The globalisation of bus and coach manufacturing, with the rise of new OEMs and suppliers from Türkiye and Asia, will be clearly visible at Busworld Europe 2025. At the same time, zero-emission is now the default in public transport, with the industry actively exploring workable solutions for long-distance travel and tourism.
“As in many other industries, we see consolidation in the bus and coach sector. Smaller players often struggle to survive due to the heavy investments required for new developments. It is already a tough market, with high R&D and production costs. Today, almost all European bus and coach production is located on the periphery of the EU, or just beyond,” Deschacht notes.
“Türkiye has become the production hub for the European market ever since Mercedes-Benz and MAN set up coach production in Istanbul and Ankara. We also see examples like Volvo Buses, which moved first to Poland, and now partners with an Egyptian bus body builder for its city buses. More recently, India’s Tata Group announced its ambition to acquire Iveco. As a Belgian trade fair organiser, it is difficult to witness the disappearance of local bus builders, but this is today’s reality and something we must acknowledge.”
Towards zero-emission coaches
Deschacht expects Busworld Europe 2025, marking the 25th edition, to be another strong and successful event.
“Just two editions ago, in 2019 and 2023, with no Busworld in 2021 due to the pandemic, electric buses were still rare. Today, e-mobility has virtually taken over the market. The pace of change is astonishing. After the arrival of electric intercity buses, we are now seeing the first announcements of zero-emission coaches.”
“We must also follow the development of hydrogen technology (H2 buses) very closely. For long-distance applications, hydrogen is likely a better solution than battery-electric. However, challenges remain in terms of distribution and safety infrastructure. Meanwhile, hydrogen internal combustion engines are being developed, so far mainly for trucks. In any case, I am convinced the industry will show us which technology will ultimately prove best for long-distance bus and coach operations.”
Fire safety remains a key concern
What worries Deschacht most is the fire safety of battery-electric buses.
“Fire safety remains an issue, both for the batteries and the charging infrastructure. Several serious incidents have led insurers to refuse coverage for vehicles, depots and infrastructure. Safety is critical, the risk factor must be minimised. To operate viably, bus operators must be guaranteed zero risk, and we are not there yet.
Operators are also being forced into zero-emission operations while facing severe side effects. In many regions and countries, the power grid is not strong enough to deliver the electricity required for charging fleets. In addition, suitable land for new depots is often unavailable, given the strict space and safety requirements for electric bus charging. Operators need sites much larger than their current depots to accommodate this.”
Autonomous buses must be 100% traffic-safe
Autonomous buses, both shuttles and larger models, are slowly finding their way onto the road, but the journey is far from over, warns Deschacht.
“I fully support the integration of driver-assistance and safety systems, but autonomous vehicles are a different matter. The introduction of robotaxis was fairly rapid, but their wider rollout has stalled. On dedicated corridors, you can certainly operate autonomous shuttles and buses effectively.
However, once you leave these protected routes and enter open traffic, it becomes much more complex. The potential risks are simply too great to be solved by an algorithm. Never forget, a bus or truck carries significant weight, and the impact of an incident can be severe. Autonomous buses must be able to operate with 100% traffic safety, that is the challenge.”