Amsterdam more than doubles its electric bus fleet to meet carbon neutral goal
Amsterdam’s public transport company GVB has bought 44 emission-free buses from vehicle manufacturer VDL as part of the municipality’s ambition to be carbon neutral by 2050.
More electric buses on Amsterdam’s roads
Amsterdam is more than doubling its fleet of electric buses on the city’s public transport network, from 31 to 75, as part of the municipality’s plan for a carbon neutral city by 2050.
Vehicle manufacturer VDL Bus & Coach will deliver 44 emission-free Citeas to Amsterdam’s public transport company GVB by the beginning of 2022.
It’s a step towards the city’s ambitious goal to reduce all carbon emissions by 95% in 2050, compared to 1990 levels. This includes GVB providing completely emission-free bus transport from 2025 onwards, followed by all traffic being carbon neutral by 2030.
Claudia Zuiderwijk, general manager of GVB, said: “Despite coronavirus and all the uncertainties that come with it, as a city transport company, we believe it is extremely important that the process of making our bus fleet more sustainable goes ahead.”
She added: “We consider it our duty as Amsterdam’s public transport operator to make a maximum contribution to the city’s sustainability goals. Amsterdam is growing, and as a public transport company we want to keep the city accessible for everyone in a high-quality manner. Electrifying our buses, thus contributing to clean air, is an important part of that.”
Amsterdam a leader in electrified transport
Amsterdam welcomed its first fleet of battery-powered buses in 2018, but the city has long been at the forefront of the smart mobility industry, thanks to its low car dependency and early adoption of electric alternatives.
Smart mobility startups such as e-scooter rental firm Felyx and e-bike makers VanMoof started here, while the city’s major logistics hubs, Amsterdam Airport Schiphol and the Port of Amsterdam, are also swapping diesel power for fossil-free alternatives.
Amsterdam was recently listed in Deloitte’s City Mobility Index 2020 as having one of the world’s most robust and future-ready mobility sectors. The city also boasts the highest concentration of electric vehicle charging points in the world.