Van Hool
Encyclopedia
Van Hool NV is a Belgian
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...

 coachbuilder
Coachbuilder
A coachbuilder is a manufacturer of bodies for carriages or automobiles.The trade dates back several centuries. Rippon was active in the time of Queen Elizabeth I, Barker founded in 1710 by an officer in Queen Anne's Guards, Brewster a relative newcomer , formed in 1810. Others in Britain included...

 and manufacturer of bus
Bus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...

es, coach
Coach (vehicle)
A coach is a large motor vehicle, a type of bus, used for conveying passengers on excursions and on longer distance express coach scheduled transport between cities - or even between countries...

es, trolleybus
Trolleybus
A trolleybus is an electric bus that draws its electricity from overhead wires using spring-loaded trolley poles. Two wires and poles are required to complete the electrical circuit...

es, and trailer
Trailer (vehicle)
A trailer is generally an unpowered vehicle pulled by a powered vehicle. Commonly, the term trailer refers to such vehicles used for transport of goods and materials....

s.

The company was founded in 1947 by Bernard van Hool in Koningshooikt
Koningshooikt
Koningshooikt is a village that since 1977 creates a municipality with Lier in the Belgian province of Antwerp. In the local dialect Koningshooikt is often named after Jut or Koningsjut...

, nearby Lier, Belgium
Lier, Belgium
Lier is a municipality located in the Belgian province of Antwerp. The municipality comprises the city of Lier proper and the village of Koningshooikt. On January 1, 2010 Lier had a total population of 33,930. The total area is 49.70 km² which gives a population density of 669 inhabitants per...

. In the early years, the company introduced serial production and exported their products all over Europe. Since the mid-1980s the company has also been active on the North American market, where it has become an important player.

On February 15, 1957 Van Hool signed a commercial agreement with Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...

. Van Hool would incorporate Fiat engines and other mechanical components (gearboxes, axles, steering) in its vehicles. It developed from a coachbuilder to a Belgian manufacturer of integral buses and coaches, known as Van Hool-Fiat. Alongside these activities the company continued as a renowned coachbuilder, enabling further expansion.

The Van Hool-Fiat co-operation immediately was a great success: a year and a half after the agreement was signed, in August 1958 the 100th Van Hool-Fiat was delivered, and by July 1961 the figure had exceeded 500. The cooperation agreement with Fiat
Fiat
FIAT, an acronym for Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino , is an Italian automobile manufacturer, engine manufacturer, financial, and industrial group based in Turin in the Italian region of Piedmont. Fiat was founded in 1899 by a group of investors including Giovanni Agnelli...

 was terminated in 1981.

In 1990 Van Hool purchased the coachbuilding business of LAG Manufacturing
LAG Motorcoach
LAG Motorcoach was the North American subsidiary of LAG Manufacturing Company, of Bree, Belgium.- History :LAG is a Belgian company founded in 1947 by two brothers, Lambert and Arnold Geusens, hence the name. The two started by manufacturing construction machinery, but soon moved into...

, and continued producing their EOS models for about ten years.

Most of the buses and coaches are built totally by Van Hool, with engines and axles sourced from Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...

, Cummins
Cummins
Cummins Inc. is a Fortune 500 corporation that designs, manufactures, distributes and services engines and related technologies, including fuel systems, controls, air handling, filtration, emission control and electrical power generation systems...

, DAF
DAF Trucks
DAF Trucks NV is a Dutch truck manufacturing company and a division of PACCAR. Its headquarters and main plant are in Eindhoven. Cabs and axle assemblies are produced at its Westerlo plant in Belgium...

 and MAN and gearboxes from ZF or Voith, and some of their production consists of building bus and coach bodies on bus chassis
Chassis
A chassis consists of an internal framework that supports a man-made object. It is analogous to an animal's skeleton. An example of a chassis is the underpart of a motor vehicle, consisting of the frame with the wheels and machinery.- Vehicles :In the case of vehicles, the term chassis means the...

 from manufacturers such as Volvo
Volvo Buses
Volvo Buses is a subsidiary and a business area of the Swedish vehicle maker Volvo, which became an independent division in 1968. It is based in Göteborg....

 and Scania
Scania AB
Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...

