Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
CEASE INTERSTATE BUS SERVICE * USA
* Kansas-based party bus service ordered to shut down after fatality
(Photo)
Olathe,KS,USA -Land Line, by Greg Grisolano -4 June 2013: -- A party bus service has been declared an imminent hazard by federal regulators after a compliance review found the company was operating “an unauthorized and unsafe commercial transportation service ” ... Midnight Express LLC, of Olathe, KS, and its owners – Adam Breidenthal, Derrick Hansroth and Edward Goetz have been ordered to cease operating all passenger-carrying commercial vehicle operations, according to a release issued Tuesday, June 4, by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... The compliance review was initiated following a May 4 incident in which a passenger, 26-year-old Jamie Frecks, fell out of the back emergency exit in Kansas City and was killed when several vehicles ran her over. A subsequent inspection of the vehicle by the Kansas Highway Patrol found that realigned seating modifications made to the vehicle resulted in all four emergency exit windows being blocked. Inspectors found that the rear emergency exit window was also blocked and that the release mechanism was inoperable. Inspectors found serious deficiencies with the vehicle’s brakes and discovered engine exhaust leaks beneath the passenger compartment... Based on findings by the Kansas Highway Patrol inspectors, the FMCSA launched a federal investigation, during which FMCSA investigators found that the Midnight Express owners failed to ensure that their drivers were qualified and had complied with federal hours-of-service regulations. Drivers were not subjected to random drug and alcohol tests as required by federal regulations. In addition, Midnight Express owners failed to obtain USDOT passenger carrier operating authority and failed to carry $5 million in liability insurance, which is federally required for all commercial passenger carriers...
* South Carolina - FMCSA's 'Operation Quick Strike' shuts down another passenger carrier
(Photo: Destiny Tour Bus)
Lake City,SC,USA -Land Line, by Greg Grisolano -4 June 2013: -- A South Carolina passenger carrier has been ordered to cease operations immediately after federal regulators declared its vehicle and drivers pose an imminent hazard to public safety... Destiny Tours, of Lake City, SC, and its owner, Cornelius Scott, are named in an imminent hazard order issued Monday by the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... FMCSA investigators launched an inquiry into Destiny Tours on May 6... According to the investigation, the company falsified an inspection document and failed to regularly inspect, repair or maintain its single motor coach as required by federal safety regulations. No evidence was found that showed that the vehicle’s emergency exits, including push-out windows, had ever been tested... In addition, investigators found that the owners of Destiny Tours failed to monitor and ensure that their drivers complied with controlled substances and alcohol use and testing regulations. Drivers were employed before receiving negative pre-employment drug and alcohol test results as required by federal law. Drivers were not required by the company to turn in hours-of-service records or other required documentation such as driving itineraries and fuel receipts...
* Mississippi - Limo company ordered to cease passenger service
Oxford,MISS,USA -Land Line -30 May 2013: -- Mississippi-based Carbo Limo has been ordered to cease interstate passenger service, according to a release from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... An FMCSA investigation of the Oxford, MS, limo service found that the company’s two motor coaches used for interstate operations were unsafe and that drivers “were not properly screened or monitored by the company to ensure compliance with federal safety regulations”, the release stated... Carbo Limo is a for-hire passenger carrier consisting of 10 passenger vans/minibuses and one stretch limousine used for its intrastate operations, principally shuttle service in and around Oxford. The company also operates two large motor coaches to provide interstate passenger service, over which FMCSA has authority. The action announced by FMCSA revokes Carbo Limo’s federal operating authority to conduct for-hire, interstate transportation of passengers only...Labels: shut down services
BUS SERVICES SHUT DOWN * USA
* Georgia - FMCSA shuts down Atlanta-based limousine
(Photo: Jeff Greene just took delivery of two luxury executive vans, like the pictured one)
Atlanta,GA,USA -Land Line, by Charlie Morasch -21 May 2013: -- Since launching in early April, the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration’s “Motorcoach Operation Quick Strike” has continued to proactively investigate and place commercial vehicle companies out of service when buses have serious safety issues... On Friday, FMCSA filed an immediate out-of-service order for Atlanta-based Greene Classic Limousines after it said the company’s buses had “such significant structural and mechanical defects” that it was an imminent hazard to public safety... FMCSA investigators found five of the company’s buses had a control arm that had detached from the bus’s rear axle, as indicated in the order. The buses were typically 3,400 pounds over the vehicle’s gross weight limit of 19,000 pounds, the order reads...
