The ‘Futura 3’ is the successor to the second-generation VDL coach that was launched fifteen years ago, with a suite of advanced driver assistance systems bringing it up to date with the latest European safety regulations.

What a difference a year can make! A year ago, Truck & Bus Builder attended the “E-Bus Test” in the German city of Bonn, organised yearly by the German magazine Omnibus Spiegel. It is a fantastic opportunity for European journalists to ride on and test drive the latest electric buses, some of which have yet to launch in the market. In this regard, the 2025 edition of the e-bus test was no different. However, the outlook for the electric bus market in Europe is less certain now than it was even just twelve months ago. A representative of Stadtwerke Bonn, the operator of Bonn’s urban transport system which hosted the e-bus test at its depot, told attendees at the event that it is no longer looking for incentives to purchase electric buses from the European Union. Those dried up a while ago, and the city of Dortmund – to give just one example – has gone back to purchasing diesel buses. There is not a great deal of hope either that the new government in Germany will announce further support for electric buses and charging infrastructure.

VDL will supply up to 157 ‘Citea’ buses and Solaris will supply 30 ‘Urbino’ electric buses to Arriva starting on 6 July 2025.

In a press release announcing its half-year results, VDL Groep stated its intention to “strengthen” its bus and coach subsidiary through North American access and the acquisition of Van Hool’s factory in North Macedonia, where it produced vehicles for the NA market.

On 10 April, members of the press descended on the Flemish city of Roeselare to visit a new bus factory operated by Dutch company VDL Bus & Coach. Ostensibly, they were there to report on the factory itself and the ribbon cutting ceremony which marked its official opening, but I suspect that the local media were hunting for information on an entirely different topic. Indeed, the CV trade journalists hardly spoke of anything else: the bankruptcy of commercial vehicle manufacturer Van Hool and the prospect of a rescue by VDL.

Pinnacle Mobility, which sells vehicles under the brand name, EKA Mobility, is an electric bus as well as a light and medium-duty electric truck builder.

In the Dutch city of Eindhoven, there remains one of those odd survivals of the former industrial age, now largely superseded by the digital revolution: the privately owned diversified manufacturing company, VDL Groep. Founded by Pieter van der Leegte in 1953, it now comprises more than 100 companies operating in 19 countries, overseen by Willem van der Leegte, who represents the third generation of the VDL family.

At the first UITP summit in four years, we report on developments related to two topics: electric vehicles and artificial intelligence.

The order is for two low-entry models from the Citea range of battery-electric city buses - 60 units of the LE-122 and 133 units of the LE-135 - which will serve in Zaanstreek-Waterland.

Report written following the latest FIAA exhibition, a bus and coach show held between 18-21 October in Madrid.

The initiative will use 7.5-megawatt bus batteries taken from forty-three electric VDL buses in operation in Eindhoven since 2016 and repurpose them for stationary applications.

VDL displayed its new generation Citea electric bus at Innotrans – claiming it is lighter, offers a longer range and comes with increased passenger capacity, series production starts in Eindhoven at the year end.