VDL Bus & Coach first New Generation of Citea goes to ‘European Green Capital 2021’ Lahti
The Finnish city of Lahti, this year’s European Green Capital, will have a New Generation Citea at its disposal. Koiviston Auto Group was the first to order this new e-bus from VDL Bus & Coach, entirely based on an electric driveline.
“This is a great and important step,” says Sales Director Henrik Mikkola of VDL Bus & Coach Finland Oy. “First and foremost because it strongly underscores Lahti’s ambitions as European Green Capital. It also means a further acceleration of the transition to electric and sustainable public transport in Finland. This is also confirmation of the good cooperation we have had with Koiviston Auto Group since 2014. In total, by the end of 2021, we will have delivered more than 200 buses for their activities in Finland. For us, the next step was, of course, the joint introduction of the new generation of Citea on the Scandinavian market.”
Most advanced electric bus
In October 2020, VDL Bus & Coach and Koiviston Auto Group announced that 18 Citeas LLE Electric would go into operation in Lahti. The New Generation Citea will be part of this e-bus fleet. Koiviston Auto Oy, part of Koiviston Auto Group, is responsible for public transport in Lahti, located more than one hundred kilometres north of the capital, Helsinki.
The needs of the Scandinavian market and the sometimes very extreme climate conditions were taken into account from the very beginning of the design process. For public transport operations in Lahti, this results in a large capacity of 43+3 seated passengers and unrivalled comfort for both passengers and driver.
“The most advanced electric bus in Europe will run in the European Green Capital 2021,” says Michael Andersson, Technical Director of Koiviston Auto Group. “This is a clear and important signal for further electrification of Finnish public transport. Because this new Citea is part of the operation with the Citeas LLE Electric, we can see exactly how this new vehicle compares to the current generation of electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach. This provides us with important information with which we can continue realising our e-mobility ambitions.”
New Generation Citea
Based on the VDL vision, a bus concept has been developed entirely based on an electric driveline, ready for a future where zero emission is a matter of course. VDL Bus & Coach will be announcing more details in a special campaign in the coming months. The buses will be on display for the first time during Busworld in Brussels from 9-14 October. The new generation of Citea will consist of 4 length variants.
Among other things, VDL Bus & Coach is introducing an innovative composite sidewall construction that is 15% lighter than a conventional sidewall. The battery pack is integrated into the floor as standard. This ensures better weight distribution, greater stability (safety) and increases passenger capacity. The choice of efficient components, lightweight construction, good insulation, aerodynamic design and optimum energy management reduce the vehicle’s energy consumption by up to as much as 30%.
VDL Groep has been active in the field of electric transport for over 25 years. Since the introduction of the first Citea SLF-120 Electric during the UITP Mobility & City Transport exhibition in 2013 in Geneva, VDL Bus & Coach has focused strongly on electric mobility. With 750 buses now operating in 10 countries and more than 150,000 kilometres driven every day in many European cities and regions, the magic milestone of 100 million electric kilometres is in sight.
Koiviston Auto Group
With 8 operating companies spread across Finland, Koiviston Auto Group is the largest operator in Finland. The family business has around 1,000 buses and coaches and more than 2,300 employees. Its annual turnover is 200 million euros. The company’s headquarters are based in Lahti.