* Illinois - FMCSA declares tour bus company imminent hazard
Champaign,ILL,USA -Land Line, by Greg Grisolano -16 May 2013: -- An Illinois tour bus company has been ordered out of service for being an imminent hazard to public safety, according to a Thursday news release from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration... Illini Tours Inc. of Champaign, IL, is a passenger carrier tour and charter service that operates five motor-coaches with services in Illinois and neighboring states. The order names the company and its president, Robert L. Frazier... Among the findings of a March 2013 compliance review were charges that the tour company “does not have systematic vehicle inspection, repair, and maintenance programs in place to prevent the operation of unsafe motor coaches” according to the order...Labels: shut down services
ELECTRIC BUS TEST * Finland
* Finland - Ebusco tested by Veolia in
Espoo,Finland -Busworld (Belgium) -29 April 2013: -- Ebusco, the Dutch manufacturer of electric buses, had a prototype of its full electric bus on a test ride in the Finish city of Espoo during the last week of March. The results of this test are very promising, according to both parties involved. Since the presentation of the Ebusco 100% electric bus in Eindhoven last year and later on in Hannover during the IAA, things turn out to be booming... The mission of Ebusco is to promote and sell 100% electric buses and drive systems for electric buses and all related auxiliary systems for electric buses. For this, Ebusco signed an agreement with Yintong Power from China... Ebusco can supply all key components and key systems to build a 100% electric bus or convert present diesel buses to full electric buses. It supplies electric components, sub systems and auxiliaries for buses and any other type of electric vehicle, like electric motors, motor controllers, battery packages, auxiliaries and on board-, single- and multiple chargers up to charge stations for 32 buses. These components have proven to be reliable and efficient in hundreds of buses during normal daily operation travelling approx. 325 km per day for more than two years...Labels: bus trips, electric buses
FROM FREIBURG TO TIERRA DEL FUEGO in BUS * Germany
* Baden-Württemberg - SETRA S 515 HD Comfort Class travelling from Freiburg to Tierra del Fuego in nine months
(Picture: The SETRA S 515 HD Comfort Class)
Freiburg,Germany -Busworld (Belgium) -15 April 2013: -- With a Setra S 515 HD from the new ComfortClass 500, the Freiburg-based touring company "Avanti Reisen" has embarked on the longest coach tour ever undertaken. Numerous family members of the world travellers, media representatives and onlookers were present when the coach departed from the Freiburg concert hall in Konrad-Adenauer Square on 8 April... The spectacular journey began just after 8 a.m., and will first take the passengers of the luxuriously equipped touring coach from the sixth Setra generation along the Silk Road, then down the Panamericana from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego. The S 515 HD is expected to arrive in Ushuaia, the world's southernmost town, on 22 December...
(Picture: The new Setra Premium Lounge)
During this 52,000-kilometre journey the vehicle and its passengers will encounter rough roads, long highway stretches and a mixture of cold and hot climates... The 12.3-metre long two-axle coach with a 5-star classification is equipped with 40 leather touring seats, giving the passengers generous legroom...Labels: bus trips
THE NEW "Sprinter" FROM MERCEDES BENZ * Germany
* Baden-Württemberg - Mercedes-Benz launches new Sprinter
(Picture: A Sprinter Minibus)
Stuttgart,Germany -Busworld (Belgium) -5 May 2013: -- Mercedes-Benz has launched the Euro 6 version of its Sprinter minibus, which will become available in September of this year, produced for the European market. In other emission versions it is available globally... The Sprinter’s character as an increasingly global vehicle is also reflected in its production locations. In addition to rolling off the line in Düsseldorf and Ludwigsfelde, Germany, the van is produced in Charleston, South Carolina, González Catan, Argentina, and Fuzhou, China. In order to penetrate Russia’s dynamic mass market, an additional production of the Sprinter Classic at a plant operated by the Russian manufacturer GAZ in Nizhny Novgorod is currently being prepared...
