WILL VAN HOOL SURVIVE? | Your Questions Answered by VDL, Van Hool, and ABC Companies

[@charlesmoeller6667]

James, I am starting a bus company myself here in the Seattle area which has been a dream of mine since I was 7, and you are one of the people I think of when I work on this, you are an inspiration, keep this up.

[@noahwilliams8918]

This guy is serious, I’ve met him in person and he’s got serious passion. Looking forward to riding his buses in the future!

[@charlesmoeller6667]

@@noahwilliams8918 I have a business license now and it's now a matter of getting the funds and permits. I'm going to start with a 15 passenger van.

[@TellurideS13]

We need VanHool to bring the T series coaches to the US!

[@peterswalmen]

VDL / van Hool dont needs the protected American market with extreem import taxes. The American bus passenger wil pay the price. VDL needs the Macedonia capacity to serve the european market.

[@Kevinskywest1]

THis answered a variety of questions I had about the purchase and subsequent supply line shortages.. Every seems to flow well for now.. Appreciate VDL and the VanHool organization as well as my friend James and Drew

[@1edmondmartell]

i have my tour company here in northern california and most of our fleet are vanhool. This video is making me very happy. im hoping to buy another van hool motorcoach in the near future. abc companies have an amazing tech support and an amazing parts/service dept.

[@AviTheWolf]

Your channel is such a gem to rediscover. Keep up the great work! Glad to see you're becoming a big name within the industry.

[@Davids_DC-10]

Wow, this was so insightful, I was particularly impressed that there were tough questions and they weren't ignored.. I remember VanHool as a partner in the construction on city buses in Dublin, Ireland way back in the day and how fascinated I was in the engineering of such buses as a kid. VDL is now very prominent in our regional bus network here in Ireland I'm suer the future of VanHool is safe. I was so proud to see you drive a coach that will be on our roads, keep up the great work.

[@SvenvanOijen]

I’m not a bus driver, but I live around the VDL factories and use the public transport VDL buses a-lot. This series was so nice. Love to see if VDL will ever provide products for the US market, which is vastly different from the European one.

[@thomasmcmanus6575]

Hey James,Happy THANKSGIVING day to you and your family. Cool video. Keep them coming.

[@JennytheJew]

I've just begun driving for a diverse charter company that uses exclusively Van Hool coaches. I'm very excited since my prior companies were heavily stocked with MCI coaches.

[@dougwoodie6675]

Definitely would like to see a more European styled product for North America. and In my opinion it is what made Vanhool stand out in the marketplace during their entrance to the market in the late 1980's. It made other other North American coach providers take notice and change from the standard "square shoe box" design to something more visually and passenger appealing. I would like to see another solid 3 axle 40 foot (46 passenger) coach again. Something like the original T940. Not as tall and with the original roof top Sutrak hvac system. That would move the condenser unit back up overhead and give you plenty of underfloor luggage capacity. My companies market has changed over the years from strictly charter and tour to currently being primarily focused on college athletic transportation. While we do operate the 35' model their are some instances where it isn't quite large enough and a 45' coach is overkill. Speaking of dash layouts my only wish is that every coach manufacturer adopt the same switch insignia. Can't we all agree on what a fast idle or engine brake symbol should look like? Thanks again James for another very informative video!

[@rifkyfahrana1141]

well James, thank you for bringing up the real questions and not avoiding any. my wishes for future van hool under VDL ownership 1. built a European coach (for N. America) the Americans think they are; sleek, stylish, elegant and smooth 2. start entering the transit bus market. lack of competition in the industry makes the transit buses in N. America a lot less nicer than in Europe or South America. i hope this could change soon and bring N.American public transport to another level. because many people really shouldn't drive and should take a bus instead

[@rickvandusen9271]

Amused at the discussion of instrument panel updates: I still remember preferring the rows of indicator lights and toggle switches on the GM4104 over the new layout (two big knobs on the side panel) of the 4106!

[@Eddieanthony-fs7is]

At 7:37 - Ever since Gillig moved to Livermore CA, they have been doing large orders. For a while. Their largest in a single contract were the 200 bus order for OCTA

[@TooManyHobbiesJeremy]

Thanks for the great trio of videos ❤

[@MCJaspi]

Mcjaspi here! I did not see you in eindhoven! Hoe sad 😅. Its nice to see you enjoyed your time there!

[@bigmansir3745]

My god, my frien is famous

[@Opinionatedguy1989]

Kind of excited to see what buses you will purchase as full owner.

[@MattijsVandebroek]

As a Belgian (the country where Van Hool is from) it's so funny how they pronounce "Van Hool".

[@Skullitor]

Thanks, James. 🎉

[@johnmarsh6865]

Very interesting video about Van Hool & the questions from your viewers. It's different to see you as C. E. O., instead of a driver. You definitely have the background about buses as a driver. Congratulations as C.E.O.

[@bluetheta]

Van Hool needs to get established here in the U.S. market; as I know of two transit agencies who are looking for electric buses (rechargeable batteries) and we can use a third manufacturer to compete for the contracts.

