VDL Launches new CITEA model range

design of a new front and back to the bus, reducing drag.

VDL is a family owned firm with 106 companies in the group, spread over twenty countries. To give an indication of the size of the business, its turnover for 2020 reached €4.6 billion, while it currently has 15,000 employees. Research & Development is a key forward thinking strategy of the group and last year over €160 million was committed to various projects.

At the launch of the CITEA, business manager for public transport at VDL, Alex de Jong said: “This bus has been developed from scratch. The first electric CITEA was launched in 2013 and since then more than 1,300 have been produced and are in operation.”

Overall VDL has 30 years’ experience in electric vehicle development. Feedback and knowledge garnered from the 200 million kilometres covered by electric vehicles - currently VDL electric vehicles cover 250,000 km per day - was critical in the development of the new CITEA.

The model line consists of four lengths in low floor and low entry form, all of which can be operated as a city bus or regional bus. VDL has always been proud of its low weight vehicles, and the new bus has a weight reduction of a further 15%. A big part of extending the range of any electric bus is the reduction of energy consumption. Apart from the weight reduction, double glazing is fitted and insulation has been improved, leading to reduced use of heating and air condition units, both of which are substantial users of power.

A key feature of the new bus is the relocation of various components. For instance, the battery pack has been taken down from the roof and is now part of the floor. This makes the bus more stable from a driving point of view and by removing weight from the roof, the overall weight could be reduced as the body structure does not now need to be so strong. In addition, there is an advantage here in that it allows more paying passengers to travel, up to 90 to 110 depending on the model. Further improvements have been achieved by the

At the front of the bus, the driver has not been left out. As we know, no two drivers are the same, they all have different requirements and tastes when it comes to seating position. Previous CITEA’s were already popular with drivers, but VDL spoke extensively both with drivers and PSV companies and took their comments and suggestions into account when designing the driver’s area. Separate heating controls, an option to have floor pedals hanging or standing and the adjustment range of the steering column and seat have been designed well beyond current requirements.

Safety is paramount, for passengers, drivers and those in the vicinity of the bus, and all passive and active systems been further enhanced. Indeed some systems that are legally required on trucks but not yet on buses now form part of the CITEA. Part of the new design at the front of the bus gives more room increasing the safety zone for the driver.

When the TCO (total cost of ownership) of an electric bus is similar to that of a diesel bus, the game will really be on. Calculating a comparison when comparing TCO is subject to interpretation, but one thing for sure is that the CITEA has bridged that gap further. When developing the new bus, VDL factored in the use of fuel cell or hydrogen use, future-proofing the CITEA. But critically for VDL, customers are impressed, and the proof is in the order book - already 500 CITEAs have been sold.

Text: Sean Murtagh - sean@fleet.ie

IAA Transportation 2022, Hannover Messe, Germany

I NNOT RANS 2022, Berlin, Germany

Organised by the VDA, the IAA Transportation trade exhibition show retuned to the Hannover Messe after a four year absence. On the same dates InnoTrans was being staged in Berlin. Most Irish operators will be familiar with IAA, but maybe not so many with the other German show. InnoTrans is primarily for parties involved in public transport, covering all modes from bus, tram, light and heavy rail and all the other services associated with it. Fleet Bus & Coach attended both events to discover what is new and what the future of passenger transport may bring.

The Bus Euro Test 2022 held in Limerick last May saw the International Bus of the Year (IBOY) jury assess five electric commuter buses over a four day period. Nominated were the Higer Azure, Karsan eATA, MAN Lion’s City E, Mercedes-Benz eCitaro, and Volvo BZL Electric with bodywork by MCV. After all the testing and presentations, the MAN Lion’s City E came out on top as the overall winner of the coveted prize. Presenting the trophy, Tom Terjesen, Jury Chairman said: “The MAN Lions’ City E is one of the best working spaces in the market, just sit in and enjoy the drive”.

Accepting the trophy, Rudi Kuchta, Senior Vice President, MAN added: “This is a proud moment for me and my team and we look forward to seeing this coach grow in the market”.

