Van Hool at IAA 2018 (Hall 11 booth C12)

VAN HOOL product update 2019

Koningshooikt – Van Hool, the independent builder of buses, coaches and industrial vehicles, will be exhibiting once again at IAA in Hannover (Germany), which will be held from 20-27 September 2018. The company will be presenting the new features in the EX and TX range in Hall 11 booth C12.

New drivetrain for the entire EX & TX range

With the introduction of new drivetrains in its EX and T(D)X coaches, Van Hool is moving forward in terms of eco-friendliness, fuel consumption, maintenance costs and travel comfort.

The launch of the DAF ‘Next Gen’ (NG) engines results in substantially reduced consumption and maintenance costs. Many aspects of the DAF MX-11 and MX-13 ‘NG’ engines have been considerably improved in order to lower consumption and CO2 emissions. The engine block has been adapted to ensure less internal friction and resistance, and the engines have been equipped with a new turbo with a faster response time, new pistons for improved combustion efficiency, a cool water pump with variable flow, an also variable high efficiency oil pump, individually controlled alternators, and engine brake. More power and a higher torque were added to the engines. Thanks to down-speeding, the engines will now generate maximum torque at lower engine speeds, resulting in lower fuel consumption and less noise and vibration. Finally, the engine upgrade has led to a vehicle weight reduction of more than 50 kg.

The first test results revealed substantial fuel savings that exceeded the 3% fuel savings announced by DAF in comparison to the previous generation of engines.

Considerably longer maintenance intervals (standard interval of up to 100,000 km, extended interval of up to 150,000 km (MX-11) or even 200,000 km (MX-13), mean significant customer savings on maintenance and repair costs.

Van Hool vehicles therefore offer an attractive and competitive TCO (Total Cost of Ownership) ratio.

Our range of transmissions is also evolving for our 2019 models. For instance, all twin-axle (EX) versions will come with a manual transmission as standard. The ZF AS Tronic automatic transmission has now been replaced with a more modern ZF TraXon, with the aim of reducing consumption (and therefore CO2) and optimising gearshift comfort. ZF TraXon comes with the EcoRoll function as standard: a coasting function where in certain conditions, such as a slight downward gradient or on level ground, little to no engine power is required and where the speed can be reduced even to idle. This can significantly cut fuel consumption.

Those looking for comfort without compromise can opt for the fully automatic (hydraulic) transmission ZF Ecolife (EX twin-axle models) or the Allison T525R (EX & T(D)X tri-axle models). The latter is for the Van Hool vehicles a unique offering in terms of comfort, user friendliness and reliability, and with an ever growing success since several years.

EX now even more efficient

This year Van Hool also launched an updated version of the EX range with the goal to reduce weight and improve aerodynamics. The vehicle now also has a completely new dashboard with improved ergonomics.

The weight reduction immediately cuts fuel consumption and CO2 emissions and, depending on the model, can be up to 1,200 kg.

As well as a lightweight construction the vehicle now has new engine mounts and improved engine cooling, both of which ensure a quieter vehicle with less vibration to guarantee ultimate travel comfort. In addition to the classic EX 15, 16 and 17 ‘M’ and ‘H’ offering, this year will also see the further expansion of the EX range with a lower version ‘L’ (mid-decker), a short version ‘11’ (10 m class) or a combination of both. The expansion of the EX range will therefore allow Van Hool to reach a wider market.

Equipment to cut fuel consumption and maintenance costs

Lower fuel consumption and reduction in CO2 emissions

DAF ‘Next Gen’ engines: various changes aimed at cutting fuel consumption and bringing down CO2 emissions and making the whole engine more environment-friendly.

