Buses World News: BUSMAKERS NEWS * Sweden: Volvo's * Germany: MAN's * UK: Optare's & * Finnland

* VOLVO Buses launches the all new plug-in electric hybrid bus

Gothenburg,Sweden -Busworld -24 Sept 2014: -- The plug-in hybrid drive reduces diesel fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions by up to 75%, compared to a conventional diesel bus. Total energy consumption is reduced by 60%... The Volvo Electric Hybrid Driveline is an extension of the well-proven driveline used in the Volvo 7900 Hybrid. The difference lies in a more powerful electric motor, increased energy storage and equipment for overhead conductive opportunity charging. The bus is equipped with a 150 kW electric motor that delivers maximum torque of 1200 N•m (85 lb-ft) and is powered by a 19 kWh Li-ion battery pack as well as a 240 hp/918 N°m Volvo D5K 240, 4-cylinder, in-line Euro 6 diesel engine with common rail injection... Three Volvo Electric Hybrids have run in a field test in Gothenburg over the past year, a test that has verified the reduction in energy consumption and emissions. As of this autumn and for two years ahead, eight Volvo Electric Hybrids will be put into regular operation in central Stockholm...

* Germany - MAN CNG Buses for Paris/France and Sofia/Bugary

Munich,Germany -Busworld -26 Sept 2014: -- MAN has secured major orders for natural gas powered buses from France and Bulgaria. Paris-based RATP has purchased 103 MAN Lion’s City buses, half of which are powered by Compressed Natural Gas (CNG), and Bulgaria’s city of Sofia has acquired 126 Lion’s City buses, all CNG-powered. The buses for Sofia use 310 HP, 6-cylinder natural gas, Euro 6 engines... The MAN buses operate with exceptionally low fuel consumption and low emissions, the company claims. The natural gas drive is an alternative to the conventional diesel drive and significantly undershoots the current stringent emission standard without the need for any additional filter technology or operating media. The buses are also fitted with a four-step six-speed automatic gearbox with built-in retarder...

* UK - Optare to launch single-decker version of the MetroDecker bus

Sherburn,Elmet,North Yorkshire,UK -Busworld -29 Sept 2014: -- Optare is to develop a single-deck variant of its MetroDecker. The as yet unnamed model will be an addition to its UK range and will be available alongside the tempo full-length single-decker... The single-decker will be a derivative of the existing model and give a full low floor area. As with the development of a full-electric MetroDecker, still on target for early next year, an electric single-decker is a possibility. For the Australian market the new bus will be available at 12m, and 12.6m. The new single-decker is expected to be unveiled during 2016 and will share the MetroDecker’s driveline of a 5.1-litre Mercedes-Benz OM934 engine coupled to a six-speed ZF EcoLife gearbox...

* Finland - Linkker starts EV bus production based on Visedo drive

Busworld -27 Sept 2014: -- Finnish electric bus manufacturer Linkker Oy announced that the manufacturing on their Visedo electric drive train based bus will begin... The first test buses are expected to be on the road already by the end of this year... Even as a company Linkker is quite new the bus concept has been already proven in real operation. The basic design is based on the eBus project governed by VTT (Technical research Center of Finland) and has been already in use since 2012 in the concept bus built by Metropolia University. The eBus also took part on test organized by major bus operator where it was found to be extremely efficient by consuming below 0,7 kWh/km energy - where other buses could achieve at minimum 15% higher consumption figures. One of the reasons besides the efficient drive train for the low consumption figures is the light aluminium frame developed by another Finnish bus manufacturer Kabus Oy. The 12m bus itself is even 3 tons lighter than a standard bus...

Labels: busmakers news Sweden, hybrid electric buses