Van Hool's management has come to the conclusion that it cannot compete in the city bus segment against Chinese companies such as BYD and large European manufacturers such as MAN and Solaris with plants in Poland, reports De Standaard.
Van Hool now wants to focus entirely on non-electric coaches and trailers. There is much less competition, especially for luxury coaches. However, the electric city bus segment is growing steadily, while the coach business slumped during the coronavirus pandemic and has not yet fully recovered.
More and more transport companies are opting for electric buses. Van Hool can build them, but does not really specialise in the architecture of electric vehicles. In the past, Van Hool focused primarily on hydrogen as the technology of the future and not on batteries. As a result, not enough orders were placed for battery-electric buses, and now the company does not receive enough parts for electric buses or has to pay excessive sums for batteries from Chinese manufacturers. As a result, the buses are significantly more expensive, with De Standaard citing an electric bus from Chinese manufacturer BYD as a comparison.
Van Hool has also issued its own press release on the subject, stating that the 'Van Hool Recovery Plan' creates a 'sustainable future on its own'. The company cites the high costs of restructuring and the organisational difficulties, and explains that it will have to lay off around 1,100 employees between 2024 and 2027.
Sources: De Standaard, Van Hool
