Van Hool coach range: Astromega will remain, rest of the T range seems set to be halted

Most of the models in the Van Hool T coach range (unveiled at the end of 2022) look set to be discontinued following the handover of business lines from the bankrupt Van Hool to VDL. In fact, VDL has stated that the North American market and the double-decker segment will be its main focus, according to the British trade media Routeone.

In particular, the Astromega double-decker seems destined to remain in production and complete the VDL range, since the new VDL Futura ‘family’ (scheduled to go on sale from 2025) does not seem to have included a double-decker model.

Van Hool coach range: question marks!

Van Hool announced the plan to stop production of city buses (and relocating business in Macedonia) on 11th March 2024. On 8th April, was declared bankrupt. VDL – Schmitz Cargobull’s bid has been chosen by trustees in Van Hool’s case as the best fit to ensure continuity in the company on 10th April 2024.

VDL, moreover, has recently stated that it will not assume any warranty obligations on the Van Hool vehicles already delivered. ‘We will evaluate on a case-by-case basis,’ they said.

And if for the city range it seems decided that there will be no developments, the future of the coach portfolio is very uncertain. “One customer in the UK has been advised that a T16 Astron on order will not be delivered because that model has no part of VDL’s plans for Van Hool” reads the website of the British magazine Routeone. Which continues: “Another has been told that the T15 will also ultimately be dropped, although it is understood that T range models that do not compete directly with VDL product could be retained by VDL. But that is not yet certain and the T line-up in its entirety could eventually be discontinued”.