Van Hool unveils first 100% battery-electric double-deck coach

Belgian bus-maker Van Hool has unveiled the first 100% batteryelectric double-deck coach: the TDX25E. 

The vehicle, designed for the U.S. market, provides space for 69 passengers (18 on the lower deck and 51 on the upper deck) and has a range of up to 310 miles, depending on the weather and the route’s topography. 

A year ago Van Hool shipped its first 100% batteryelectric coach, the CX45E, to the US. 

Over the past few decades, the company has built more than 1,200 vehicles with an electrical drive system (hydrogen, trolley, battery and hybrid). Both the CX45E and the new TDX25E use electrical components that include a Siemens power train and Proterra batteries.

Experience with technology speeded development

“American customers reacted very enthusiastically to the driving experiences with our first batteryelectric coach, the CX45E. This prompted us to quickly set to work on developing a batteryelectric double-deck, which has a higher passenger capacity,” said Filip Van Hool, CEO of Van Hool. “Our experience with electrical drive systems in the past, and recently with the CX45E, really helped us with the rapid development and comprehensive testing of the newest Van Hool double-deck, the TDX25E.”

The Belgium manufacturer has been producing double-deck coaches since 1982. In 2007, the company shipped the first double-decks to the US. 

“And now, 15 years later, we are launching the first 100% batteryelectric double-deck coach on the U.S. market,” Filip Van Hool said. “This is a second home market for Van Hool – nowhere else in the world is the demand for our double-deck coaches higher than in the USA. Globally, Van Hool has sold more than 3,500 units in 19 different countries.”

Long history in North America

He said the partnership between the company and its distributor for the North American market, ABC Bus Companies Inc., began 34 years ago. 

“After all these years of hard work, together we have managed to put Van Hool on the map in North America,” Filip Van Hool said. “Today there are more than 11,000 Van Hool coaches and buses on North American roads serving many customers, including a number of large Silicon Valley companies who organize shuttles for their employees. Due to demand from several customers for fully electrically driven vehicles, we at Van Hool looked for a solution.”

Van Hool, founded in 1947, is based in Koningshooikt, Belgium. The vast majority of units produced are for European and North American markets. The company has around 3,500 staff worldwide, most of whom work at the production facilities in Koningshooikt and Skopje, North Macedonia.

 

Share this post