The last activists in our trees in Limburg were brought to safety this morning. After that, a start was made with the felling of trees.

In view of the interest in the occupation of our trees, and the reactions to it, we believe there is a need to once again fully explain our vision and the backgrounds as to why we have decided to cut down the trees.

Because our trees were occupied, we are forced to start the felling earlier. To maintain public order and safety, and to prevent further disruption of this, we have therefore accelerated the felling of trees.

Marjan van Loon will join the Supervisory Board of VDL Groep on 1 February 2022. Immediately after graduating in Chemical Engineering at Eindhoven University of Technology, Van Loon (1965) started working for Shell in 1989. Since 1 January 2016, she has held the position of CEO of Shell Netherlands at this multinational.

VDL Groep and Canoo today announced that the two companies are exploring opportunities to partner together.

Two large consortia comprising Dutch companies in the mobility sector collectively will receive 47 million euros in government funding for the purpose of achieving breakthroughs in the electrification of and hydrogen applications in the mobility sector. This announcement was made by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate (EZK) today. By working in these innovation programmes, the involved parties aim to make the Netherlands a leader in green mobility. The cooperating parties will contribute over 26 million euros of their own funds, thus giving the sector a financial boost of a total of 73 million euros.  

VDL Groep’s first e-mobility project in France will be rolled out from the first quarter of 2024. In the conurbation of Bordeaux, where 800,000 people live, 36 new generation VDL Citeas will be in service for a new electric line with focus on commuter traffic. The articulated buses of the type VDL Citea LF-181 are based entirely on an electric drive train and has trend-setting features.

VDL Groep continues to strengthen its ‘smart’ mobility position. VDL Automated Vehicles has developed an autonomous vehicle equipped with VDL E-Power that makes logistics processes smarter, safer and more sustainable. Aviko has commissioned the first VDL Mixed Traffic Transporter (MTT). Frozen French fries and other potato specialties are transported autonomously and environmentally consciously on the site of the potato processor in Steenderen, from production in the factory, en route to storage in the cold store. 

After VDL Groep itself announced on Thursday, 7 October that it was the target of a cyber attack, the industrial family business with head office in Eindhoven announced today that its 105 operating companies are almost completely in business. By restoring ‘clean’ data from the timely secured backup environment, locally digitally safe environments have been created and all VDL companies have been able to continue to recover their production activities. Thanks to adequate action by our employees, the damage was limited to a maximum of one day’s worth of data loss.

Dutch companies, knowledge institutes and industry associations join forces in a new innovation program called Battery Competence Center. In this way, the collaborating parties want to build up knowledge and competences in the field of battery technology and strengthen the competitive position of the Dutch manufacturing industry. 

You may be aware VDL Groep has been hit by a cyber-attack. For security reasons, immediately after the attack, we disconnected and isolated all our systems from the outside world, to contain the attack and to protect customers, suppliers, other partners and employees.
In the interest of the investigation of this cyber-attack we are unable to make any further announcements at this time. We ask for your understanding. All the supportive responses and assistance from home and abroad are heartwarming, thank you very much.

After being hit hard by the consequences of the corona pandemic in 2020, VDL Groep has been working on recovery in the first half of 2021. Revenue and results of the industrial family business with its head office in Eindhoven have increased compared to 2020. Compared to 2019, the figures are lagging behind. For the second half of 2021, major challenges remain current, for example regarding the availability of materials.

The Finnish bus company Oy Pohjolan Liikenne Ab and VDL Bus & Coach sign on a further boost to green public transport in Finland, with 25 new generation VDL Citeas, based on electric drive trains and with state-of-the-art features, to join the fleet in the port city of Kotka. They will also serve as regional transport to the neighbouring town of Hamina.

The VDL Groep’s coaches are increasingly more often used for public transport in Europe. Following recent orders from Iceland and Ireland, the Bus and Coach Division of VDL Groep, VDL Bus & Coach, will make its debut in Latvia’s public transport sector on 1 August 2021. The Latvian passenger transport services company BBus is strengthening its public transport operations with 31 VDL Futuras and 21 MidEuro intercity-type buses.

The VDL fleet used for Amsterdam’s urban transport will be expanded to 75 vehicles. Until the beginning of next year, VDL Bus & Coach will deliver 44 VDL Citeas SLFA-180 Electric to GVB, Amsterdam’s public transport company. There are currently 31 electric VDL Citeas in the capital.