In the world of busses, VDL does not need a huge amount of introducing. Netherland-based company has been around for over 60 years and is present in over 30 countries. Two years ago, they have presented their first electric bus, Citea LLE - 99 Electric, which is mainly present on regional routes in Luxembourg and Netherlands. Now, LLE - 99 is getting a company among VDL’s electric busses.
Two busses are going to be added to VDL’s electric portfolio, both part of Citea SLE Electric family. There is not much difference among them really, except in length, where one is 12 and the other is 12,9 meters long. Both of them are going to be fitted with 216 kWh battery packs with an option of fitting even more powerful 288-kWh ones. They should provide enough electricity for a range between 100 and 200 hundred kilometers on a single charge.
While this may not seem a lot for a city bus (they are a low level busses), due to high quality battery packs (as the VDL claims) and smart charging solutions, each individual vehicle could still cover around 500 kilometers per day, including the time, spend charging the vehicle. And last but not least, there is an option of roof-mounted pantograph with a capacity of up to 450 kilowatts.