Arriva has placed an order for as many as 157 new electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach. These buses are destined for the new West Brabant concession in the Netherlands, which will enter into operation on 6 July 2025. VDL Bus & Coach will start delivering 58 new generation Citeas of type LE-122 and 99 buses of type LE-135 to Arriva from the first half of 2025.
These vehicles will be used for public transport in West Brabant. Arriva’s 58 new generation Citea LE-122 will be equipped with 429 kWh traction batteries and the 99 LE-135 version will get 368 kWh traction batteries. All 157 new vehicles for Arriva will be equipped with CCS Combo 2 charging sockets on both left and right for optimal charging flexibility at depot locations. In addition, the vehicles will have camera monitoring systems instead of conventional mirrors and are equipped with the innovative climate control system. The driver’s cabin is equipped with an electrically adjustable, air-conditioned driver’s seat with memory function. All vehicles have additional interior lighting and are further characterised by the large number of luxury seats fitted with extra-thick seat and back cushions with mainly forward-facing seats for optimal passenger comfort. All buses will have an electric wheelchair ramp, Isofix and an AED. The vehicles feature the various safety systems and driver assistance systems according to the latest GSR directive, such as the following ADAS options: cruise control including speed limiter, Tyre Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS), camera mirrors including blind spot
camera, light and rain sensor, blind spot warning (Blind Spot Information System), traffic sign and speed recognition (Intelligent Speed Assistance), Moving Off Information System, Driver Drowsiness Detection, Acoustic Vehicle Alerting System (AVAS) and a reversing camera. New is that, in addition to exterior, these buses are also fully kitted out in the Bravo branding, the name of the operation, with corporate colours red, purple and blue. These are reflected in the bus’s seat covers, bars and floors. Arriva, together with North Brabant province in the Netherlands, previously ordered 64 new-generation Citeas in various versions for the Eastern part of Brabant. These vehicles will soon be put into operation for public transport in the city of Tilburg and for deployment on high-quality public transport lines between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch. Jan Pieter Been, Arriva South regional director: “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."