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Buses World News: November 2016
Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
1.11.16
EURO BUS EXPO 2016 * UK: November in Birmingham
* Birmingham -Euro Bus Expo 2016 opens at NEC on Nov 1; 120 vehicles on display
--- The biggest European trade event for the bus and coach industry - Euro Bus Expo 2016 is going to begin from November 1, and will continue for three days, at the NEC Birmingham... The three day show will bring together thousands of bus and coach operators, local authorities and stakeholders with 291 leading exhibitors. For 2016, there is over 10,000 sqm of vehicle space... Supported by the Confederation of Passenger Transport (CPT) trade association, the 2016 event is expected to welcome over 9,500 key industry buyers and decision makers from across Europe... (Photo: Top suppliers on board for Euro Bus Expo) -- New Delhi, India - ETAuto - October 31, 2016
THE CUTA TRANSIT SHOW * Canada: November in Vancouver
* British Columbia - Grande West to attend CUTA Vancouver Transit Show
--- Grande West Transportation Group Inc., a Canadian manufacturer of heavy-duty mid-sized transit buses for sale in Canada and the United-States, is pleased to announce it will be participating in the upcoming Canadian Urban Transit Association's ("CUTA") Transit Show...CUTA will hold its one day Transit Trade Show in Vancouver on November 8th 2016. As Canada's largest transit and bus exhibition, the show attracts senior transit system decision-makers, public officials from all levels of government, industry stakeholders as well as key technical professionals. Visitors will enjoy over 60,000 square feet of products, vehicles and services from manufacturers and suppliers from around the world at the Vancouver Convention Centre...Grande West will showcase its 30 foot Vicinity busin a premier location at the convention... (Photo: Aerial photo of Vancouver) -- Vancouver, BC, CAN - CNW/Edmonton Journal - Oct. 28, 2016
NOT "BLACK BOX" NEITHER SEAT BELTS * USA: Hence bus terrific accident
* Ohio - Other viewpoints: Update charter-bus safety rules
--- We might never know why the USA Holiday charter bus was going faster than was safe on Interstate 10 in Desert Hot Springs, Calif., early Oct. 23. The driver can’t say because he was one of the 13 people killed when the bus plowed into the back of a big rig truck. Nor was the bus equipped with a “black box” recorder that might have indicated mechanical failure... What we do know is that if the 43 passengers on the bus — all of whom were either killed or injured, some very seriously — had been wearing seat belts, the toll of deaths and injuries likely would have been lower. Officials said that the victims were hurled into the air, and their injuries were consistent with striking blunt or jagged objects. But even if the passengers had wanted to use them, seat belts weren’t available on USA Holiday’s bus. No law requires operators of such buses to provide them to passengers, though some carriers choose to do so... (Photo: Fatal tour bus crash Mukh. A tour bus and a semi-truck crashed on Interstate 10 near Desert Hot Springs) -- Columbus, OH, USA - The Columbus Dispatch - October 31, 2016
E-VEHICLE SUBSIDY FRAUD * China: By Suzhou Kinglong, e-bus maker
* Fujian - Suzhou Kinglong vows to revamp its operations in order to get back to the subsidy scheme
--- E-vehicle subsidy fraud: a crisis that could become opportunity... When a company has done something wrong, and is named and shamed by Chinese authorities, the best response is probably to accept the penalty, correct the mistakes and move on...That is exactly what Suzhou Kinglong is doing. The e-bus maker was one of those nailed last month for defrauding the government for new energy car subsidies... Last year, it applied for subsidies for more than 1,600 e-bus units that it had not finished making... For that it was asked to return about 500 million yuan (US$73.68 million) of subsidies and pay a fine equivalent to 50 percent of that amount...Also, the company won’t be eligible for future subsidies, until it has revamped its operations to the regulators’ satisfaction. But at least it gets to keep its e-vehicle production license...Suzhou Kinglong is one of China’s top e-bus makers, with a market share about 7 percent, according to Morgan Stanley... (Photo from 21st Century Business Herald: Suzhou Kinglong buses on show) -- Xiamen, Fujian, China - ejinsight - Oct 28, 2016
BYD * China - A bus factory in Hungary -- Order together with Alexander Dennis UK
