In 1971, the bus trade fair Car et Bus took place for the first time at the exhibition grounds in Kortrijk, Belgium, and from then on it was held every odd year.
The fair quickly established itself as one of the world’s major bus exhibitions, and the grounds in Kortrijk soon had to be expanded with additional halls. When that was no longer sufficient, large tents were added. And when even then exhibitors had to be turned away due to lack of space, the decision was made to move the event – by then renamed Busworld – to the much larger exhibition grounds in Brussels.
Ironically, in the fiftieth year after its foundation, Busworld had to be canceled in 2021 due to the pandemic.
This year, 2025, Busworld will take place in Brussels for the 22nd time. It will be the largest Busworld ever held: more exhibitors than ever, and more than 300 additional buses on display compared to any previous edition. All practical information can be found at the official Busworld website.
Here is a short preview of what will be seen in Brussels at the beginning of October:
Alfabus
Alfabus comes from China and aims to gain a foothold in Europe with its electric buses. For this purpose, the company founded Alfabus Europa based in Modena, Italy. As early as 1984, Alfabus presented its first electric bus – at a time when hardly anyone was thinking about such a thing. In 2002, the company unveiled its first articulated bus for a Chinese bus rapid transit system, and in 2007 it received European type approval.
The product range includes electric buses in lengths of 6, 8, and 12 meters, with a 13-meter version to follow soon.
Arthur
In March 2021, engineer Philipp Glonner and entrepreneur Gerhard Mey founded Arthur Bus GmbH in Planegg near Munich. Arthur Bus aims to make a significant contribution to emission-free public transport, relying on hydrogen technology in which fuel cells generate electricity from hydrogen and oxygen.
Today, the company is based in Munich, while its buses are manufactured in Wroclaw, Poland.
In April 2022, Arthur presented a bus for the first time at the Bus2Bus exhibition in Berlin. The “Arthur H2 Zero” was quite a surprise at the time. Its name explains itself: “H2” is the chemical symbol for hydrogen, and “Zero” indicates that the vehicle emits zero pollutants.
BYD
One of the major players from China is BYD. The company originated in the electronics industry and one day realized: everything needed to build electric vehicles was already being produced in-house. So, BYD began building electric cars and buses itself.
BYD has been successful worldwide. BYD Europe is based in Schiedam near Rotterdam, and a German subsidiary is currently being established – clear evidence of the company’s growing focus on the German market.
Caetano
More than 75 years ago, Salvador Caetano founded his company in Vila Nova de Gaia, Portugal. In 2011, it began producing electric buses. In 2016, the first “E City Gold” model was launched, followed in 2019 by the hydrogen-powered “H2 City Gold,” equipped with Toyota fuel cells. With the H2 City Gold, Caetano also became relevant for the German market: these buses are now operating in Düsseldorf, Mainz, and, since just a few days ago, in Hamm, North Rhine-Westphalia.
For Busworld, Caetano is announcing a new body design for both the “E City Gold” and “H2 City Gold.”
Castrosua
Castrosua, based in Santiago de Compostela, Spain, will exhibit in Hall 8 at stand 804. The company was founded in 1948 and is primarily known as a bodybuilder on third-party chassis. In addition, it produces electric buses in cooperation with Chinese manufacturer BYD. Since Scania withdrew from building complete buses, Castrosua has also been producing city buses in partnership with Scania, for example with the CS 75.
Castrosua is a major player in the Spanish market, but its participation at Busworld shows its ambition to expand beyond Spain’s borders.
Daimler Buses
a) Mercedes-Benz
Mercedes will showcase its well-known product range. A new addition for the exhibition is the “Mercedes eIntouro,” an electric bus designed specifically for interurban transport.
b) Setra
Setra’s portfolio of city buses is also familiar. What’s new is that the Neu-Ulm brand is sending its first hydrogen fuel cell coach out for testing: a three-axle Setra S 517/3 HDH.
Ebusco
Ebusco from Deurne in the Netherlands was founded in 2012 and specialized in electric buses from the start. Its first model series, “1,” consisted of raw bodies from Southeast Asia that were completed into fully battery-electric buses in Deurne. This was followed by the “2” series, especially the “2.2” version, which also entered the German market. Customers include Deutsche Bahn operators, Berlin’s BVG, and Bonn’s SWB. Then Ebusco launched the “3.0” alongside the 2.2. With its consistent lightweight construction (composites instead of steel), the bus achieved a significant performance boost, especially in terms of range.
The largest German customer for the Ebusco 3.0 so far is NIAG in Moers.
Following the COVID-19 pandemic, Ebusco faced difficulties, but restructuring efforts are in full swing and may help stabilize the company.
Hess
Hess, based in Bellach, Switzerland, offers battery and trolleybuses in lengths of 10, 12, 18, 19, and 25 meters. They are built using the company’s patented “CoBolt” aluminum construction method. Instead of welding, the body elements are screwed together, with adhesive preventing the screws from loosening. Hess emphasizes that this design makes repairing accident damage considerably easier. Hess will be represented at Busworld with the Swiss eBus Plus (lighTram® 10 Plug) model, among others.
