Daimler to Sell 425 Buses to the Netherlands

German manufacturer Daimler secured yet another contract to sell the buses it is producing, this time from Netherlands. The German manufacturer will sell 350 Mercedes-Benz urban and intercity buses to Qbuzz (Citaro LE and Citaro NF) and 75 natural gas-powered Mercedes-Benz urban buses (Citaro CNG) to Connexxion.

“We’re very happy about the two big orders from the Netherlands,” Hartmut Schick, head of Daimler Buses said in a release. “They show that our high-quality and environmentally friendly buses are also successful in economically challenging times. As a result, we will be able to fully utilize the production capacity of our European plants until the end of the year.”

The Citaro LE and NF are, for the solo versions, 12 meters long, while the articulated versions stretch for 18 meters, offering seating for some 53 passengers. The buses use Mercedes-Benz BlueTec SCR diesel technology. The contract between Daimler and Qbuzz is being financed by Daimler Financial Services Netherlands. They will be used in the provinces of Drenthe and Groningen.

As for the Citaros CNG to be delivered to Connexxion, the buses will come in two versions also: solo and articulated. The engine which powers the solo bus develops 252 hp, while the articulated version’s outputs 326 hp. The CNG buses will be seen on the streets of the Arnhem-Nijmegen region.

All of the buses to be shipped to the Netherlands are within Euro 5 and EEV (Enhanced Environmentally Friendly Vehicle) emissions limits. The CNG buses to be delivered will join the already existing 1,200 fleet of similar Daimler buses operating around the world.