* China - Daimler Van joint venture Fujian Benz Automotive Corp, opens new product development center in
(Picture: Fujian Benz currently produces the Mercedes W639 front)
Qingkou,Fúzhōu,China -Busworld (Belgium) -13 April 2013: -- After only two years of construction, Fujian Benz Automotive Corporation’s new product development center was officially opened in April 2013 in Fuzhou... The new product development center is the first such facility of Mercedes-Benz Vans outside Germany... The center focuses on Mercedes-Benz van models that are manufactured and sold in China: the Sprinter, the Vito, and the Viano. A total of RMB 500 million (approx. €60 million) was invested in the new center... One part of the new product development center is concentrated at the Fujian Benz production plant in Qinkou. The overall vehicle development department is located on approximately 11,000 square meters of built-up area. The department is responsible for product development and prototype construction as well as component and complete-vehicle testing... Fujian Benz Automotive Corporation was established in Fuzhou in October 2007. It is a joint venture between Daimler AG, Fujian Motor Industry Group Company (FJMG), and the Taiwan-based China Motors Corp (CMC). The Vito and Viano models are manufactured at the Fuzhou plant, where a bus version of the Sprinter also went into production in October 2011. In China, the vehicles from Mercedes-Benz Vans are currently serving the markets for high-end passenger transport operations and exclusive shuttle services...
* Brazil - Volvo buses sells 310 coaches to JCA Group
(Picture: Volvo bus B340R 4X2 Rodoviário)
Curitiba,Parana,Brazil-Busworld (Belgium) -12 April 2013: -- Volvo Buses has sold 310 coach chassis to the JCA Group, one of Brazil's largest passenger transport companies. This is the biggest deal closed to date in Brazil by Volvo in the coach chassis segment... The buses, which will be delivered in May, are all the B340R model, version 4x2, with 340 hp. The coach bodies will be built by Marcopolo... The B340R is factory equipped with the intelligent ABS/EBS brake system, which increases braking performance and prevents the vehicle from skidding, and with the Volvo 390 hp engine brake, which ensures increased safety on downhill stretches. Another differential of this vehicle is the renowned I-Shift gearbox, which reduces fuel consumption by up to 5 percent, as well as driving vehicle safety... The JCA Group’s vehicles are also equipped with ESP (Electronic Stability Program), a modern active safety system that contributes to preventing the risk of tipping over or skidding on curves...
* Canada - Nova Bus signs contract with Chicago
Saint-Eustache,Quebec,CAN -Busworld (Belgium) -3 May 2013: -- Canadian bus manufacturer Nova Bus, part of Volvo Bus, has signed a major contract worth $148 million for 300 diesel buses with the Chicago Transit Authority... Final assembly of the buses will be done in Plattsburgh, USA, to satisfy buy-in-America clauses in procurement contracts from public U.S. agencies. Last October, Nova Bus signed a $143-million contract with Toronto for 153 articulated buses whose deliveries are starting this year...
* Germany - Nine Citaro Euro VI buses delivered to BLT Baselland
Stutgart,Germany -Busworld (Belgium) -16 April 2013: -- BLT Baselland Transport AG in Switzerland recently took delivery of nine Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses meeting the requirements of the future Euro VI emissions standard. These are the first standard-production regular-service solo buses featuring this clean technology to go into service with BLT in Switzerland... An optimised combustion process and a sophisticated emission control system reduce particulate emissions to just three percent of the level specified by Euro I twenty years ago, while nitrogen oxide emissions have been cut to five percent... In addition to new engines and an extensive emission control system, the Citaro also features a new outer shell... They even offer lower fuel consumption – and therefore lower CO2 emissions – than originally expected. Mercedes-Benz has implemented a number of measures to compensate for the additional weight of the Euro VI components, including a lightweight fibreglass-reinforced-plastic (FRP) roof and a weight-optimised rear axle...
* Germany - First Mercedes-Benz Citaros delivered in Budapest
(Picture: Mercedes-Benz Citaro buses on Budapest streets)
Stuttgart,Germany -Busworld (Belgium) -4 May 2013: -- These Citaros are the first vehicles to be delivered from the major contract signed with the Budapest City Authorities last November for the acquisition of a total of 159 Mercedes-Benz Citaros... The complete order consists of over 80 articulated units and 79 solo vehicles of the new Citaro generation... Thanks to Mercedes-Benz BlueTec diesel technology, both the articulated and the solo units comply with the environmentally-friendly EEV exhaust gas standard... The new Citaro was manufactured in both the Mannheim bus production facilities and the factory in Neu-Ulm...
