The comfortable and accessible e-buses charge at the depot, especially at night.
From 30 May, De Lijn will be driving the first electric buses of its latest generation in Limburg. “The first e-buses will run from the Winterslag depot in Limburg on the Genk city network and on a few regional lines between Genk, Hasselt, Tongeren and Houthalen. The Winterslag depot was also equipped with the necessary charging infrastructure where the e-buses will mainly charge at night. There will be another 16 e-buses in Winterslag this year and 40 e-buses for the Kortrijk, Destelbergen and Sint-Niklaas depots,” said the Flemish Minister of Mobility and Public Works. Lydia Peeters.
comfortable
The four e-buses presented in Genk are part of an order for 60 standard e-buses (with a length of 12 m) from two suppliers, Van Hool and VDL. These e-buses can cover at least 220 km without recharging on the way. The e-buses charge at the depot, especially at night. By the end of this year, this order will result in 20 e-buses for Genk, 16 for Kortrijk, 9 for Destelbergen and 15 for Sint-Niklaas. The relevant depots are also equipped with the necessary charging infrastructure.
“In the new buses, ample attention has been paid to customer-friendliness, with many suggestions from passenger organizations incorporated into the design. If De Lijn wants to help solve the traffic jam problem, we have to make our public transport attractive.”
The floor with a warm wood look and inlaid icons, LED lighting, USB charging points and seat upholstery in recycled imitation leather give the interior of the new e-buses an inviting character. Travelers receive real-time journey information via extra-wide screens in the e-bus. Thanks to the automatic, electric ramp, the buses are easily accessible for travelers with a wheelchair or pram. The e-buses also have all modern safety features, climate control and a comfortable suspension.
De Lijn only buys fully electric buses, its operators are also fully committed to greening their fleet. The e-buses use no fossil fuel and emit absolutely nothing. This means no harmful substances such as CO2 (causes greenhouse gases) and NOX (acid rain, harmful to health). This is a great advantage for both the climate and the health of those in or around the bus. An additional advantage is that e-buses are also very quiet due to the absence of a diesel engine. Because De Lijn only buys green electricity, there are no emissions during the production of the energy.
