A15LE E battery-electric bus (Photo: Van Hool)
Belgian bus OEM Van Hool has been declared bankrupt by the Commercial Court of Mechelen, a court in Belgium which deals with commercial litigation.
According to media reports the company had accumulated a debt of €400 million. This was further compounded by a family inheritance dispute over shares in the company which evidently stretches back over decades.
VDL Group in the Netherlands and Schmitz Cargobull in Germany have submitted a joint offer for the bus OEM. There is also an offer from Belgian business empresario Guido Dumarey, which is supported by American ABC, the dealer group of Van Hool in the US in which the Van Hool family owns a 33% stake.
Should the…