* UK - Stagecoach launches Anglo-Scots sleeper coaches made by Van Hool
(Picture by Jamie Vendy:
Stagecoach "Megabus Gold" Van Hool Astromega 50301 SF13 FMC -front view)
Perth,Scotland,UK -Busworld (Belgium) -24 April 2013: -- Stagecoach has launched an extensive network of overnight sleeper coach routes between Scotland and London, using a fleet of ten specially-designed vehicles costing £500,000 each... The first of the new coaches, which were designed and made by Belgian company Van Hool, will replace vehicles on an overnight route Stagecoach runs between Glasgow and London...
The vehicles have 53 seats that convert into 42 beds, and customers will get free refreshments during their journey, a sleeper kit including an eye mask, a toothbrush and toothpaste. They offer the possibility to go to sleep in one city and wake up in another without having to pay extra for a hotel room...
* Belgium - Van Hool presents first “Exqui.City Design Geneva” for TPG
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Koningshooikt, Belgium -Busworld -14 April 2013: -- Belgian bus and coach manufacturer Van Hool is preparing the first example of the new Exqui.City in the specific design for the Geneva haulier TPG. It is an 18-metre, articulated trolley version of the Exqui.City, of which the company responsible for public transport in the canton of Geneva, Transports Publics Genevois (TPG), has ordered 33... The Exqui.City design Geneva is the result of close collaboration between TPG and Van Hool... This new type of vehicle has a multi propulsion platform and this platform means that the Exqui.City, both the 18 m and the 24 m design, can be configured in various, environmentally-friendly versions such as a trolley, hybrid systems (diesel-electric and CNG-electric), fuel cell hybrid or full electric bus... A low floor and the four double doors guarantee optimal accessibility...
* UK - Plaxton launches new Panther variant
(Picture: A Plaxton 7 Elite bus)
Scarborough,EN,UK -Busworld (Belgium) -26 April 2013: -- The UK manufacturer Plaxton, part of the Alexander Dennis Group, unveiled a new Panther variant at the UK Coach Rally 2013... With just 10.8m in length, the vehicle can accomodate up to 45 passengers and can be featured with all of the options available from Panther. It will be based on the established Volvo B9R underframe with Volvo’s 380bhp 9-litre engine and I-Shift transmission...The new model is a development of the market-leading Panther range with the company’s proven and durable stainless-steel frame... Plaxton offers a comprehensive range of coaches from the 29-seat Cheetah through a choice of two- and three-axle, Panther and Elite models in lengths of up to 15m. The biggest coach is the recently-launched Elite i, a 15m interdeck coach with up to 75 seats, believed to be the largest coach ever built in the UK...
* Turkey - 490 BredaMenarini CNG buses for Istanbul
(Picture: A BredaMenarini's VivaCity bus)
Akçalar,Nilüfer,Bursa,Turkey -Busworld (Belgium) -6 April 2013: -- The Turkish vehicle manufacturer Karsan, who produces among others the BredaMenarini buses under licence, last year received an order to deliver 490 buses to the Istanbul public transport operator IETT (Istanbul Electricity Tramway and Tunnel General Management), include the supply of spare parts and diagnostic kits, a five years full maintenance service and the construction of natural gas refuelling stations.
According to these contracts, the 490 buses will be delivered in batches – a first batch of 140 vehicles were delivered between January and February of this year. The models ordered by IETT are the 12-metre Avancity+ L with CNG engine and the articulated 18-metre Avancity+ S... Both feature EEV engines, full length low floor, air conditioning system, wheelchair area and boarding ramp... The 12-metre vehicle has a capacity of 88 passengers whilst the articulated model transports up to 156 travellers. The buses are entirely manufactured in the Karsan plant in Bursa. The engines were sypplied by Mercedes-Benz and MAN...