Higer
Among the now well-known Chinese bus manufacturers in Europe is Higer. Many years ago, in cooperation with Scania, the company launched the Scania/Higer Touring coach – a bus equipped with Scania technology but built by Higer in China, fitting seamlessly into Scania’s portfolio.
After Scania recently withdrew completely from building complete buses, Higer has supplied the “Fencer,” a current city bus for Scania. The Fencer is a 12-meter battery-electric bus that, when produced in cooperation with Scania, uses Scania technology. Recently, a Scania/Higer Fencer was used as a demonstration vehicle for several weeks by Harzer Verkehrsbetriebe in Wernigerode.
With the “Steed,” Higer also offers an electric midibus, available in lengths of 8, 8.5, or 9 meters. It measures 2,370 mm in width and 3,215 mm in height. The vehicle can carry 48 passengers, 26 of whom are seated. Its lithium-iron-phosphate batteries, supplied by Chinese manufacturer CATL, have a capacity of 174 kWh and provide a range of 300 km.
Hübner
Here we report in detail on the Hübner Group’s presence at the trade fair: https://www.urban-transport-magazine.com/en/hubner-at-busworld-2025-strengthening-bus-transportation-is-a-shared-responsibility/
Ikarus
Ikarus from Hungary will exhibit in Hall 7 at stand 704a. Ikarus is one of the oldest bus manufacturers, with roots going back to 1895. During the Cold War era, Ikarus was at times the largest bus manufacturer in the world – within the Eastern Bloc’s Council for Mutual Economic Assistance (COMECON), Ikarus supplied much of the market, while countries like East Germany had to abandon or significantly reduce their own bus production.
After the fall of the Eastern Bloc, Ikarus faced difficulties. It was briefly part of Iveco but was sold again due to lack of success. For a short time in the 1990s, Wuppertal’s municipal operator WSW was a notable Western customer, purchasing articulated and midibuses from Hungary.
At times, bus production under the Ikarus name ceased altogether. Hungarian industrialist Gabor Szeles revived the brand, and today Ikarus offers electric buses: the midibus Ikarus 80e, the solo bus Ikarus 120e, and the articulated bus Ikarus 180e.
Recently, the company won a tender to supply new electric buses for Budapest’s trolleybus operator BKK. These vehicles will be built in cooperation with Chinese manufacturer Yutong, and outwardly will carry Yutong’s body design. The buses will be able to run 60–70 km off-wire on their batteries, making them “BOBs” – battery-operated trolleybuses, similar to those in Solingen (e.g., Line 695). This technology, which allows battery buses to draw power from overhead lines and recharge batteries, enables trolleybus networks to expand without needing new wiring – potentially a model for the future of existing trolley systems.
Irizar
The Spanish bus manufacturer Irizar dates back to 1889, when it originally built carriages.
In 1928, the company produced its first bus. Initially, Irizar buses were bodies on third-party chassis, such as double-deckers based on MAN frames.
For many years, Irizar worked closely with Scania, producing popular coaches in the “i” series.
In 2016, Irizar decided to enter the electric bus manufacturing market. A completely new factory was built in Aduna for the construction of these vehicles. Irizar electric buses are in operation in Germany, for example in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt and Bremen, where they are distributed by Jebsen & Jessen, who are also partners of Wisdom Motor. Irizar is presenting two new models at Busworld.
Irizar electric buses are already in service in Germany, for example in Düsseldorf, Frankfurt, and Bremen.
Iveco
Iveco is one of Europe’s major bus manufacturers, formed in 1975 through the merger of several truck and bus makers from Italy (Fiat, OM), France (Renault, Unic), and Germany (Magirus-Deutz). Europe’s most successful interurban bus, the Crossway (built at the former Karosa plant in Vysoké Mýto, Czech Republic), is an Iveco product.
Recently, Iveco was sold to Indian vehicle manufacturer Tata for €3.8 billion. Tata plans to continue Iveco as an independent brand while leveraging production synergies.
Iveco’s bus portfolio is highly diverse, including the interurban Crossway, the Urbanway city buses, and the E-Way electric buses produced by its subsidiary Heuliez in Rorthais, France. Trolleybuses such as the Créalis and Cristalis are also part of the range.
JBM
JBM from India exhibited at Busworld back in 2023. This year, it is showcasing its completely newly developed twelve-metre-long electric low-floor city bus for the European market.
King Long
King Long was the first Chinese bus manufacturer to exhibit at a European bus fair, in 2005 at the then Car et Bus show in Kortrijk. (The author recalls overtaking a bus on the highway to Kortrijk and wondering: what is that? It turned out to be a King Long – the first one he had ever seen.)
In Germany, King Long is still relatively unknown, but in other European markets the picture is different. In fact, King Long ranks second in registrations of new electric buses in Italy.
