Van Hool’s North American distributor launches new bus brand

ABC Companies, known as Van Hool’s overseas distributor, announced the creation of a new bus manufacturer focused specifically on the United States, under the name COR Transit, on the opening day of the APTA 2026 TRANSform & EXPO exhibition in Chicago, on 5 October. The timing is no coincidence, as Nova Bus’s withdrawal and Proterra’s bankruptcy have left a significant gap in the US urban bus market, which was already served by relatively few companies. Solaris has also recognised this with the fortunate timing characteristic of the company, but it appears it is not alone in doing so. COR Transit aims to bring greater choice and stronger competition to the North American public transport market, while providing long-term support to customers.

Founded in 1972, ABC Companies is best known on this side of the Atlantic as the overseas distributor of Van Hool coaches, but the company also has more than five decades of experience in vehicle refurbishment and maintenance, technical support and spare-parts sales, as well as professional training. Its ABC Parts Source division supplies spare parts to more than 700 US transport operators, while its nationwide network comprises 10 facilities and more than 142 service bays. The company therefore has ample experience of what happens to a bus after it is handed over to the operator, including the challenges associated with maintenance.

ABC Companies had already taken steps towards becoming an independent bus manufacturer in 2024, when it joined forces with businessman Guido Dumarey to bid for the acquisition of the bus manufacturing division of the bankrupt Van Hool, but the Belgian-American consortium ultimately lost out to VDL’s offer. Although the company is primarily associated overseas with various minibuses and large coaches, the COR Transit brand is being positioned in the heavy-duty urban bus segment, where, in its view, US operators currently face ageing fleets, increasing costs, longer delivery lead times and a narrowing range of available products.

The company plans to enter the market initially with a 40-foot (12.19-metre) diesel-powered solo model, which is currently under development. The prototype is to be unveiled in 2027, with the first customer vehicles to be delivered during 2028. In between, it is also anticipated to complete the Altoona test programme, mandatory for buses procured with the support of the US federal transport authority (Federal Transit Administration, FTA). So far, only computer-generated renderings of the vehicle have been released. Based on these, COR Transit’s first in-house-developed bus promises styling somewhat fresher than that of currently available US models – the appearance of its front end, enhanced by striking LED strips, also somewhat recalls the design language of the Van Hool CX series distributed by ABC. Images released of the interior suggest that the bus will be of the robust, low-entry design customary overseas, and ABC says that, drawing on its decades of experience, it will take the perspectives of operators and maintenance staff fully into account during development. To comply with the relevant Buy America requirements, production will take place in the United States, although the exact location has not yet been decided, with the company evaluating several options.

“For ABC, this story did not begin with us wanting to become a manufacturer. It all started with our customers” said Roman Cornell, CEO of ABC Companies, about the circumstances surrounding the brand’s creation. “If we know there is a need, and we believe we can help meet it, what do we do? For us, COR Transit is the answer to that question. Our goal is simple and clear: to build a reliable bus that is practical to operate and maintain, provide support for it throughout its entire service life, and thereby offer transport operators another competitive alternative on the market. Our history may open doors to customers, but we know that our product and the support we provide must earn their trust. We are ready to work for it.”

Alongside the launch of the COR Transit brand, ABC Companies will of course continue to serve its existing customers and partners.

Renderings: ABC Companies