* Slovenia - Production relaunched at TAM Maribor
(Picture from STA: A TAM Durabus model)
Maribor,Slovenia -Busworld (Belgium) -30 April 2013: -- TAM, the once-famed Maribor producer of buses and lorries, rose from the ashes on the 27th of April 2013 as production was officially relaunched at the company with the help of Chinese investor CHTC and Dutch company DuraBus... The former giant, which shared the fate of the majority of the industry in Maribor following the loss of Yugoslav markets, went into receivership as TVM in 2011, but is now being revived as TAM DuraBus, 51% Chinese-owned and 49% Dutch-Austrian... TAM DuraBus expects to have around 200 workers once production reaches full steam, with the eventual yearly output set at 300 buses and 100 lorries. The plan for this year - 65 workers have been employed so far - is the production of 50 to 60 buses... Labels: busmakers news worldwide
TECHNOLOGIES for BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* Northern Ireland - Wrishtbus ploughs £15M into low carbon R and D
(Picture: Wrightbus Hybrid city bus)
Galgorm,Ballymena,NI -Busworld (Belgium) -8 May 2013: -- Wrightbus is investing £15m in low carbon R and D with £3.9m of support from Invest N.I.... The company will undertake two research and development and one training project: The first involves the development of a range of low carbon and lightweight vehicles, while the second aims to develop an electric zero emissions vehicle... The manufacturer will also invest in a staff training project, focusing on management and leadership development as well as the implementation of a new operator training programme and lean manufacturing programme... Wright Group managing director, Mark Nodder, said the company aimed through the investment to establish Wrightbus as a leading global provider of mass passenger transport with green credentials...
* USA - IONOVA Technologies says ZIP-CAP ultracapacitors can offer 5X increase in energy dessity
Frederick,MD,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -28 March 2013: -- Ionova Technologies, Inc. reports that its zinc-ion-based ZIP-Cap asymmetric ultracapacitor is expected to provide a 25-fold reduction in build cost and a 5-fold increase in energy density (up to 35Wh/L) without the ultra-pure materials or expensive “dry-room” facilities that are necessary to build today’s ultracapacitors... Asymmetric ultracapacitors achieve greater energy density versus today’s Electric Double Layer Capacitors (EDLCs) by combining one activated carbon EDLC ion-adsorption electrode with one ion-insertion (battery-like) electrode. ZIP-Cap is based on Ionova’s metal/ion pseudo-capacitor (MIP-Cap) architecture and 3-D Nanofilm technology developed under research programs with the US Department of Energy, NASA and the Naval Research Lab... Ionova sees the ZIP-Cap as enabling to traction uses in 12V start-stop hybrid (in versions above 35Wh/L) and high-power 400V HEV applications, in power distribution for automotive, aerospace and computing applications, and in a number of roles in renewable/grid applications...
* Brazil - Marcopolo selects Ixonos IVI Connect infotainment solution for its coaches
(Picture:
Ixonos', ‘IVI Connect’ ~ MirrorLink capable cloud connected platform)
Caxias do Sul,RGdS,Brazil -Busworld (Belgium) -7 April 2013: -- Ixonos of Finland has signed a contract to deliver the user experience design and software for Marcopolo’s next generation infotainment solution for its future luxury coaches. The infotainment system utilizes Ixonos IVI Connect solution, which integrates in-vehicle infotainment systems with mobile devices and cloud. Ixonos also designs the human-machine-interface (HMI) and user experience for both driver and the passengers. The system will be implemented in mass production by Marcopolo in due time... Marcopolo is a Brazilian bus and coach body manufacturer and is positioned among the biggest manufacturers in the world. It has an active presence in more than a hundred countries in five continents, with more than 18.000 employees globally...Labels: technonews
FUEL CELL BUSES / HYDROGEN FILLING STATIONS * WORLDWIDE
* Japan - Fuel-cell vehicles key to energy self-sufficiency
Tokyo,Japan -Busworld (Belgium)/The Nikkei Journal -29 March 2013: -- Trial runs at three new hydrogen filling stations will kick off this spring in Japan, contributing to speculation over whether fuel-cell vehicles will play a role in the nation's efforts to become self-sufficient in energy production ... JX Nippon Oil and Energy Corp. will open two of three new hydrogen filling stations for fuel-cell vehicles, including one in Nagoya, Aichi Prefecture... JX Nippon runs about 40% of roughly 37,000 gas stations throughout Japan. With the two new trial stations, JX Nippon will operate five of 19 such facilities in Japan... Hydrogen can be made from liquefied natural gas and obtained via industrial processes such as the refining of petroleum and the production of steel. Oil refineries produce massive amounts of hydrogen to remove sulfur while producing gasoline and other petroleum products... As refineries reduce production, oil companies will no longer need to use hydrogen to remove sulfur from petroleum products. This will create a surplus supply of hydrogen, which can then be used to power fuel-cell vehicles...
