Electric buses: VDL Bus & Coach: market leader in Europe

In the first half of 2022, a total of 1,767 electric buses were registered in Europe. VDL Bus & Coach is the European market leader with 242 registered electric buses. This is according to figures from Chatrou CME Solutions. 

With 1,385 registrations in the first half of 2021, registrations in the first half of 2022 increased by 28%. The previous year also saw a sharp rise in the number of electric buses: 48% more e-buses were registered in Europe in 2021 than in 2020. Last year, a total of 3,282 e-buses were registered; in 2020, the number was 2,210. The number of registered electric buses in Europe has passed the 10,000 mark for the first time. Since this census was taken in 2012, the exact number stands at 10,270. 

Growing market demand
"If you look at the figures, it is of course striking that the market is becoming larger and at the same time more open, meaning that more players are active," says Alex de Jong, Business Manager Public Transport of VDL Bus & Coach. "As the frontrunner, we have been holding our own for years, as the registrations for the first half of 2022 once again show. With the developed new generation of VDL Citea, we are also introducing a versatile mobility platform to the market, which will allow us to remain at the forefront of the public transport market in the years to come." 

At the end of July, VDL Bus & Coach celebrated the milestone of 200 million electric kilometres. Today, the 1,300 electric VDL Citeas cover around 240,000 kilometres every day in 11 European countries and 77 cities and regions. The 200 million electrically driven kilometres deliver a saving of almost 28 million kilograms of CO₂ emissions. 

The Netherlands has the most electric VDL vehicles and has therefore also covered the most electric kilometres: almost 165 million, which is more than 4,000 times around the world. Approximately 650 electric buses are operational in 35 cities. When it comes to the number of electric kilometres driven, VDL Bus & Coach is making rapid progress in Germany, where more than 12 million kilometres have now been driven by 270 electric Citeas in operation in 15 cities. Scandinavia also remains one of the most important markets for VDL Bus & Coach. In Norway, Sweden, Finland and Denmark, 250 VDL Citeas have covered around 25 million electric kilometres. 

New generation VDL Citea
Over the past decade, VDL Bus & Coach has become one of the leading players in Europe in the field of e-mobility. Since the introduction of the first Citea SLF-120 Electric in Geneva, during the UITP Mobility & City Transport exhibition in 2013, VDL Bus & Coach has focused strongly on electric mobility. 

Based on the VDL vision, a bus concept has been developed that is based entirely on an electric drive train and that is ready for the future, with zero emissions as a matter of course. Batteries in the floor, a one-piece composite side wall, clever energy management, a sophisticated climate control system and an ergonomic driver's environment. With these 5 important innovations, VDL Bus & Coach is introducing the product range of the new generation VDL Citea, which consists of 4 improved length variants and 5 types. 

The new generation of Citeas has already been sold in several countries and will be deployed in a number of cities and areas starting this year: The Netherlands (Eindhoven), Finland (Kotka and Lahti), Belgium (all of Flanders), Germany (Oberhausen and Braunschweig) and France (Bordeaux).  

During Innotrans 2022, VDL Bus & Coach will show its new generation Citea to the public for the first time. This fair will take place in Berlin from 20 to 23 September 2022