.

Worldwide Van Hool employs 4,500 people and manufactures over 1,700 buses and coaches (bodyworks and complete vehicles combined) and 5,000 trailers each year. It sells an average of 600 coaches annually in the US.

Product range (Europe)

In Europe, Van Hool has the broadest range of coaches of all manufacturers on the market, though all designs share similar looks and are based on the same platform, the T9. The same philosophy is used on the transit bus range, the A-series: many different versions are available, all sharing the same looks. In recent years, the company has been focusing on new propulsion technologies, introducing fuel cell hybrid buses as well as diesel-electric hybrids.

T8 series touring coach

The T8 platform was introduced in 1979. The body was based on the Alizee bodywork that had been launched the previous year. Over the course of several years, a large range of touring coaches were developed based on this platform, each distinguished by a number and a name, following a clear naming convention. For example, in 'TD824 Astromega':
  • T = Touringcar (touring coach)
  • D = Dubbeldek (double deck)
  • 8 = Part of the T8 series
  • 24 = theoretical maximum number of seat rows
  • Astromega = name of the double deck integrals

In 1991, an updated 'T8 New Look' was introduced. But this was called the T9 in its North American version. Production was ended in the late 1990s, following the introduction of the new (European) T9 platform.

A series transit bus

In the 1980s, European countries started to move away from standard bus designs, leaving the design of the transit buses to the manufacturers. Van Hool's response was the development of the A-series transit buses. The first member, the A500, was introduced in 1985. A complete family would follow, again following a clear naming convention. For example, in 'AG500':
  • A = Autobus (transit bus)
  • G = Geleed (articulated)
  • 500 = height of the floor, in millimeters

Production of the A-series continued into the early 21st century, when it was replaced by the newA-series.

T9 series touring coaches

The new T9 series (not to be confused with the US T9 series, which corresponds with the European T8 New Look) was launched in 1995. It included a completely new body design, as well as many other improvements. The same philosophy as with the T8 was applied: one platform, many different versions. Also, the naming convention was retained. Over the years, many new variants have been developed, making the T9-series the most extensive series of motorcoaches available today. Different models (all available in at least 2 lengths, see 'products' below) include the Atlino and Atlon, so-called double earners, with different floor heights, the Alicron, Acron and Astron, standard touring coaches with different heights and thus different luggage space, the Altano, which has an underfloor cockpit, the Astronef, which features a sloping theatre-style floor, and the double deck Astromega.
Additionally, the T9 body is also available on chassis by Scania
Scania AB
Scania Aktiebolag , commonly referred to as Scania AB or just Scania, is a major Swedish automotive industry manufacturer of commercial vehicles - specifically heavy trucks and buses...

, Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...

 and VDL
VDL
VDL may refer to:* Van Diemen's Land, the former name of the smallest Australian state of Tasmania* VDL Groep** VDL Berkhof** VDL Bova** VDL Bus International** VDL Jonckheere* Vienna Development Method * VHF Data Link...

, though only in Sweden and on the British Isles. These motorcoaches are referred to as Alizee (single deck) and Astrobel (double deck).

At Busworld 2011 in Kortrijk, Belgium, Van Hool presented the successor to the T9 series. The new series is called TX.

newA series transit buses

In 2001, Van Hool introduced the newA series transit buses, replacing the A series. It featured a new body design and many other improvements. A complete family was developed, with different length and configurations.

ExquiCity BRT solution

In April 2011 Van Hool launched a new Multi Propulsion Platform called ExquiCity, aimed specifically at the BRT
Bus rapid transit
Bus rapid transit is a term applied to a variety of public transportation systems using buses to provide faster, more efficient service than an ordinary bus line. Often this is achieved by making improvements to existing infrastructure, vehicles and scheduling...

 market. The bus has the styling and comfort of a tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...