* Shenzhen - Chinese busmaker begin production in Hungary
(Video by BYD Company Ltd. - Dec 30, 2015: We end our year with the unprecedented delivery of a huge pure electric bus fleet to the city of Shenzhen, making significant headway towards sustainable development, and hoping cities worldwide will follow suit)
--- The China-based electric bus and passenger vehicle manufacturer BYD will be opening a new small-scale electric bus manufacturing plant in Komarom, Hungary, according to recent reports... Production at the new facility is expected to begin in early 2017 — with initial production quantities being 200 units a year. Plans are to eventually double production to 400 units a year... While those numbers aren’t particularly aggressive (around 25,000 buses were sold in Europe in 2015), the move by BYD is an important one. The new €20 million investment into the Komarom plant is the first such investment by a China-based electric bus firm into Europe... With great potential in the European market, BYD could leverage this entry into the market at some later point for rapid growth... Shenzen, China - Clean Technica, by James Ayre (USA) - October 14th, 2016
* Hunan - BYD buses making Liverpool (UK) greener
--- Chinese automotive manufacturer BYD and British bus maker Alexander Dennis won their first order together outside of the capital when they were asked to deliver electric single-decker vehicles to Liverpool, at a time when green technology buses are becoming more popular throughout the UK... The partnership will see them deliver a fleet of emissions-free buses to work routes around Liverpool city center. The order, which was placed by Merseyside operator Arriva North West, is for 12 Enviro200 EV 12-meter buses... They will work city-center routes by day and be recharged overnight... The buses are expected to cover between 240 km and more than 300 km each day and will also power integral USB chargers fitted inside the vehicles for the use of passengers... (Photo/provided to China Daily - An artists impression of BYD's electric single-decker bus Enviro200 EV) -- Changsha, Hunan, China - China Daily, by Xu Shanshan - 28 October 2016
* Chennai -Ashok Leyland launches first indigenous all-electric bus
--- The 31-seater bus, which has a top speed of 75kph, is powered by lithium ion batteries and has a range of 120km on a single charge... Taking the lead among commercial vehicle manufacturers in India, Ashok Leyland today commercially launched the all-electric Circuit series bus which has been fully designed and engineered in India for Indian road and load conditions... The new ‘Circuit’ series of vehicles will be offered on multiple platforms... Ashok Leyland has its wholly owned subsidiary Optare which makes electric buses, the new Circuit series bus is fully indigenous. The 31-seater bus, which has a top speed of 75kph, is powered by lithium ion batteries and has a range of 120km on a single charge. The powertrain is a driveline motor coupled to a propeller shaft and differential. Depending upon the applications and customer need, Ashok Leyland can make buses up to 55-60 seats but given the cost of the battery and duty cycle, the bus will be ideal up to 50 seats... (Image - Ashok Leyland launches circuit series first electric bus made in India) -- Rajaji Saalai, Chennai, India - Autocar Professional - 17 Oct 2016
* Victoria - Autonomous vehicles without steering wheel
--- A driverless pod with no steering wheel manufactured in Coventry, England has arrived for a year long stint in Australia... The new autonomous pod was on show at the World Congress on Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS) held in Melbourne earlier this month, as part of a partnership between the Australian Driverless Vehicle Initiative (ADVI) and autonomous vehicle developer RDM Group... It is the first time RDM Group has exhibited outside of Europe and underlines its intention to expand into new territories, including the Asia-Pacific market where it is already in talks with Government and Universities on providing transport solutions... Delegates at the show explored the pod on the ADVI stand and spoke to technical experts about the technology used and its capabilities, which include a top speed of 15 mph off highway, an operational range of 60 miles and the fact it can be built in two, four, six and eight-seater variants... (Photo: The driverless pod will be making its way to ADVI Capital City Forums around Australia over the next year) -- Melbourne, VIC, Australia - ABC - 20 Oct 2016
ELECTRIC BUS FLEET * South Africa - From Chinese BYD Co.
