Arriva has ordered 157 new generation Citea electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach for its West Brabant concession in the Netherlands.
The new buses are expected to enter service on 6 July 2025 for public transport in West Brabant. VDL Bus & Coach will commence deliveries in the first half of 2025.
Specifically, the order consists of 58 new generation Citeas of type LE-122 and 99 buses of type LE-135.
This order follows an earlier contract with Arriva and North Brabant province for VDL to deliver 64 new-generation Citeas for East Brabant. These vehicles will soon commence service in the city of Tilburg and on lines between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch.
Arriva’s 58 new generation Citea LE-122 will be equipped with 429 kWh traction batteries, while the 99 LE-135 units will feature 368 kWh traction batteries.
All 157 new vehicles will feature CCS Combo 2 charging sockets on both sides, allowing for flexible charging at the depot.
Additionally, the buses will be equipped with camera monitoring systems in place of traditional mirrors, will be fully emission-free, and come with advanced climate control systems.
Jan Pieter Been, Arriva South regional director said:With this expansion, we are taking another important step in our zero emission ambitions. Over 90% of public transport in West Brabant, which is provided by Arriva, will soon be by electric bus. A number we are proud of and which fits with our goal of operating on a completely CO2-neutral basis in Brabant by as early as 2027.
Each bus offers an ergonomic driver environment, including an electrically adjustable, air-conditioned seat with memory function for enhanced driver comfort.
For passengers, the interiors will also include extra lighting and luxury seats with thick seat and back cushions, primarily forward-facing.
Furthermore, each bus will be equipped with an electric wheelchair ramp, Isofix, and an AED.
The vehicles also feature the latest safety and driver assistance systems in compliance with the GSR directive, including Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) such as:
- Cruise control with speed limiter
- Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS)
- Camera mirrors with blind spot cameras
- Light and rain sensors
- Blind Spot Information System
- Traffic sign and speed recognition (Intelligent Speed Assistance)
- Moving Off Information System
- Driver Drowsiness Detection
- Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS)
- Reversing camera
Rob Mol, Managing Director VDL Bus & Coach Nederland said:Arriva and VDL have been each other’s partners for many years, pulling together to achieve Europe’s zero-emission target. Because of the good cooperation, we have accomplished many successful projects together. Arriva’s recurring trust in our product and our company characterises this partnership and we are 100% committed to delivering and operating our products to the satisfaction of Arriva and the province.
