VDL Groep has reported a recovery in profitability for 2025 despite a slight fall in overall revenue, with coach and bus activity showing growth amid a wider restructuring across the group.
The Netherlands-based manufacturer recorded combined annual revenue of €4.064 billion, a 5% decrease compared to 2024, which amounted to €4.281 billion.
Net income rose by 83%, from €66 million in 2024 to €121 million in 2025.
VDL says its order backlog fell by 6% in 2025 to €1.855 billion but has since grown by 12% and stands at a record €2.082 billion in the 11th week of 2026.
Within the buses division, revenue increased by 6% to €538 million, supported by the integration of VDL Bus and Coach and Van Hool into a single organisation under the VDL Bus Group banner.
VDL says its bus order book for 2026 is already full, with deliveries planned across key European markets including Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium and France. Production of the fully electric Citea range was scaled up during the year, with output consolidated in Roeselare.
Meanwhile the coach segment has also expanded, marking the first full year of Van Hool production under VDL ownership. New European contracts and a stable North American base have underpinned that activity as production in Macedonia serves both continents.
2025 also marked the introduction of the new VDL Futura 3, with European deliveries due to start this year.
Despite the revenue growth the Buses division remains loss-making with an order book valued at €611 million. The company says it expects revenue and earnings to grow in 2026, although it cautions that geopolitical instability could impact costs.
Chief Executive Willem van der Leegte says the results reflect business stabilising after a challenging period. “Revenue and earnings in 2025 developed in line with our expectations: although revenue declined slightly, earnings nevertheless recovered,” he says. “It is encouraging that the steps we are taking are resulting in improved profitability.
“Despite uncertainties regarding the actual impact of geopolitical developments, we anticipate that the first half of 2026 will continue the trend seen in 2025, and we expect the second half of 2026 to be characterized by growth. This forecast is supported, among other things, by the strong underlying trend in our order book.”
Elsewhere, VDL continues to diversify across sectors including high-tech manufacturing, energy and defence.