* USA - California issues roadmap for fuelcell electric buses
Los Angeles,CAL,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -8 April 2013: -- Fuel cell electric buses are quickly progressing towards commercialization. With more than 80 on the road around the world, FCEBs are approaching transit agency expectations for technical performance as well as availability and fuel cell durability. Targets for performance, cost and durability, however, were not established until recently... Two fuel cell electric bus programs are at this moment active in California at AC Transit (SF Bay area) and SunLine Transit (Coachella Valley). Burbank will also begin operating a fuel cell electric bus. The stations that fill these buses also provide fuel for hydrogen-powered passenger fuel cell electric vehicles...Labels: Fuel Cell Buses, hydrogen stations
CNG BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* Australia - Bus fires threaten CNG bus fleet in Perth
(Picture by Damien Kelly/Twitter - The Transperth bus bursts into flames on around 6.20am)
Perth,WA,Australia -Busworld (Belgium) -31 March 2013: -- The Australian city of Perth may have its fleet of gas-fuelled buses to be taken off the road if unexplained fires continue to threaten safety. The warning from the Public Transport Authority comes after a Mercedes-Benz bus caught fire and was badly damaged as it was about to be refuelled at the Welshpool depot on Sunday night... The bus is one of more than 500 in the Transperth fleet fuelled by compressed natural gas. It was the third major fire on a gas-fuelled bus in the past four months - with a total damage bill of about $1.5 million - and one of at least 14 fires in the past five years, according to an article in a local newspaper... The PTA will increase the number of nozzles, from seven to eleven, that dispense the fire suppression fog...
* Mexico - CNG bus fleet and filling station for Mexican state of Jalisco
(Picture: New CNG buses)
Guadalajara,Jalisco,MEX -Busworld (Belgium) -20 April 2013: -- The Mexican State of Jalisco recently opened a new Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) filling station, to service the State’s first fleet of CNG buses. The vehicles acquired are fifty Dina-manufactured model Linner G public transport units, which began operations between El Salto and Guadalajara. The local government claims the buses will reduce air pollution by 90% and save 50% of the cost of fuel, in comparison with diesel-engined buses.
Purchased by Autotransportes Guadalajara El Salto, the Dina buses are powered by Cummins Westport ISL G engines with a power of 250 HP at 2200 revs. Each bus has four Type III carbon fiber-on-aluminum compressed natural gas fuel cylinders from Luxfer. The range per filling is a reported 900 kilometers, or 560 miles...Labels: CNG buses
HYBRID BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* USA - Verizon introduces 'MAGIC' Buses to reduce carbon footprint
New York,NY,USA -Busworld (Belgium) -2 MAY 2013: -- To help reduce traffic congestion and carbon dioxide emissions in New York City, and better serve customers, public utility company Verizon has rolled out a fleet of 25 buses that will pick up company technicians at central locations throughout the city and then transport them to local job sites.
The fleet - known as MAGIC, which stands for Mobile Area Garage Installation Center - removes approximately 250 Verizon trucks from the city's roads and frees up the same number of parking spots. The MAGIC buses, each of which can hold up to 12 technicians, do not need to be parked on city streets - unlike Verizon's traditional work vehicles, which technicians drive from job location to job location and park at each one while they are at work... The MAGIC fleet will thus help ease traffic congestion, since roughly 30 percent of city traffic is caused by drivers searching for parking spots, according to the "2012 Emerging Trends in Parking report" by the International Parking Institute... The more fuel-efficient MAGIC fleet program will save the company more than 70,000 gallons of gasoline yearly. The MAGIC fleet will also reduce CO2 by more than 645 metric tons, which is equivalent to the weight of 200 passenger vehicles...
* China - Hengtong plug-in hybrid city buses to be delivered to Deyang
(Picture: Hengtong CKZ6116HNHEVA4 plug-in hybrid city buses)
Deyang,Sichuan,China -Busworld (Belgium) -28 April 2013: -- Recently, 20 Hengtong hybrid city buses rolled off the production line for delivery to the city of Deyang. The Hengtong hybrid city buses are using an advanced 10-minute fast-charging technology... Hengtong uses durable lithium titanate batteries with over 15000 charging cycles, the service life being 6-8 years. The rest of the hybrid driveline consists of a Yuchai Euro IV CNG engine and an Eaton AMT automatic transmission.