[@ryanhector7201]

Great Video James Well Done

[@stevedoubleu99B]

I love Van Hool designs. They don't date, unlike some others.

[@crabbymilton390]

It’s refreshing that VDL is gonna keep the product line pretty much the way it is. Sure some people love change for the sake of change. Always a burst of excitement and if it lasts that’s fine. However, continuity and standardization is better and less headaches. Or like the J4500, Keep the platform in place and only implement new components when they are tested beyond a shadow of a doubt. Otherwise you have a spaghetti plate of problems all because they made changes just because.

[@davidzelaya2076]

I like the way van hools drive, and the layout for the current ones. At my job we have the 2024 models, the one thing I would suggest is make the drivers seat more comfortable, for example the prevost allow you to adjust the height of the seat and van hools are either too high or too low there’s no way to adjust the seat like in the prevost and also allowing the seat to go more further back for drivers with long legs because the van hools seat position is currently you feel to close to the steering wheel Other than that keep the layout don’t move the drivers codkpit buttons around like they did in the past and make the drives seat more adjustable with more leg room

[@tommalone8026]

Of course they would because most of the buses in Ireland comes from Van Tool. All of Bus Eireann are VDL especially the double deckers.

[@2005dave]

That remote TV studio is going to Greyhound

[@MotorcoachWorld]

LOL Thats what I thought at first. But they told me its not...

[@jeffthompson4911]

Thank You James Wang.......interesting

[@DarkCanyonTiger]

As a bus driver I'd love to see Van Hool/VDL offer their North American coaches with steering tag axles. Unloading the tag is okay, but having it steer would be so much better for the driver and wear and tear on the coach itself. Just my two cents.

[@OmarionMcKenzie-j9z]

Will Vanhool make the updated version of the CX45 and also bring back the Vanhool TDX45?

[@blackhorseteck8381]

Had my fair share of University bus fares in Vanhool city buses (they were A500 series if I recall correctly). Didn't take the bus in 15 years but these were the best here in Algeria. Doe mij de groeten aan Utrecht.

[@cellpat7392]

Hey James, do you think we will eventually see 49 foot buses here in the US? Are we ready for them? Whats your opinion?

[@MotorcoachWorld]

You know. I have often wondered the same thing. it would have to be a change in legislation. Feasibility wise, if they work on the narrow roads in Europe I would imagine they would be fine in the US. But then again, in Europe they stick to designated routes and roads due to their length.

[@landrenhernandez1389]

Can you make a video about your fleet?

[@MotorcoachWorld]

I will definitely add that to my to do list!

[@OmarionMcKenzie-j9z]

The UK has the VDL DB300 and the VDL SB200.

[@gerrysears910]

is vdl making transit buses for kingston ontario canada

[@tbusman1]

You know what I’d like to see any bus manufacturer do? Is design a bus that can be driven with hand controls for those like me who would like to drive a bus again but can’t we are confined to a wheelchair. This could revolutionize the who bus industry since mainly they have been made for drivers who have use of their feet, because, now in doing this we are catering to almost everyone who wants to drive a bus.

[@kevinanderson5658]

As I'm from UK UK north east Cummins UK engine and emissions leading way on green hydrogen Thanks for question answered What my first part of questions was about was some UK tour company's coaches where ordered where left in no man land but recently everything been honoured and meny company's return to van hool and uk national express are still interested on large order

[@astafford8865]

The Cummins L10 was a great engine. Sounded great. Quality

[@michaeldennis1728]

Great session James. Thank you very much indeed.

[@tom-h8e7u]

Cane you make alblua Vp of the company

[@tdhutch]

Will they bring a production plant to the USA

[@transitfan2000]

Yeah by God's grace

[@tom-h8e7u]

And partner up with Timi's Tours

[@LevWaxScreams]

I understand VDL wanting to keep the same lineup due to rising cost of mass production but I don’t think they are going to scale Vanhool up if they don’t make significant changes. There’s obviously a reason why the company went bankrupt. If they figure out what that reason was an improve upon it they won’t be profitable. I get they own 100+ other companies so they can eat up the negative equity but how long will they do that until it becomes too much?

[@astafford8865]

It seems Vanhool was family owned and they could not agree on a plan. They seem to make great vehicles 😊

[@davidzelaya2076]

Are you currently hiring ?

[@stevenfranklin1852]

Will Vanhool produce city buses and wheelchair buses fo the USA?

[@peterswalmen]

VDL / van Hool dont needs the protected American market with extreem import taxes. The American bus passenger wil pay the price. VDL needs the Macedonia capacity to serve the european market. The welding and all the metal in the canadian busses is totaly unnececary and makes the price/weight extremely high. European busses glued together and the glas windows are part off the strenght. Way lighter, cheaper to build and less fuell consumption.

[@bobgulinojr.7918]

I was wondering why buses from other countries were not allowed here. I love the Man Lions coach the most. Still waiting to get my first motor coach. Probably a J4500

[@kevinbarry71]

When they send someone who is in charge of communications it means they want words to be spoken but no meanings to be conveyed