Transportation, renamed from the show’s previous title of IAA Commercial Vehicles, is one of the biggest commercial vehicle shows in the world. Traditionally it was an exhibition for freight and passenger transport, this year, however, there were only a small number of bus and coach manufacturers exhibiting. Most brands seem to be holding off until the Busworld 2023 event in Brussels next autumn to showcase their latest products.

One of the highlights, as always, at the event is the presentation of International awards by various juries, such as Truck, Bus and Van of the Year. There was some Irish interest here, as Group Editor of Fleet Publications, Jarlath Sweeney, is the Chairman of the International Van jury. Also the event announced the winner of the International Bus of the Year 2023 (IBOY), which was decided from the IBOY Bus Euro Tests, hosted by Fleet Bus & Coach in Limerick earlier this year (see above).

One of the most interesting aspects of attending any trade show is that one can get a wider perspective on what is going on in the industry. A big - and possibly the main - talking point at the IAA was climate change and how it will effect transport by road. Often when a group of operators get together they end up talking about electric vehicles and the futilities and impracticalities of their operation. While forecasters predict that the transport network will become electrified in the next twenty years, this may seem unlikely. Nonetheless the reality is a growing trend towards becoming carbon neutral. Most of the people heard speaking were focussing on that as distinct from electric vehicles. For example, an exhibiting company which manufactures bus washes has an electric wash system that does not use strong or harmful chemicals and only uses 50 litres of water to wash the vehicle.

Many Germans, as those traveling from central Europe, came to the show by train and it was noticed that there was a lot less printed press material on the stands than normal, with the requested information only available on the brand’s website.

But back to the manufacturers, they all had a similar message to the collective political system - “We have the product now, you need to build the infrastructure”. In other words ‘the ball is in your court’. Another area of tension is the possibility of the introduction of Euro 7 Diesel engine exhaust regulations, with manufacturers saying off the record: “it’s either Euro 7 or electric for long distance transport, we cannot afford to develop both in the timescale set out”. Interesting times ahead.

40 years, so the market is big business - and growing. Buses did not make up a significant part of the event, nonetheless there were some interesting innovations to be seen.

InnoTrans is by far one of the biggest passenger transport exhibitions in the globe. Its centre piece was a twin track railway, housing the most up to date rolling stock. Public transport is expected to double in terms of equipment required in the next

Turkish manufacturer Temsa launched an electric coach at the IAA. While stating that the future is a little uncertain at the moment, it expects that one out of every two buses manufactured by 2030 will be electric, and that by 2040 it will be zero emission vehicles only.

This Turkish bus manufacturer exhibited at both IAA and InnoTrans. The key product demonstrated was its hydrogen bus, a new addition to the electric and autonomous range. Karsan is in a unique position of never having manufactured a diesel bus, therefore allowing it to proceed without any smokey baggage.

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In Hannover, Iveco Bus demonstrated the all-electric Streetway city bus. This low floor commuter bus is also available with natural gas power, which the Italian brand specialises in. As the public transport sector is in constant evolution, Iveco’s focus is to be part of its future.

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German manufacturer K-BUS mainly develops low-entry, low-floor midi-buses from its factory in Slovenia. At InnoTrans, there was a display of smaller buses with solar panels installed. While admitting these only made a small contribution to the overall charging, it claims that a regional bus parked for a few hours in the sun could reduce the need for a daily top up charge.

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In a bold claim, Dutch company EBUSCO stated that the total cost of ownership of one of its electric buses is lower than a diesel equivalent. Its latest model, the EBUSCO 3.0, which was demonstrated at InnoTrans, will soon be available in a right hand drive version.

Cummins has been developing a hydrogen fuel cell system and sees this emission free technology as playing a major role in its initiative to activate a ‘Destination Zero”strategy. Cummins is focusing on three areas: production of green hydrogen, the management and transport of hydrogen and the use of hydrogen in engines and fuel cells.