Van Hool is set to build 2 electric ‘Exqui.City’ tram – buses for Hamburg

Koningshooikt – Van Hool, the bus, coach and industrial vehicle manufacturer, has been concluded a very significant order for the development and production of 2 fully electric Exqui.Citys known as ‘tram-buses’; which will be used in Hamburg, in Germany. These are the very first 2 models of the Exqui.City that will run 100% on electric power. Both of the Exqui.Citys will be delivered early 2016 and will be in operation on the busiest bus route in Hamburg the M3 line. VHH and Hochbahn, the 2 local public transport companies that jointly manage a fleet of around 1,500 buses, are striving to run exclusively emission-free buses by 2020.

The two futuristic and elegant, articulated buses will be charged overnight in the VHH depot in Schenefeld, Hamburg. Throughout the day, 40 minute charging sessions at either end of the M3 bus line in Tiefstack and in Lurup are foreseen. Furthermore the buses will produce part of the energy they need themselves – whenever the vehicle brakes it creates electrical power that can be stored in the battery and re-used on the vehicle’s return journey.

The two articulated buses’ batteries are charged using charging points on the roof of the bus. A ‘pantograph’ descends towards the charging points on the vehicle’s roof. The four-door, articulated buses are 18.61 m long and 2.55 m wide with a height of 3.5 m. They can transport up to 109 passengers (46 people sitting; 63 people standing).

The Exqui.City combines the flexibility of a bus with the efficiency of a tram. The tram-buses have a very futuristic design and provide a high-level of comfort with air-conditioning, low noise levels and soft lighting. They have optimum accessibility with a low step and easy access thanks to the four large entrance doors. Customers have a range of options for powering this type of vehicle. ExquiCity’s multi-power platform in both the 18 m and the 24 m versions, simply forms the basis for the use of a range of environmentally-friendly power systems such as trolley buses, hybrid systems, fuel cells or batteries.

With the Exqui.City, which is available in both 18 m and 24 m versions, Van Hool is offering a realistic answer to the demand for safe, ecologically sound, efficient and cost-effective public transport for cities. It is for those reasons that cities such as Metz, Barelona, Parma, Geneva, Luxemburg, Malmö, Martinique and Bergen have all opted for the Exqui.City.

Van Hool recently announced it was building 21 hydrogen buses as part of the European 3Emotions project. For Flanders that means 3 Exqui.Citys, powered by hydrogen that will only emit water vapor and no harmful substances.

Filip Van Hool, CEO of Van Hool nv, was thrilled with this significant order: “Our development, manufacturing and sales strategy for high-quality public transport buses has come to fruition. The combination of advanced technology integrated into high-comfort vehicles with a distinctly contemporary design appeals to customers all over the world. These are vehicles with an especially high level of added value which is good news for employment levels in Koningshooikt.”

Van Hool is an independent, Belgian manufacturer of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles. The company, which was incorporated in 1947 is located in Koningshooikt. The majority of the production is destined for Europe and America. Van Hool employs around 4,750 staff across the world, of which the largest part is based on the production site in Koningshooikt and Bree (Belgium) and in Skopje (Macedonia).