around Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and within the Amstelland concession.
Eindhoven has 43 e-buses, also originating from VDL. Since 11 December 2016, every bus has traveled up to 350 kilometres a day. All 43 buses together traveled nearly 4 million kilometres. The operational advantages of high-quality battery technology in combination with fast charging solutions have now been demonstrated.
The 100 electric articulated VDL Citeas in and around Amsterdam will together drive 30,000 km a day. Buses are used 24 hours a day on 6 lines. Thanks to the fast charging concept, the operational availability of the buses is maximised. The batteries have an energy content of 169 kWh and can be charged with a maximum of 420 kW. This means that an empty battery will be recharged in a maximum of 20 minutes for a subsequent ride. In this way, the downtime of the drawers is reduced to a minimum.
In addition to 23 Heliox fast chargers (450 kW), which are distributed over 4 strategically located charging points, 84 Heliox fast chargers (30 kW) are provided on the depot. Here the buses are slowly recharged at night and then preheated so that they can drive with a full battery and preheated interior in the morning. Loading is done by means of a ‘pantograph’ on the roof of the buses. In addition, 2 Heliox mobile chargers (25 kW) are used.
The 100 electric buses that are now being used are the first phase of a transition to an eventual 258 zero emission buses in 2021.
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