* Cape Town - Chinese company to manufacture electric bus fleet for
--- A Chinese company has won a $9.14 million contract to supply 11 battery-powered electric buses to Cape Town, which hopes to become the first city in Africa to use electric buses for public transport.
BYD Company Ltd (it stands for Build Your Dreams, according to HTXT)is a Chinese manufacturer of automobiles and rechargeable batteries with corporate headquarters in Shenzhen, China. It has a facility in South Africa and is the parent of BYD Motors Inc. based in Los Angeles, Calif...The high cost of electric buses has been a barrier for the industry, according toPersistence Market Research. They cost about twice as much as their non-electric counterparts. But as crude oil prices fluctuate, the global electric bus market is predicted to grow 28 percent by 2020.
BRICS countries – Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa — have the largest combined public transport system, and are expected to present the most lucrative opportunities for electric vehicle penetration.By the end of 2020, China is expected to account for nearly half of the global market... (Photo: BYD electric test bus in New York City) -- Cape Town, SA - AFK Insider, by Dana Sanchez - October 25, 2016
* California - Electric buses and trucks can help clean the air and give a big economic boost to communities most in need
--- When most people think of electric vehicles, we think of cars, like Teslas, Chevy Volts and Nissan Leafs. But trucks and buses are going electric, too, and the impact on both our air and our economy could be huge...The Union of Concerned Scientists and the Greenlining Institute recently joined forces to analyze the growing electric truck and bus industry, producing the report "Delivering Opportunity: How Electric Buses and Trucks Can Create Jobs and Improve Public Health in California" ... While we focused on California, where electric buses and trucks are taking off rapidly, what we found has major implications for the whole country... You may not hear much about electric trucks and buses, but they’re here and growing. In the coming years, they can help clean the air we all breathe and give a big economic boost to communities most in need... (Photo Credit: miker / Shutterstock.com - Hybrid Electric Bus shows Minneapolis' commitment to clean, lower emissions, transportation August 15, 2009 in Minneapolis) -- San Francisco, CAL, USA - AlterNet, by Jimmy O’Dea and Joel Espino - October 26, 2016
BUS BATTERIES CHARGES * Switzerland: Only 15 seconds
* Geneve - Fast charging tech charges bus batteries in just 15 seconds
(Video from ABB - Jul 15, 2016: ABB 's revolutionary technology for the TOSA buses requires no overhead lines and offers a silent and zero-emission mass transit solution as a viable alternative to diesel buses, providing a model for future urban transportation)
--- TOSA buses – Trolleybus Optimisation Systeme Alimentation are being used in Geneva... This new line of buses has not only enhance public transport system in the region but if it is brought to India, would bring an end to traffic pollution woes... These electric buses are being developed by Geneva’s public transport operator TGP, Office of Promotion of Industries and Technologies, Geneva power Utility SIG and ABB... If adopted in India, this technology could help the country reduce 3.7 million tons of CO2 emissions... Geneva, Switzerland - Rush Lane, by Pearl Daniels - October 10, 2016
SELF DRIVING BUSES * Singapore / China: To ferry passengers in 2017
* Singapore - Buses will be next stop for self-driving trials
(Video from TomoNews US - Oct 21, 2016 - Singapore announced on Wednesday that the country will begin testing autonomous buses on the road in 2018. But these buses are expected to ferry passengers within a university in early 2017)
--- Singapore is planning to roll out self-driving buses on its roads in a few months' time, even as the world's first-ever self-driving taxi trial launched on its shores just weeks ago has been suspended...First to try out these driverless buses are the staff and students of Nanyang Technological University (NTU). In the first half of 2017, up to 15 of them will be able to ride in one of these two 12-metre long hybrid self-driving buses, which are expected to pick up passengers within the NTU campus. The trial will then expand to about 40 passengers... Singapore, China - The Business Times, by Soon Weilun - OCT 20, 2016