, with the flexibility and cost of a bus. The ExquiCity was launched in two lengths, the articulated ExquiCity 18 and the double articulated ExquiCity 24. Both are available as trolley buses, diesel electric hybrids, fuel cell hybrids or full electric buses. First orders were placed by the Italian city of Parma
Parma
Parma is a city in the Italian region of Emilia-Romagna famous for its ham, its cheese, its architecture and the fine countryside around it. This is the home of the University of Parma, one of the oldest universities in the world....

 (ExquiCity 18 trolley) and the French city of Metz
Metz
Metz is a city in the northeast of France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers.Metz is the capital of the Lorraine region and prefecture of the Moselle department. Located near the tripoint along the junction of France, Germany, and Luxembourg, Metz forms a central place...

 (ExquiCity 24 diesel electric hybrid). A mock-up was presented at the UITP Congress in Dubai
Dubai
Dubai is a city and emirate in the United Arab Emirates . The emirate is located south of the Persian Gulf on the Arabian Peninsula and has the largest population with the second-largest land territory by area of all the emirates, after Abu Dhabi...

.

Product range (North America)

Due to American Federal Safety requirements and other unique factors, only highway touring coaches were introduced in the US initially. Transit coaches by Van Hool were not introduced until 2002. Currently, Van Hool has four separate product lines for sale: the T21-series deluxe touring coaches, the C20-series touring coaches, the TD925 double-decker coach, and the A-series transit buses. Van Hool's exclusive dealer in the US is ABC Companies.

T8 series touring coach

The T815 was first introduced to the US market in 1987. Later subsequent models are collectively known as the T8 series. The earliest use Cummins L10 diesels. Later versions use Cummins M11 diesels.

It was available as 30, 40 and 45 foot length versions.

T9 series touring coach

T9 series are almost identical to the T8 series visually, and are largely identical mechanically as well, except for incremental updates. T9 series upgraded the suspension airbags to larger heavy-duty versions, as well as upgraded front axle to disc brakes instead of drum brakes. However, many of the earliest T9's indeed lack these upgrades. What's even more interesting, Van Hool's VIN
Vehicle identification number
A Vehicle Identification Number, commonly abbreviated to VIN, is a unique serial number used by the automotive industry to identify individual motor vehicles. VINs were first used in 1954...

 consider T8 and T9 to be the same family.

It was available as 40-foot (T940) or extended 45-foot (T945) versions.

T21 series luxury touring coach

Introduced in 1996 and based on the European T9 platform, the T21 series features an updated stream-line design and more engine choices. Whereas T8 and T9 series are almost exclusively powered by Cummins diesel engines, T21 are available with Cummins M11 plus engine, Detroit Diesel
Detroit Diesel
As a corporation, Daimler Trucks North America has decided to rename the company "DETROIT".Detroit Diesel Corporation is an American-based diesel engine producer headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, USA...

 series 60 engine, or the latest Caterpillar C13 ACERT "clean diesel" engine. Most recent versions simplified the windshield into 2 panes only, replaced headlight assemblies with individual projector lamps, and consolidated the driver console.

Available as 40-foot (T2140) or extended 45-foot (T2145) versions.

C20 series touring coach

Introduced as a lower-cost coach intended for long-line duty, the C20 series, with similar European looks to the T21 series, was introduced in 2000 to the US market. C20 is available with Cummins M11 plus engine, Detroit Diesel series 60 engine, or the latest Caterpillar C13
Caterpillar C13
The Caterpillar C13 is an inline-6 diesel internal combustion engine made by Caterpillar. The engine is 12.5 liters in displacement . The cylinder size is 5.12 x 6.18 bore/stroke....

 ACERT "clean diesel" engine. Greyhound
Greyhound Lines
Greyhound Lines, Inc., based in Dallas, Texas, is an intercity common carrier of passengers by bus serving over 3,700 destinations in the United States, Canada and Mexico, operating under the well-known logo of a leaping greyhound. It was founded in Hibbing, Minnesota, USA, in 1914 and...

 operates a fleet of C2045s along with its MCI buses in Michigan.