Downspeeding: the new DAF ‘NG’ engines deliver their torque at lower engine revs. In combination with a modified rear axle ratio, this enables lower engine revs. at cruising speed, lower fuel consumption, lower CO2 emissions and a quieter vehicle (resulting in improved passenger comfort).
EcoRoll function: a coasting function where in certain conditions, such as a slight downward gradient or on level ground, little to no engine power is required and where the engine speed can be reduced even to idle speed. This can significantly cut fuel consumption.
Idle Shut-Down: if the vehicle is not moving, the engine will shut down after it has been idling for 5 minutes in order to save fuel.
PCC (Predictive Cruise Control): the electronic control of both the engine and the gearbox makes use of GPS data to 'anticipate' gear-changing behaviour and adapt it to the geographical characteristics of the route. This feature means that the gearbox will always choose the optimum ratio to enable the most efficient driving possible with the least fuel consumption. This option will be available by the end of this year.
ZF TraXon this new, more modern automated gearbox changes speeds faster, and adapts its changing pattern to achieve lower fuel consumption and lower CO2 emissions. Moreover, this gearbox has a very high torque and forms an ideal combination with the most powerful engines and a modified rear axle ratio.
Smart, environment-friendly control of the alternators, the oil pump, the water pump and the power steering oil pump. These will be used variably from now on, and will only cut in when required. This will eliminate unnecessary engine load and the service life of the components will be prolonged.
ECAS electronic height-adjustment suspension: the height is adjusted electronically in the new suspension, thus using less compressed air. In combination with the smart compressed air management (EC APU - compressed air dryer) which is also new, the air compressor only cuts in when needed and at the most favourable moment (e.g. vehicle driving in a straight line or going downhill). Partly due to the higher pressure of the compressed air reserve (12 bar instead of 10 bar) the vehicle can drive longer before the compressor kicks in.
Use of HVO or biofuels: the DAF ‘NG’ engines are designed to use the most recent biofuels. These fuels make a huge contribution in cutting emissions of greenhouse gases (CO2).
EX Light-weight: together with the aesthetic changes introduced on the EX, the construction of the EX 2-axle version has been thoroughly overhauled with the goal to cut fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Depending on the version, up to 900 kg can be saved. Due to this change, the vehicle is quieter and vibration-free, making the EX a reference in its segment when it comes to comfort, and the driving and travel experience.
Updated engine cooling on the EX and TX: in order to reduce the engine load, thus cutting fuel consumption, the cooling of all EX and TX vehicles has been radically redesigned. The engines fitted with transverse cooling now have a three-speed cooling fan (previously 2-speed), where the fan speed can be adapted better to the cooling capacity required. The EX 2-axle vehicles now have a completely new longitudinal cooling system, where the fan is hydraulically driven, making a 100% variable fan speed possible. This makes the whole vehicle not only more economical, but also quieter and vibration-free.

More Up-time, less Down-time

Less maintenance means fewer visits to the workshop and lower cost of usage.

Extended intervals between servicing DAF ‘NG’ engines: the maximum servicing intervals are considerably extended on the new DAF engines. On the MX-11 engine, they are 150,000 km, and no less than 200,000 km on the MX-13 engine. So the vehicle can drive longer and the overall R&M (Repair & Maintenance) costs are cut by as much as 3%. In other words, the vehicle can drive longer with significantly lower maintenance costs.
New EAS Exhaust Aftertreatment System): the aftertreatment system is now 50 kg lighter and 1/3rd more compact. Previously, the diesel particle filter had to be cleaned every 3 years or on average every 500,000 km. With today's new generation of engines, this only has to be done on average every 500,000 km.
Integrated engine brake: the engines with automated and automatic gearbox usually have an engine brake. When the brake retarder in the gearbox is activated, the engine braking cuts in and ensures that the vehicle slows down efficiently. This engine brake reduces the wear on the brake pads, thus less frequent brake pad replacements.

At the indoor booth in Hall 11 booth C12, Van Hool is showing:

TX16 Astronef (50+1+1): equipped with a PACCAR-DAF MX13 - NG - 390 Kw - 530 Pk + ZF TRAXON.
EX16 M (48+1+1): equipped with a PACCAR-DAF MX11 - NG - 330 Kw + ZF TRAXON.

On the outdoor booth near Hall 27 Van Hool is providing the following vehicles for test drives:

TX16 Astron (55+1+1): equipped with a PACCAR-DAF MX13 - NG - 375 Kw - 510 Pk + Allison T525R.
TDX25 Astromega (58+1+1): equipped with a PACCAR-DAF MX13 - NG - 390 Kw - 530 Pk + Allison T525R
EX16 M (59+1+1): equipped with a PACCAR-DAF MX11 - NG - 320 Kw - 435 Pk + ZF Ecolife.

For the test drives, interested parties should make reservations at the Van Hool booth in Hall 11 booth C12.

Van Hool is an independent Belgian bus, coach and industrial vehicle manufacturer. The company, which was founded in 1947, is based in Koningshooikt. The majority of its production is destined for Europe and America. Van Hool has around 4,750 staff worldwide, the majority of whom work at the production facilities in Koningshooikt (Belgium) and Skopje (Macedonia).

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Editors, for information please contact:

Dirk Snauwaert, Public Relations Manager at Van Hool,
Bernard Van Hoolstraat 58, 2500 Lier (Koningshooikt), Belgium.
Tel: +32 (0)3 420 22 12; Mobile: +32 (0)499 555 032;
e-mail: dirk.snauwaert@vanhool.com
Website Van Hool: www.vanhool.be