* West Michigan - How autonomous vehicles fit into future public transit in
--- Peter Varga imagines a not-so-distant future in which driverless vehicles expand the possibilities of public transit in West Michigan... The Rapid CEO's vision is of a world with less downtown traffic and parking congestion, and more people having access to bus services... And if recent conversations among community leaders are any indication, those autonomous vehicles could provide public transit solutions sooner than once thought... Ruth Rocky doesn't have a vehicle and that's the way she prefers it. Rather than spend money on a car, gas and insurance, the 65-year-old Grand Rapids resident spends a fraction to take the bus... But asked about a future with autonomous public transit, Rocky said she'll pass. In her experience, having a human driver has proven helpful for more than simply getting from point A to point B... While a handful of riders shared concerns about the safety, accountability and loss of jobs tied to autonomous vehicles joining the public transit conversation, others were optimistic... (MLive photo, by Neil Blake - Bus routes are shown in colors at Rapid Central Station in Grand Rapids on Monday, May 23, 2016) -- Grand Rapids, MICH, USA - MLive.com, by Justin P. Hicks - October 06, 2016
* Alberta - Union argues Edmonton bus blind spot could hide 19 pedestrians
(Video from stpatuorg - Aug 25, 2016: Roughly one pedestrian per week is killed by a transit bus in the United States. Buses have huge left hand mirrors, mounted in critical sight lines, that needlessly block the driver's vision and cause fatal pedestrian accidents. In fact, from the point of view of the bus driver, up to 13 pedestrians may be hidden behind the massive "A" pillar and left side mirror at any given time. The cost of eliminating the blind spot is under $300 per bus)
--- Transit union officials say an unnecessary, massive blind spot on Edmonton's New Flyer buses was likely to blame in Tuesday's fatal pedestrian accident and are urging officials to retrofit the vehicles with a better mirror... A veteran driver with a clear safety record was trying to make a left turn in full daylight Tuesday, say union officials. The bus struck and killed an 83-year-old woman in a marked crosswalk... The issue is across North America.European buses have thin corner pillars and mirrors raised above the driver's field of view. Drivers can clearly see pedestrians... North American buses have a large mirror attached to a pillar made thick with Fiberglas and an extra rubber seal holding in the window...In Edmonton, that blind spot measures 35 centimetres from the window to the edge of the mirror .. If a bus is sitting in traffic waiting to turn left, 19 people could stand side by side on the far side of the street and disappear from the driver's view, said Brian Sherlock, safety specialist with Amalgamated Transit Union International.He spent the last three years lobbying New Flyer and other bus manufacturers to change their design... Edmonton, ALB, CAN - Edmonton Herald, by ELISE STOLTE - OCTOBER 07, 2016
--- Bus Show attendees travelled from all over the country, and from New Zealand, to get the biggest industry updates of 2016... The 2016 Australian Bus and Coach Show had a special twist to it this year, as it coincided with the Bus Association of New South Wales’ (BusNSW) 75th anniversary... The Dome at Sydney Olympic Park became a transport industry hub as it was filled with dozens of buses from manufacturers from across the globe... A few newcomers to the Australian market, such as the MAN-Gemilang A95 and the already popular-in-Japan Hino Poncho, made good impressions on industry professionals and interested visitors alike... Also in the realm of the new-and-shiny was (almost) the entire Volvo display stand, spruiking the latest Swedish inventions... (Photography by: Chris Thompson) -- Sydney, NSW, Australia - ABC, by Chris Thompson - 7 Oct 2016
