VDL Bus & Coach shows forerunner's role in mobility at Busworld
VDL Bus & Coach will be present at Busworld 2023, Europe's largest bus & coach trade fair, which takes place every other year. This year, Busworld will be held in Brussels from 7 to 12 October. With the theme 'Experience tomorrow's mobility, today', VDL Bus & Coach demonstrates its strategy and role as a forerunner with regard to sustainable mobility. This is reflected, among other things, in a new, already operational carbon-neutral factory, the new generation Citea for public transport and the innovation philosophy regarding coaches.
After an intensive development period, VDL Bus & Coach introduced its new generation Citea to the general public at the Innotrans trade fair in Berlin, in September 2022. The key innovations of this zero-emission bus will be highlighted further during Busworld. These developments are an elaboration of VDL Bus & Coach's long-term strategy and philosophy in the field of sustainable mobility, in which the company is a forerunner in achieving various passenger transport objectives. For example, VDL Bus & Coach is actively working on themes related to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) and is further developing a full Zero Emission portfolio with a view to the European Green Deal. In addition, the 'easy-to-integrate' philosophy is followed in the further development of modern diagnostic tooling, and the premise of the European Union's General Safety Regulation (GSR) is high on the agenda.
The showcase of the new, completely energy-neutral production facility in Roeselare, Belgium, is also one of the elaborations of this objective. The factory is the epitome of sustainability and innovation: a production site of more than 20,000 square metres with a roof full of solar panels, underfloor heating and green roofs. The new generation Citea is already rolling off the line here and the premises will be officially opened in the first half of 2024. VDL Bus & Coach is thus leading the way in writing the next chapter of an energy-efficient future in the world of (e)-mobility.
A third theme at the Brussels fair will be the presentation of VDL's future vision for coaches. The third-generation VDL Futura innovation platform will play a prominent role during Busworld and visitors will be taken through its philosophy on long-distance and intercity transport.
VDL Bus & Coach strongly believes that sustainable mobility requires an integrated approach in which cooperation between chain partners is central. The OEM is increasingly changing from manufacturer to system partner. This goes beyond simply providing a vehicle. With that in mind, products from other VDL companies active in the world of energy transition will also be displayed at Busworld.
About VDL Bus & Coach
The core activities of VDL Bus & Coach consist of the development, production, sales, after sales and service of a wide range of public transport buses and coaches. VDL Bus & Coach consists of several operating companies that are jointly active on the world market. Production takes place in Europe. Quality, safety, durability, the environment, low energy consumption, comfort and low maintenance costs are of paramount importance. In the transition to zero emission transport, VDL Bus & Coach offers total solutions and is not only a bus supplier but also a system supplier. VDL Bus & Coach products are sold through a worldwide network of own branches, importers and agents in more than 30 countries. For after sales, service and maintenance, the customer can count on fast and flawless handling by employees of one of the many service points. A very extensive distribution network ensures that spare parts are delivered to their destination as quickly as possible. VDL Bus & Coach has become one of the leading bus manufacturers in Europe.
About VDL Groep
VDL Bus & Coach is part of VDL Groep. Strength through cooperation. This is the basis of VDL Groep, an international industrial family business with its head office in the Eindhoven Brainport region, the Netherlands. It was founded in 1953 and now, 70 years later, the third Van der Leegte family generation has been at the group’s helm since 2017. VDL Groep has over 16,000 employees and operates in 19 countries. The group comprises more than 100 operating companies, each with its own specialism, working together intensively. The activities of these companies can be summarised in the ‘five worlds of VDL’: Science, Technology & Health, Mobility, Energy & Sustainability, Infratech and Foodtech. The combined annual revenue in 2022 amounted to € 5.752 billion.
