Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe are to be flooded with EV buses
EBUSCO, a Dutch bus manufacturer, also caught on the huge order of electric buses placed by Qbuzz in the Netherlands. In total, 159 vehicles will be delivered by VDL Bus & Coach, Heuliez Bus and EBUSCO.
The EBUSCO part is significant – 60 12m electric buses with a range of up to 400 km (250 miles).
Thanks to Qbuzz, it seems that the Netherlands becomes the biggest electric bus market in Europe.
“Today the OV-Bureau has presented the largest electric bus fleet in Europe. No less than 159 brand-new electric buses in total, of which EBUSCO provides no less than 60 electric 12-meter intercity buses. It is about the largest introduction of electric 12 meter buses in Europe. At the end of the year, the residents of the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe will be able to get acquainted with the EBUSCO buses, which are not only quiet but also extremely comfortable.”
More about the ordered buses:
Comfortable
”Travelers will really experience a new travel experience” says Steven van der Burg, who supervises the project from EBUSCO. “There are USB ports for telephone charging and comfortable seats are installed for the long distance. There is also a lot of daylight in the bus and no engine noise.” For safety the buses have a tram bell sound, which can be used at low speeds. Especially at stations and in densely populated areas, this will become the new characteristic sound.
400 kilometers range
The introduction of the comfortable electric regional bus is relatively new. To date, electric buses have often been used in the city, not outside of the cities. “This mainly has to do with the range of an electric bus,” says Peter Bijvelds, director of EBUSCO. “The last generation regional buses from EBUSCO have a range of up to 400 kilometers. This allows the buses to be charged via a plug, so there is no need of a fast charging infrastructure to be set up in the region. As a result, Qbuzz has been able to purchase more new electric buses and reduces more emissions.”
Largest electric bus fleet
The introduction of the new bus fleet in December of this year is unique. Never before in Europe, so many electric buses are going to be introduced at the same time. The northern part of the Netherlands is a true leader in this and an example for the rest of Europe.
Clean and quiet cities
Qbuzz and EBUSCO have been working together for a long time to enable a quick transformation to quiet and clean cities. In Utrecht, there are already about ten buses on the bus line 1. In addition, in the city of Dordrecht from April 1st, all 37 electric buses are from EBUSCO. The introduction of another 60 electric buses in the provinces of Groningen and Drenthe underlines the initiative and success of both companies for a fast transition to clean, quiet and high-quality bus transport.
Source: Read Full Article