Available as extended 45-foot (C2045) version only. Current model is C2045E.

A3 transit bus series

The popularity of A3 series in Europe led Van Hool and ABC to partner with AC Transit
AC Transit
AC Transit is an Oakland-based regional public transit agency serving the western half of Alameda County and parts of western Contra Costa County in the western, Bay-side area of the East Bay of the San Francisco Bay Area...

 (Alameda
Alameda County, California
Alameda County is a county in the U.S. state of California. It occupies most of the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area. As of the 2010 census it had a population of 1,510,271, making it the 7th most populous county in the state...

 and Contra Costa
Contra Costa County, California
Contra Costa County is a primarily suburban county in the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California. As of the 2010 census, it had a population of 1,049,025...

 counties, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...

) to demo the A3 series as a future transit alternative in 2002. The A330 and AG300 low floor transit coaches formally entered service in AC transit fleet in June 2003. AC Transit now has over 330 Van Hool buses either in its fleet or on order as of August 2009.

Van Hool is building 16 Hydrogen Fuel cell
Fuel cell
A fuel cell is a device that converts the chemical energy from a fuel into electricity through a chemical reaction with oxygen or another oxidizing agent. Hydrogen is the most common fuel, but hydrocarbons such as natural gas and alcohols like methanol are sometimes used...

 buses for the USA at present (August 2009). These buses are powered by fuel cells from UTC Power and lithium batteries from EnerDell. Twelve of the buses are being purchased by AC Transit and four by CT Transit of Hartford Connecticut. This project is unusual in that the buses have been designed from the ground up as fuel cell buses and are designed, built, and integrated by a single manufacturer.

The AG300 is an articulated
Articulated bus
An articulated bus is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usually a single-deck design, and comprises two rigid sections linked by a pivoting joint...

 60-foot bus, while the A330 is a 40-foot bus.

In 2008, AC Transit took delivery of a fleet of new model A300L forty-foot buses. These buses are unique in the US market as they have their engines mounted in the wheelbase which makes their ride quality extremely stable and smooth. The new layout capitalizes on basic architectural design of the A300L's earlier released little brother the 30-foot A300K (K stands for kort, "short" in Dutch and L for lang, "long"). A recent survey of AC Transit riders overwhemingly approves of the design and quality of the new buses.

Salt Lake City (Utah Transit Authority) has purchased ten A300L 40-foot buses for its MAX Bus Rapid Transit system. These buses differ from AC Transit's A300Ls as they have three doors and are equipped for cold weather and high altitude operations. They have also recently placed an order for four more because of overwhelmingly positive support of the first 10 buses and the "MAX" BRT service they operate.

York Region Transit
York Region Transit
York Region Transit is the public transit operator in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Its headquarters are in Richmond Hill, at 50 High Tech Road....

 (north of Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...

, Ontario) uses the A330 and AG300 buses on its Viva
Viva (bus rapid transit)
Viva is a bus rapid transit service operating in York Region, Ontario, Canada. Viva service is integrated with York Region Transit's local bus service to operate as one regional transit system providing seamless transit service across York Region and connections to northern Toronto.Viva was...

 routes. The Reseau de transport de Longueuil
Réseau de transport de Longueuil
Réseau de transport de Longueuil is a public transit carrier in the city of Longueuil, Quebec, Canada and nearby communities on the South Shore of Montreal...

 (south of Montreal
Montreal
Montreal is a city in Canada. It is the largest city in the province of Quebec, the second-largest city in Canada and the seventh largest in North America...

, Quebec) also uses the AG300 buses, and was the first to use Van Hool transit buses in North America (AG700) in 1989.

Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....

