Belgian bus builder Van Hool has signed a contract with Qbuzz, public transport operator in the Netherlands, for the delivery of 54 battery-electric buses. Earlier, news broke that Qbuzz also ordered 63 e-buses from Ebusco.

The buses will be used for regional passenger transport in the Dutch provinces of Groningen and Drenthe. Qbuzz has decided to replace its existing fleet of Qliner buses with these zero-emission battery-electric A15LE E buses.

Dirk Huzeling, Bid Manager at Qbuzz BV: “We definitely wanted to go green. […] Because of the specificity of the Qliner network in Groningen and Drenthe, with its longer-distance, inter-city connections, and high average speed, we opted for the long 15-meter buses with 55 comfortable passenger seats and a large working radius.”

Long-distance intercity trips

“Passengers usually spend more time on the bus because of the long-distance inter-city trips, so we opted for comfortable coach seats equipped with seatbelts, USB charging points, footrests, and folding tables,” Huzeling continues. Every bus is equipped with a manual wheelchair ramp to allow access to disabled people. Three screens on board will provide route information for passengers.

Qbuzz earlier ordered buses from Van Hool: nine Astromega TDX27 double-deckers and thirty hydrogen buses for regular passenger transport. The first newly ordered A15LE E buses should arrive in Groningen and Drenthe by the last quarter of 2024.

Whole day without recharging

Qbuzz, with a network in Utrecht, Drechtsteden-Molenlanden-Gorinchem, Groningen, and Drenthe, also ordered 63 electric buses from Dutch electric bus manufacturer Ebusco. They will partially replace the fleet of 400 buses starting in 2024.

The order placed with Ebusco consists of 45 Ebusco 3.0 12-meter buses and 18 Ebusco 3.0 18-meter articulated buses, of which four are still under option. All buses are equipped with a 500+ kWh battery, allowing for a range of up to 700 km, according to Ebusco. This should allow the buses to complete a whole day without recharging.

Van Hool

Van Hool is a Belgian independent manufacturer of buses, coaches, and industrial vehicles, based in Koningshooikt (Belgium). Founded in 1947 by Bernard Van Hool, the company celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2022. Van Hool has over 2 500 employees worldwide.