Van Hool Motor Coach Information
Many of our luxury motor coaches are
produced by the world's leading bus company, Van Hool. Following is
information about Van Hool.
Introducing the International Road Transport Union (IRU) is not really
necessary. This world organisation advocates the road transport industry in
about 64 countries.
VAN HOOL, ACTIVE PARTNER
CONGRESS &
EXHIBITION
VAN HOOL is not unknown either: with an annual production of 2,000 buses and
coaches and 5,000 commercial vehicles and with almost 4,800 staff members,
this Belgian business is one of Europe's leading independent manufacturers.
These two authorities meet from 17 to 20 May at the Brussels Exhibition
Centre (Heysel), where the XXVIIth IRU World Congress and Exhibition take
place. VAN HOOL is not only one of the exhibitors, but it also provides
exclusive coach transfer services to and from all Congress events for the
approximately 1,500 Congress members. A fleet of recently built coaches from
several of its customers is involved here.
This year's theme of the biennial IRU World Congress is "Mobility of People
and Goods 2000+". Evidently, VAN HOOL feels closely related to this topic
and it takes an active part in the search for alternatives to solve the
traffic congestion problems.
By permanently innovating its bus range towards higher safety, more comfort
and better oper-ational results, VAN HOOL promotes public transport as a
possible solution to the mobility problem.
In its view on the coach concept, VAN HOOL has always occupied a prominent
position in several countries. As early as the seventies, VAN HOOL built
coaches longer than the common 12 metres. VAN HOOL promoted the Belgian star
system, guaranteeing high-quality coach travel. The dual-purpose coach
occupies a major place in VAN HOOL's wide range of integral coaches. Apart
from integral coach construction, VAN HOOL holds on to its firm tradition of
bodywork builder, an activity thanks to which the company can better
anticipate sales opportunities in countries that prefer the classical
chassis/bodywork structure.
As for goods transport, VAN HOOL is one of the forerunners when it comes to
developing transport means for combined road/rail transport or for the
combination rail/road/sea. The range includes huckepack semi-trailers, swap
bodies, swap tanks, and last but not least tank and bulk containers, about
1,800 of which are annually sold and produced. Furthermore, VAN HOOL invests
in reducing the tare weight of the transport units ever further, while
preserving their robustness of course. By using such lightweight transport
units, the payload of the semi-trailers is increased, so that the number of
truck/semi-trailer combinations can be reduced.
On the VAN HOOL stand, an example of both product ranges is exhibited: a
luxury EOS 200 coach and a 20ft tank container on chassis. During the
Congress, this tank container is officially "handed over" to the owner, the
Eurovos Holding based at Oss in Brabant (the Netherlands), as the 1,000th
VAN HOOL tank container for this important Dutch haulier.
Press release concerning the participation of the Belgian manufacturer Van
Hool at the UITP exhibition from June 2nd till June 5th 1997. The Van Hool
stand is located in Hall number 5, stand number 0.5.
VAN HOOL AT THE U.IT.P. EXHIBITION IN STUTTGART
VAN HOOL from Lier, Belgium, is one of the largest independent - i.e. not
exclusively attached to one brand - manufacturers of complete buses and
coaches in West Europe, with an annual production and sales of approximately
1500 Van Hool and Eos vehicles. In Stuttgart Van Hool will feature as an
innovative designer of concepts and products for the public transport
sector. The challenge consists in developing precisely those concepts, which
offer a competitive advantage for both public transport businesses and
users.
Structures, organizations and the need for specific products for public
transport, are going through far-reaching changes in a lot of countries.
This is why Van Hool’s flexible attitude and care for tangible needs of
governments and businesses are highly appreciated.
The Van Hool low-floor bus range, still the only low-floor bus range on the
public transport market that truly deserves that name, is still the pivot of
Van Hool’s technological product array.
• The A308. This minibus combines a full length low-floor with an
extraordinary maneuverability and is consequently very suitable in narrow
streets and pedestrian areas. This vehicle type is widely applauded in a lot
of Belgian and foreign cities.
• The A300. In order to obtain a full length low floor without cross-steps
in this 12m city bus, the engine was installed not in the conventional way,
but ingeniously, in a vertical stroke, cradle-mounted manner. In 1991 this
was a unique appearance, with already an at that time exceptional low
entrance at all three double doors. Nowadays low entrances are often
requested.
• The AG300, top of the bill of the low-floor buses. This low-floor bus also
has a low, flat floor over the entire length, without a single cross-step,
with the same low entrance at all four double doors and with large, easily
accessible platforms for the mobility-impaired and pram or shopper users. It
is due to the surprisingly small turning radius as a result of the cam
steered trailer axle, that the AG 300 is easily maneuverable and capable of
driving through narrow winding streets downtown. A trump card to count with.
On top of that, the AG 300 is a “puller”: the driveline is mounted in the
front vehicle for safety reasons, in order to keep an optimal road-holding.
The order book of the AG 300 is the best proof of success: the Italian city
of Turin for example placed an order of 60 units. Worth mentioning are also
Strasbourg, Krefeld, Dortmund, Duisburg, Arnhem and Utrecht.
• The AGG300. This remarkable bi-articulated vehicle has a low floor over
its full 24,6 m length. The buses are equipped with a cam steered third and
fourth trailer axle. This steering system ensures that the two articulated
parts follow on the track of the puller like “trailers”. The AG 300 and the
AGG 300 are very maneuverable and suitable for busy city centers and crowded
suburbs.
In addition to the full length low-floor buses with specific engine
location, Van Hool now also has two more conventional low-floor buses to
offer: the intercity bus A360 and the Citybus A320, both vehicles that meet
the demands of clients with more conventional needs.
• The A360. The rear-mounted engine under the floor allows for a low floor
up to the middle door. One cross-step towards the back side, still makes a
high seating capacity possible, an elementary need in intercity transport.
• The A320. The A320 also has a rear-mounted under floor engine, but it is
located to the left side of the bus. A merely sloping floor eliminates the
necessity of a cross-step. Result: a successful combination of considerable
seating capacity and easy accessibility. On request the A320 is available
with a third door. It is suitable for city transport and it goes without
saying that it is also fit for combined downtown-suburb traffic.
Not only in driving comfort or economic operation results, but also in
environment-friendliness, the Van Hool buses stand out. All Van Hool buses
comply with the EURO 2 regulations, that goes without saying. On top of
that, Van Hool offers a range of full length low-floor buses with
alternative power. A short review:
• The gas bus A308 CNG (minibus), the AG300 CNG and A300 CNG (12m) operating
on natural gas power. To accommodate countries and transport enterprises
preferring LPG (liquefied petrol gas), the A 308 and the A 300 were equipped
with an LPG engine of the new generation. It is interesting to know that Van
Hool has over 20 years of experience with LPG buses.
• The AG300T. This articulated full length low-floor trolley is available in
two types: as a trolley (with reduced power auxiliary group) or as a full
bi-mode bus with a super strong diesel generator unit.
• The A308HYB. The most recent development in alternative power is found in
the hybrid low-floor minibus, with electric power from either traction
batteries or a diesel generator.
VAN HOOL has become one of the biggest and most diverse manufacturers of
public trans-port material, thanks to a continuous business philosophy of
well thought-out engineering, flexible craftsmanship, high product quality
and care for workmanship; as finishing touch comes the appropriate product
support.
|
