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.

According to the EU, the dates of application depend on vehicle type: “30 months for new types of cars and vans, and 42 months for new cars and vans. 48 months for new types of buses, trucks and trailers, and 60 months for new buses, lorries and trailers. 30 months for new systems, components or separate technical units to be fitted in cars and vans, and 48 months for those to be fitted in buses, lorries and trailers.”

No further details have been announced, except that the two partners will initially keep between 650 and 950 Van Hool workers in employment.

The manufacturer has said that "an inheritance dispute" among shareholders and the Van Hool family "has complicated the planned actions"; the implementation of its recovery plan "in a business continuity situation is no longer viable”.

The total number of city buses with alternative drivelines in European Union 27 countries plus the UK, Norway (NO), Iceland (ICE) and Switzerland (EU 27+4) totalled 13,466 units  comprising 6,354 electric buses (excludes trolley buses), 4,022 hybrid-electric buses, 2,883 CNG buses and 207, hydrogen (fuel cell) buses.

Bus and coach deliveries in Europe* reversed a three year downward trend in 2023 increasing by almost 21% (*Countries EU27+UK+ICE+NO+CH).

The European Parliament in Brussels has agreed improved Weights and Dimensions Directive rules, moving from an initial 40-tonne heavy-goods gross vehicle weight limit to 44-tonnes. The caveat, however, is that after 2034, these weight exemptions will only apply to zero-emission vehicles.

DAF Trucks Vlaanderen (a subsidiary of Dutch truck manufacturer, DAF Trucks NV) has been named “Factory of the Future” by the Belgian technology federation Agoria. The criteria are based on sustainability and the use of pioneering technology and manufacturing practices.

Inflation, higher energy costs, supply chain disruptions, and the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the company’s finances were cited as reasons behind the decision to slash the company workforce.

For the first time, the legislation covers cars, vans, and heavy-duty vehicles in one single piece of legislation. The above-mentioned agreement retains the Euro 6 emissions limits for cars and vans but adds stricter limits for buses and trucks, whilst introducing new limits for particles emitted from the exhaust, tyres and brakes.

BYD Europe is set to supply 92 electric buses to the Flanders-based public transport operator, De Lijn. The EUR 42 million order consists of 92 standard 12-metre electric buses, set to be delivered next year.

The ‘E-500e’ is powered directly by the vehicle battery and does not require additional investment in a dedicated battery or shore connection module.