Speculation about both the future of the Van Hool coach line-up in Europe and the fate of vehicles on order has continued after operators were told that some or all members of the T range will ultimately be discontinued by VDL, which purchased parts of the bankrupt Belgian company’s coach and bus affairs earlier this year. Production of the older Van Hool EX line-up is also expected to come to end.
For Van Hool buyers in Europe, much other long-term fallout from the sale was mired in uncertainty at the time of writing, with occasionally conflicting information in hand. What follows is thus a best understanding of matters as of early July. However, VDL has confirmed to routeone that its initial interest in Van Hool coaches centres on access to the North American market and double-deck products.
Queries about the future of deposits laid with either Van Hool before its bankruptcy or with dealership Van Hool UK, and concerning the future of some part-completed coaches, were both initially directed to court-appointed ‘curators’ of Van Hool. An enquiry from routeone to Van den Berghen Advocatenkantoor drew no response.
VDL will not carry out manufacturing at the Van Hool factory at Koningshooikt in Belgium, but will continue to build coaches at the former Van Hool plant in North Macedonia.
Van Hool UK future in the air in early July
The fate of Van Hool UK remains to be seen. In June, the curators advised that they were looking into the possibility of liquidation. However, they noted that such a process “does not seem to be easy under UK law due to the fact that both directors have resigned and are not willing to cooperate anymore.” Despite that, two members of the Van Hool family – including former CEO Filip Van Hool – were still shown as directors of Van Hool UK on 11 July.
Two days after a report on 2 July that Van Hool UK had closed, the curators advised customers that had placed deposits with the Wellingborough dealership that while the bankrupt Van Hool was its sole shareholder, Van Hool UK remained a going concern.
However, Trustee Kris Van den Berghen added that previous administrative support for Van Hool UK provided by the curators “can no longer be maintained,” and that any operator with a deposit placed with Van Hool UK should seek repayment from that business.
A representative of the dealership said beforehand that they remain committed to working with customers wherever possible. Earlier, the curators advised that “a brief encounter” was had with a potential buyer of the Wellingborough business but no further interest was received.
It is understood that another coach supplier in the UK has looked at Van Hool UK, but it is not known whether that is the same party referred to by the curators.
‘Rapid restart’ hopes for Van Hool coach range are dashed
Of coaches on order from the former Van Hool factory in North Macedonia, VDL is understood to have been assessing each individually to decide whether it will progress.
A source connected to the Dutch business points out that it has no control over deposits for vehicles placed with Van Hool or Van Hool UK. Those monies are thus lost and payment for the full amount will be required by VDL if those vehicles are to be completed under its ownership.
One operator with part-built coaches in limbo has pointed out that when VDL first confirmed its interest in Van Hool coach and bus interests, a “rapid restart” of production was mentioned. That having not happened is a source of disappointment. The plant in Skopje is shortly to begin its summer shutdown, which will further slow work on completing vehicles.
At least one customer has been told that while some T coaches at or approaching completion in North Macedonia will be delivered, others at a less advanced stage may be cancelled. At the time of writing, it was unknown how such a line would be drawn. All communications with buyers in the UK have been from retained Van Hool staff in Belgium or the curators, and not via Van Hool UK.
Another operator has been informed that a T16 Astron not yet in build has been cancelled because that model has no part of VDL’s long-term plans. The two-axle T15 will also be dropped, it has been advised. Potential to retain some T variants that do not compete with VDL products has been floated, but whether that happens remains uncertain, and it is understood that the T range may still be discontinued in its entirety by VDL.
Van Hool continued to hand over T models in other countries during June. The fate of EX coaches on order or in build is unclear. It is understood that the EX was long intended to ultimately be replaced by the T. No concrete information about the future of any Van Hool models offered in Europe is yet available, and VDL continues to assess options, a spokesperson has advised.
Parrys’ intense disappointment over Van Hool coaches in build
Two T coaches for Parrys International are partly complete at Koningshooikt. Managing Director Dave Parry has been advised that those and others for third parties are in the hands of the curators and will be sold on unfinished. “One is fully paid for and should belong to us,” he adds.
Mr Parry has railed against any potential removal from the market of the T range in its entirety, saying that if followed through, it will create a significant problem for operators that need coaches in its class. Parrys has six more T tri-axles on order.
“We will do everything in our power to get something out of this after paying such a huge amount of money, including full payment for one coach and a big deposit on the other,” adds Mr Parry.
VDL ‘taking its time’ on deciding future of Van Hool coach range
The Astromega double-decker is expected to continue for Europe, although it is unclear whether the Altano overdecker will. 25 of the latter were on order for National Express partner operators. A VDL spokesperson says that the new owner’s focus in the first place is on the Van Hool coach business “with an emphasis on the North American market and double-deckers.”
They add that VDL is “taking our time to thoroughly look at Van Hool’s product portfolio, and for now, we are keeping all options open.” The new owner “will continue with the business activities of Van Hool that we consider viable and that strengthen our position.”
VDL’s Vision Futura project – now known as Futura 3 – does not currently include a double-deck replacement for the previous FDD2 model, and hence neither the Astromega nor the Altano compete with core VDL products.
A range of Van Hool coaches will continue to be offered in North America via a 10-year agreement between VDL and Florida-based dealership ABC Companies. Those models have long been built in Skopje. A source close to VDL suggests that entry to North America was key to its interest in Van Hool and that if an arrangement with ABC could not have been secured, VDL would have abandoned the purchase.
Some worry has been aired about parts availability for Van Hool coaches already in service. One UK operator recently had to commission a third party for a specialist bodywork item, although another source says that VDL will continue to support all Van Hool products.
Bus fate remains to be seen under new ownership
With VDL’s comments about its interest lying initially in Van Hool’s coach models, it remains to be seen whether any bus products from the bankrupt business are taken up by the buyer.
Development costs of the Van Hool A range of zero-emission buses and failure to secure a major order from a Belgian customer have been cited as contributors to the financial distress that led to bankruptcy.
While the A series is a new model, so too is the VDL next-generation Citea battery-electric platform. Unlike the Citea, the A was to be offered with hydrogen fuel cell-electric and trolleybus power sources in addition to battery-electric.
The likely fate of a batch of 24m, double-articulated Van Hool Exqui.City battery-electric buses for Île-de-France Mobilités, some or all of which were to be in service for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris from 26 July, is unknown. However, when problems were first acknowledged by Van Hool in March, it hinted that little future for the business lay in bus manufacture.