The Deyang Public Transport Company has a fleet 365 city buses, of which over 50% are from Hengtong. The new 20 plug-in hybrid city buses will be used in the central urban zone...Labels: hybrid buses fleet
ENGINE MAKERS * WORLDWIDE
* Sweden - Chalmers team developing new high-power integrated motor and battery charger
Göteborg,Sweden-Busworld (Belgium) -7 May 2013: -- Researchers at Chalmers University of Technology in Sweden have developed a new type of high-power integrated motor drive and battery charger for electric vehicles. Compared to today’s electric vehicle chargers, the new system could shorten the charging time from eight to two hours, and to reduce the cost by around $2,000, according to the developers... Dr. Saeid Haghbin at Chalmers proposed the system which uses the components in the traction circuit—such as the electric motor and the inverter—in the charger circuit to reduce the size, weight and price of the on-board charger. In essence, the proposed system uses the motor as a grid-connected generator with extra terminals... Chalmers is trying to find a potential industrial user, and Volvo AB is working on the concept for further enhancement to be used in its systems...
* UK - Vocis launching demo EV with 2nd generation multi-speed transmission
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Lighthorne,Warwick,UK -Busworld (Belgium) -6 May 2013: -- UK-based transmission engineering and control specialist Vocis will launch an electric demonstrator vehicle fitted with the second generation of its multi-speed eDCT transmission for electric vehicles...
The demonstration vehicle, a Mercedes-Benz Vito minibus, will be made available for evaluation by interested parties from industry and the press... The 4-speed dual-motor Vocis eDCT concept uses the principles of dual clutch transmissions (DCTs) to provide seamless shifting and up to 15% improvement in electric vehicle efficiency over the combined European cycle compared to a single speed gearbox Vocis transmission. The second-generation unit has been developed with partial funding from the Niche Vehicle Network and was shortlisted for an SMMT Automotive Innovation award in 2012...Labels: engine makers
ELECTRIC BUSES * WORLDWIDE
* Colombia - BYD delivering electric buses to Bogota
(Picture: BYD K9 model bus)
Bogota,Colombia -Busworld (Belgium) -17 April 2013: -- BYD Company Ltd. of China and Express del Futuro of Bogota, Colombia unveiled plans for an electric bus fleet in Bogota, Colombia. BYD’s K9 all electric buses will be in service in the Columbian capital by the second quarter of 2013, according to a statement from the two companies... Express, which pioneered the TransMilenio transportation system in Bogota, will be the first to test zero-emissions, all-electric buses in fleet service in South America...
* The Netherlands - Launch all-electric bus service
(Picture: BYD’s unique Electric Bus model)
Schiermonnikoog,Friesland,Netherlands,Holland -Busworld (Belgium) -27 April 2013: -- The Chinese battery-electric bus manufacturer BYD officially delivered 6 electric buses today in a ceremony at the island home of city of Schiermonnikoog, and the Netherlands’ first National Park in the province of Friesland, Netherlands. The six vehicles will be operated by Arriva and were awarded last June 2012 in Europe’s first publically tendered order for electric-powered full size buses and are planned to provide visitors and residents with an environmentally-friendly public transport system for the next 15 years...BYD’s unique Electric Bus model is a full-size, 12-meter transit bus powered entirely by the company’s advanced Iron Phosphate batteries...
* Austria - Vienna to switch two buslines fully to electric service
(Picture: Siemens/Rampini bus', in service by “Wiener Linien”)
Vienna,Austria -Busworld (Belgium) -25 April 2013: -- A couple of months ago a first electric bus (eBus) for the Austrian capital city of Vienna, supplied by Siemens and the Italian bus manufacturer Rampini, has been brought into service by “Wiener Linien”, the municipal public transit company. This vehicle was the first of twelve with which the Vienna public transportation company intends to switch two of the city’s bus services completely to electric power by the summer of 2013... The entire energy requirement is stored in the onboard battery system. The batteries also supply the heating and air-conditioning systems. The main advantages over diesel and gas-powered buses lie in the energy demand, which is around 25 percent less, lower maintenance costs, and completely emissionsfree operation... The batteries can be recharged within 15 minutes, and provide a range of between 120 to 150 kilometers. The energy regained from braking is regenerated through the three-phase motors, and fed back into the lithium ferrite batteries. At night, the batteries are recharged slowly with 15 kilowatts in the bus depot...Labels: busmakers news worldwide, electric buses
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