MAN
MAN will present its established range of electric buses, which have already achieved considerable market success. New at Busworld is the MAN Lion’s Coach E, one of the world’s first battery-electric coaches. MAN cites a range of 600 km for the vehicle.
Marcopolo
Marcopolo from Brazil is a heavyweight on Latin American bus markets. It builds city and intercity buses on chassis from other manufacturers, particularly Mercedes and Volvo. The company is also highly versatile: recently it delivered special double-articulated buses for a South American BRT system, featuring unusually high floors to allow level boarding from elevated platforms.
After first participating in 2023, Marcopolo will be present at Busworld for the second time, showcasing its stylish vehicles.
Brazilian manufacturer Marcopolo is now returning to the European market with the Paradiso G8 1200 touring coach and will present the model at Busworld Europe 2025 in Brussels. The 13.5-metre-long vehicle can accommodate 55 passengers and features comfortable seats, USB ports, screens, LED lighting, insulation and air conditioning. In terms of safety, it complies with European GSR2 requirements and is equipped with assistance systems such as autonomous braking, lane departure warning, adaptive cruise control, blind spot sensors and a 360-degree camera. Marcopolo sees technical developments and more flexible production conditions as an opportunity to offer tailor-made solutions for the requirements of the European market.
MCV
MCV from Egypt was founded in 1995, initially to build Mercedes-Benz trucks under license. By 1998, it had begun building buses, also on third-party chassis. In 2002, MCV set up a distribution company in the UK, later adding subsidiaries in South Africa and Singapore. In 2020, the company began producing self-supporting electric buses, and since 2022 there has also been a German MCV subsidiary based in Bestwig in the Sauerland region.
Its current range includes the C 107 EV (10 meters long) and the C 127 EV (12 meters long). Both have already been delivered to Germany, for example to the municipal operator in Bad Nauheim (Hesse) and to Rheingold in Wuppertal.
In mid-October, MCV will present its first hydrogen fuel cell bus.
Solaris
The Polish subsidiary of the Spanish CAF Group is announcing several novelties for Busworld. The battery-electric low-floor city bus will now also be available as a 10-meter version, the Urbino 10 electric. In addition, Solaris is launching a special electric bus for interurban routes, available both as a low-entry and as a high-floor model.
Its lineup continues to include diesel (Urbino), battery-electric (Urbino electric), and hydrogen buses (Urbino hydrogen), with electric and hydrogen buses already accounting for about two-thirds of production.
Solaris also offers trolleybuses under the Trollino brand and is among the few manufacturers currently producing double-articulated buses.
VDL
Dutch bus manufacturer VDL, headquartered in Eindhoven, was formed in the 1990s through the merger of several Dutch and Belgian bus makers:
- Berkhof, Valkenswaard (Netherlands)
- Bova, Valkenswaard (Netherlands)
- DAF Bus, Eindhoven (Netherlands)
- Denolf & Depla, Roeselare (Belgium)
- Hainje, Heerenveen (Netherlands)
- Jonckheere, Roeselare (Belgium)
- Kusters, Venlo (Netherlands)
In 2024, Belgian manufacturer Van Hool from Lier was added after its insolvency. VDL, as the new owner, discontinued Van Hool’s city bus production, but continues producing Van Hool coaches.
VDL succeeded in unifying the diverse product portfolios of its acquired companies in a relatively short time. Today, its range consists of:
- Citea city buses, built in a brand-new factory in Roeselare, Belgium
- Futura coaches, from Valkenswaard
- MidCity midibuses, from Venlo
- Van Hool coaches, from Skopje, North Macedonia
In 2022, VDL launched the latest generation of its Citea city bus, available in various lengths as solo or articulated models. The new Citea features a lightweight composite body, which reduces weight and increases range. It is offered exclusively as a battery-electric bus, with flat batteries installed under the floor – yet still maintaining a 100% low-floor design.
VinFast (Vietnam)
VinFast was founded in 2017 in Hai Phong, Vietnam. Characteristic of such a young manufacturer, the company never invested in combustion engine buses – from the start, VinFast focused entirely on electric buses. The first vehicles entered service on the Vietnamese market in 2021. Now, in 2025, VinFast is entering the European market, which it describes as the world’s second most important market.
In Brussels, the company will present two models: the compact EB 8 and the full-size EB 12, both specifically developed and homologated for Europe.
Yutong
Yutong from China claims to be the largest bus manufacturer in the world. The company is also quite successful in Europe – with one major exception: in Germany, Yutong buses are still almost impossible to find. Why?
Yutong now intends to change this. Recently, demonstration vehicles were tested by Hagener Straßenbahn and in Bad Kreuznach.
Yutong offers electric buses ranging from 5 to 15 meters, with the latter delivered, for example, to Dutch operator Qbuzz. In addition, there is the diesel articulated bus U 18 – its name says it all: 18,170 mm long. Yutong plans to introduce an electric version of this model soon.
And one more thing Yutong can do: double-deckers.
