"After more than 18 months of delays, the 30 Van Hool Exqui.City 24 Electric articulated buses for Paris' Tzen 4 BRT line are finally set to enter service by the end of this year, as reported on Hungarian trade media Magyarsbusz (where also the picture is sourced). The fleet, originally scheduled for autumn 2024, was stalled by the manufacturer's bankruptcy in spring 2024, which not only blocked deliveries of vehicles valued at over €1.4 million each but also put the entire Tzen 4 project, with a total budget of around €140 million at risk."
"Before Van Hool's collapse, only five buses had been delivered. The remaining 25 were left at an advanced stage of production at the Coningshooikt plant in Belgium. Île-de-France Mobilités successfully negotiated with the liquidators to transfer ownership and resume production. Final assembly was completed by Hess in a leased facility on the former Van Hool site, with support from ex-Van Hool staff (as we reported in late 2024), while Alstom and Kiepe Electric continued to manage propulsion and electrical systems."
More than 18 months of delays followed the manufacturer Van Hool's spring 2024 bankruptcy, stalling delivery of 30 Exqui.City 24 Electric articulated buses for the Tzen 4 BRT. Only five vehicles had been delivered before the collapse, leaving 25 at advanced production in Belgium. Île-de-France Mobilités negotiated with liquidators to transfer ownership and resume completion. Hess finished final assembly in a leased facility on the former Van Hool site with support from ex-Van Hool staff, while Alstom and Kiepe Electric handled propulsion and electrical systems. Testing resumed this summer, with trials end-2025 and full service early 2026 planned.
#electric-buses #bus-rapid-transit-brt #van-hool-bankruptcy #charging-infrastructure #ile-de-france-mobilites
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