's Circulator
DC Circulator
The DC Circulator is a bus system in Washington, D.C. The system is a public-private partnership between the District of Columbia Department of Transportation, the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority, and DC Surface Transit, Inc., operated by First Transit.The concept of a separate...

 uses the A330 buses. These 29 buses were purchased from AC Transit in 2005. In addition to the A330 models, the Circulator now uses the new A300K buses, which first went into service in April 2009. The Circulater recently took delivery of 14 A300K, 31-foot buses to build out its route structure. The A300K was chosen because of its unique ability to do the work of forty-foot buses for nearly all operations in the smaller envelope and with the smaller engine of a midi bus.

FirstTransit took delivery of 12 A300Ls and 4 AG300s in early 2009, for use on the University of Minnesota Campus Connector.

Baltimore, Maryland's Charm City Circulator
Charm City Circulator
The Charm City Circulator is a privately funded, public transit shuttle bus service giving riders free connection to historic sites, parking, and businesses throughout downtown Baltimore for free. The newest system in Maryland was established in 2008, but did not begin inaugural service until...

 have recently ordered and since put 5 A300Ls into service early 2011. The A300L was a supplement order to their already existing but rehabbing Designline
Designline
DesignLine Corporation is a bus, coach, and trolleybus manufacturer founded in Ashburton, New Zealand in 1985. Initially it was a manufacturer of tour coaches, later it diversified into city buses in the early 1990s, and then to hybrid city buses in the late 1990s...

 buses.

TD925 Astromega double-deck touring motorcoach

The TD925 Astromega is a closed-top US-spec double decker motorcoach that is a variant of the TD925 Astromega coach available in Europe.

Products

Transit buses

Europe
  • newA308 midibus, full low floor, with side-mounted engine. Also available as diesel-electric hybrid
  • newA309 midibus, low entry (low floor up to the second door). Also available as diesel-electric hybrid
  • newA320 standard bus (out of production)
  • newA300 standard bus, full low floor, with side-mounted engine. Also available as diesel-electric hybrid
  • newA300 CNG standard bus
  • newA360 standard bus, low entry. Also available as diesel-electric hybrid
  • newA330 standard bus, full low floor, engine placed horizontally in the back. Diesel-electric hybrid version under development
  • newA330 CNG standard bus
  • newAG300 articulated bus, also available as diesel-electric hybrid
  • newAGG300
    Van Hool AGG300
    The Van Hool AGG300 is a 25-metre long bi-articulated bus built by Belgian coachbuilder Van Hool.In the 1990s two prototypes were built, one of these vehicles still remains in service in Liège, and the other in Angola....

     bi-articulated bus
    Bi-articulated bus
    A bi-articulated bus or double articulated bus is an extension of an articulated bus in that it has three passenger compartment sections instead of two. This also involves the addition of an extra axle...

  • newA330T trolleybus
  • newAG300T articulated trolleybus
  • newAG300 CNG articulated bus
  • ExquiCity 18 articulated BRT bus (diesel electric hybrid, trolley, fuel cell or electric)
  • ExquiCity 24 bi-articulated BRT bus (diesel electric hybrid, trolley, fuel cell or electric)


North America
  • newA300K 30 ft bus, shortened A300L
  • newA300L 40 ft full low floor bus, side-mounted midship engine
  • newA330 40 ft full low floor bus, side-mounted rear engine
  • newAG300 60 ft articulated full low floor bus, side-mounted midship engine

Touring coaches

Europe
  • T915 Atlino (new)
  • T916 Atlino (new)

  • T915 Atlon
  • T916 Atlon

  • T911 Alicron
  • T915 Alicron
  • T916 Alicron

  • T915 Acron
  • T916 Acron
  • T917 Acron
  • T918 Acron (new)

  • T916 Astron
  • T917 Astron

  • T915 Astronef (new)
  • T916 Astronef
  • T917 Astronef

  • T917 Altano
  • T918 Altano
  • T919 Altano

  • TD920 Altano (new)
  • TD921 Altano (new)

  • TD925 Astromega
  • TD927 Astromega


North America
  • T2140
  • T2145

  • C2045

  • TD925

External links

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