VDL and mobility

An automotive enthusiast, and passionate about disruptive innovation, especially when these two merge in sustainable automotive innovation. This is exactly why I love what we do at VDL Groep. VDL is intimately entwined with mobility. Ever since the company was founded in 1953, VDL started as a supplier of parts to the automotive industry and in the meantime we engineer and produce buses, we assemble cars and produce an enormous diversity in parts and finished products all related to the automotive industry.

Electric mobility Technology development Strength through cooperation

Already for over 25 years, VDL is active in electric buses. After the introduction of various highly innovative new concepts at that time, the first Citea SLF-120 Electric was presented to the public during the UITP Mobility & City Transport exhibition in 2013 in Geneva. Since then, the e-mobility developments at VDL have accelerated at high pace. The next big milestone was the launch of the (then) biggest electric bus fleet in Europe with 43 Citea SLF-181 Electric vehicles for Connexxion / Hermes in Brainport Eindhoven. In the meantime we have deployed over 750 electric buses in 10 countries that drive over 150.000 kilometers daily and the magical milestone of 100 million electric zero emission kilometers has been reached. Our modular development philosophy has been instrumental in creating several electric, hybrid and hydrogen bus variants as well as other heavy duty vehicles that have been introduced to the market over time. We have used the e-mobility building blocks to create electric vans, electric truck variants in collaboration with DAF Trucks as well as our recent proof-of-concept of a 44t GCW hydrogen electric truck for green innovator Colruyt Group. It doesn’t stop there: we have started to introduce our new Citea platform for the years to come, a concept that has been worked on for years gets to see the light of day! Innovation is in our DNA. VDL innovates whilst paying attention to employees, entrepreneurship and cooperation. Together with its partners, VDL continues innovating in all relevant e-mobility building blocks, such as batteries, (fast) charging technology, system integration and design of electric vehicles. Unleashing the innovative power of VDL in the area of automotive is what we do on a daily basis and where we get our energy from. Together with our passionate employees and partners.

Menno Kleingeld,

VDL Groep

• 1996: Introduction several innovative concepts • 2011: Introduction hybrid buses (Citea) • 2011: Proto AGV • 2013: Delivery of the first AGV • 2013: Introduction first electic buses (Citea) • 2017: AGV for BASF (Driverless driving in manned environment) • 2018: Introduction first E-Truck in collaboration with DAF Trucks • 2018: Opening unique charging plaza in Valkenswaard • 2019: Introduction first electric vehicles for waste collection • 2021: Introduction new generation electric city buses