Van Hool shipped the first CX45E, a 100% battery electric coach, to the US. After an intense period of development and testing, the CX45E is now being commercially launched by Van Hool’s North American exclusive distributor ABC Bus Companies Inc. An additional 10 units will be shipped to the U.S. in the first half of 2021. The all-electric CX45E will then be delivered to two North American customers.

The CX45E is a fully electric-powered coach for the North American market. Proterra was selected by Van Hool to supply the E2 battery technology. The 100% electrically driven vehicle has a range of up to 310 miles, depending on the climate conditions and the route’s topography. The CX45E will mainly be used for commuting by groups of employees and/or regular passenger transport.

The CX45E was designed, developed, and prototyped at the parent company in Koningshooikt, Belgium. The production-ready versions of the ten CX45E coaches planned for the first half of 2021 will also come from the Belgian factory. The vehicles will be driven from Koningshooikt to Zeebrugge for shipment to the U.S.