Busworld Europe 2025 sets new record with focus on electric and autonomous buses
The 2025 edition of Busworld Europe, held at Brussels Expo in Belgium from 4 to 9 October, marked another milestone as the largest event in the biennial show's history. Spanning 82,000 square metres and featuring 559 exhibitors from 40 countries, the event attracted a record 45,427 visitors representing 101 countries worldwide. This edition underscored Busworld Europe’s status as the premier global platform for the bus and coach sector, drawing strong participation from operators, engineers, decision-makers, and industry stakeholders.
An impressive 81 bus manufacturers showcased an extensive range of vehicles, with 209 on display indoors and an additional 29 outdoors, amounting to more than 3.5 kilometres if lined up consecutively. The exhibition corridors themselves stretched 6.8 kilometres, highlighting the event’s vast scale. Among the notable product launches were VDL’s new Futura 3 coach, the eagerly awaited MAN Truck & Bus Lion’s Coach 14 E, and Solaris’ Urbino 10.5 Electric model. Autonomous vehicle technology was a prominent focus, with Karsan unveiling its Autonomous e-JEST electric bus, alongside Otokar’s new e-CENTRO and e-TERRITO self-driving buses.
The event also featured a dynamic press presence, with 405 accredited journalists, vloggers, and photographers from 49 countries documenting the proceedings. Complementing this was a significant engagement on social media, where 50 influencers and reporters helped broadcast the event to a global online audience, enhancing industry outreach beyond the physical venue.
Central to Busworld Europe 2025 was the return of the Busworld Congress, which included 39 sessions attended by 1,242 industry stakeholders, including 22 representatives from the European Commission. The comprehensive programme tackled critical issues such as the socio-economic status of the EU bus and coach industry, safety, security, digitalisation, sustainability, and circular economy principles. The congress emphasised the vital interplay between evolving regulations, technological advancements, and socio-economic factors shaping the sector. Jan Deman, Director of the Busworld Foundation, highlighted the success of the congress, attributing it to the consortium’s commitment to addressing topics of immediate relevance for public transport authorities, operators, manufacturers, and policymakers alike.
Complementing the Congress sessions, the event featured a Zero Emission Bus Conference that focused on the energy transition within collective passenger transport, aligning with industry-wide goals for sustainable and zero-emission mobility. Additionally, the International Road Transport Union (IRU) actively participated, fostering policy dialogue around challenges such as zero-emission technologies, driver shortages, accessibility, digital transformation, and the need for investment in sustainable transport systems.
Exhibitors reported robust business leads and intense interest from buyers and decision-makers, reinforcing Busworld Europe’s importance as a critical meeting point for networking, innovation, and sector collaboration. The event’s comprehensive scope—from product launches and technology showcases to policy discussions—reflects the bus and coach industry’s ongoing evolution in response to regulatory demands, customer expectations, and the broader push for sustainable urban and intercity transport.
Looking forward, Busworld Europe is scheduled to return to Brussels Expo from 16 to 21 October 2027, promising another major gathering that will continue to shape the future of the passenger transport industry.