Member Article

Van Hool showcase marks 30 years of TotalKare and Arriva Bus and Coach partnership

Next generation coach technology will be heading to the Black Country later this month as part of a special TotalKare celebration.

The UK’s specialist provider of heavy-duty vehicle lifting solutions will be hosting the Van Hool EX16M on June 20th to mark 30 years of working in partnership with Arriva Bus and Coach.

Delegates will be able to tour the two-axle vehicle, which boasts DAF’s Euro 6 compliant MX-11 six-cylinder engine and the ZF Ecolife automatic transmission – packing 435hp and 2100Nm of torque.

At 13.3metres, the EX16M has all the refinement and elegance you expect from a Van Hool along with a new modern, streamlined interior.

They will also be given a guided tour of TotalKare’s headquarters, including product demonstrations of its T8DC mobile column lifts, which have adjustable forks to suit different wheel sizes.

“We have been working with Arriva Bus and Coach for over three decades now and we wanted to do something to celebrate the partnership and what better way to do this than to showcase the new Van Hool EX16M coach,” commented David Hall, Managing Director of TotalKare.

“We’ll also be showcasing our own technology, with an EX16M being lifted up on our T8DC mobile column lifts - ideal for two, three or four-axle vehicles.”

TotalKare currently has eight sets of lifts currently in use by Arriva Bus and Coach at its workshops in Wellingborough and Cleckheaton, raising more than 25 different vehicles across its four post mobile column lifts and scissor table lifts.

All are covered by extensive servicing and maintenance contracts that ensure products are operating efficiently and that any repairs are completed quickly and with minimal downtime.

Andrew Cullen, Commercial Director at Arriva Bus and Coach, added his support: “We are proud to be Van Hool’s exclusive partner for the new EX range and are delighted with the way it has been received since it arrived in the UK.   “It is everything you expect from Van Hool – visually stunning and everyone who has taken it out on the road agrees that it has that unique feel and driving experience.”

He continued: “We have worked with TotalKare for many years and we are very grateful for the opportunity to share this event with them. This is a fitting platform for us to showcase the new EX16M and hopefully pave the way for another 30 years of working together.”

TotalKare was recently bought out as part of a MBO led by David Hall, Chairman Mike Lord and Directors James Radford and Peter Geobey.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Russ Cockburn .