Buses World News
In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry
BUSMAKERS NEWS * USA
* Michigan - Ford E-450 completes propane testing
(Photo: Altoona Testing of the propane autogas Ford E-450)
Livonia,MI,USA -Fleet Owner -Jun. 19, 2012: -- Roush CleanTech announced it has completed Federal Transit Administration’s (FTA) New Model Bus Testing Program, also known as Altoona Testing, on a Ford E-450 vehicle fueled by propane autogas. The completion of the testing program opens the door for municipalities to deploy E-450 vehicles operating on propane autogas with the help of FTA funding to offset some of the conversion costs... Flint Mass Transit Authority (MTA), which operates two ROUSH CleanTech propane autogas buses and plans to add 60 more vehicles to its fleet by 2013... FTA’s Altoona Testing, named for the primary test facility location, rates new transit bus models on safety, structural integrity and durability, reliability, performance, maintainability, noise and fuel economy...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE
* Canada - N.Y. / USA deal fuels busmaker's hopes
Winnipeg,Manitoba,Canada -The Winnipeg Free Press -24 Aug 2010: -- New Flyer Industries Inc. is hopeful a US$216-million contract to build buses for New York City's transit system could lead to hundreds more bus orders... The contract will see New Flyer of America Inc., build 135 compressed natural gas heavy-duty transit buses for the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority, with options for up to 340 more... New Flyer's chief financial officer, Glenn Asham, said the company doesn't expect its weekly production rate to increase as a result of the initial order... New Flyer plans to deliver two pilot buses to New York in the second quarter of 2011, with the balance of the initial order to be delivered in late 2011 and early 2012... The New York Metropolitan Transit Authority is the largest transit agency in North America. Since 1996, New Flyer has delivered 823 buses to the agency... (Photo by JANEK LOWE/WINNIPEG FREE PRESS ARCHIVES: New Flyer will build buses for New York)
* Iran - Buses Will Go to Sudan 
Teheran,Iran -Zawya -24 August 2010: -- Sudan's state of Khartoum secured a deal with an Iranian company to buy 250 buses... The air conditioned buses are reportedly licensed by Mercedes Benz and can fit in 59 passengers. The accord with Iran Khodro buses also included 50 ambulances. It was not immediately clear what the value of the deal is... Iran has been seeking to bolster ties with the African countries, especially since President Ahmadinejad ascended to power in 2005.. (Photo from acesanat: ICKODIZEL)Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS NEWS * WORLDWIDE
* USA - Industry Beginning to Receive First EGR, SCR Diesel Engines
Fort Valley,GA,USA -School Transportation News, by Ryan Gray -10 May 2010: ... Blue Bird announced that its "Blue Bird Demo Bus Campaign" began last month and that more than 100 new school buses were on the way to customers this spring and early summer. The company chose Cummins to supply the diesel engines that utilize Selective Catalyst Reduction, or SCR, to perform after treatment of NOx to meet the EPA emissions requirements... Thomas Built Buses is also using Cummins SCR for 2010. Nelson's Bus Service in Whitewater, Wis., southwest of Milwaukee, has been testing SCR in Saf-T-Liner C2 conventional school buses since February. In all, Daimler Trucks North America said orders had been taken on about 1,500 SCR Thomas school buses... Meanwhile, IC Bus announced that 28 buses with Navistar MaxxForce Advanced Exhaust Gas Recirculation, or EGR, diesel engines werealready purchased by Waters Transportation in Columbus, Miss., and are currently being used... (Photo from schoolbus.lunarpages: School Vision Overview)* USA - Bus Recalls - Thomas Built Buses HDX, 2009-2010 models
Washington,DC,USA -NHTSA (PR) -14 May 2010: -- The 30th. April 2010, the NATIONAL HIGHWAY TRAFFIC SAFETY ADMINISTRATION repported that Daimler Trucks North America must to recall certain shool buses manufactured on Nov. 15, 2007 through June 15, 2009... Cause: The heater coolant flow valve actuator O-Ring may allow coolant leakage into the heater core compartment and the actuator PC Board Area, potentially causing the actuator to overheat and/or melt... Consequence: An overheated and/or melted may result in a vehicle fire... The Potential Number of Units Affected: 1515... DTNA it's notifing owners, and repairs Thomas Built shool vehicles' free of charge...
* Germany - ZF technology in buses and coaches. Safe and comfortable on the road
Friedrichshafen,Germany -ZF PR -14 May 2010: -- People who place their trust in buses and coaches have a right to expect maximum safety and comfort. To achieve this, the driveline, chassis and steering systems must be of the highest quality and perfectly matched for compatibility. This is what makes buses and coaches one of the safest and most comfortable means of transport. ZF sets standards in this field... Buses are as comfortable for travelers as they are practical for city dwellers. To compete with other modes of transportation, vehicle manufacturers, bus companies and transit authorities focus on exclusivity, comfort, safety and environmental sustainability. For over 20 years, ZF transmissions make more economical driving and resource conservation possible – in big-city traffic as well as on long-distance intercity routes...* Sweden - Major environmental benefits from Göteborgs Spårvägar’s hybrid bus
Goteborg,Sweden -Volvo Buses (PR), by Per-Martin Johansson -9 May 2010: -- Volvo’s hybrid bus has now been tested by Göteborgs Spårvägar for a year and the results have revealed major environmental benefits. Fuel consumption and carbon emissions have fallen 30%... When the operator Göteborgs Spårvägar started its field test using Volvo’s new Volvo 7700 Hybrid bus a year ago, it was the first company in the world to deploy the bus in operation. Prior to the field test, it was hoped that fuel consumption could be reduced by 25-30%. Traffic in the first year has shown that the bus surpassed this figure with a saving of 30-35%... Volvo’s hybrid bus has a small diesel engine and an electric engine that can be operated individually or jointly. Energy from braking is used in the batteries to operate the electric engine. The diesel engine shuts off at bus stops and the bus starts by using its electric engine. The diesel engine starts up again once the bus has reached a speed of 15-20 kph... The field test in Göteborg will continue for some time. A particle filter, which will further reduce particle emissions, is next in line to be tested... (Photo: A Volvo 8700 Low Entry)Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * Canada & USA - Major bus order for New Flyer postponed
St. Cloud,Minn,USA -Minnesota Public Radio, by Ambar Espinoza -July 31, 2009: -- The Canadian company New Flyer, which makes heavy-duty transit buses, said a major bus order by a U.S. customer has been postponed indefinitely... The company planned to build 140 diesel electric hybrid buses this year from its St. Cloud plant. In a conference call for investors, the president and CEO, Paul Soubry, said that the customer intended to buy these buses with state money because federal stimulus available only covered capital projects... Soubry told investors this postponement will reduce the rest of this year's production... * USA - Azure Dynamics Announces 10 Balance(TM) Hybrid Electric Sales to Kentucky Municipalities with Option for 40 Additional Buses
Oak Park,MI,USA -PRNewswire/FirstCall -Aug. 5, 2009: -- Azure Dynamics Corporation, a leading developer of state-of-the-art green technologies that address environmental and cost issues for the commercial transportation industry, today announced their success on a recent bid for 50 Balance Hybrid Electric Shuttle Buses... Ten buses were ordered immediately by three separate Kentucky municipalities with an option for up to 40 additional buses... (Photo from farm4.static.flickr.com)Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Navistar awarded funding for Plug-In Hybrid School Bus
Warrenville,ILL,USA -Trailer Body Builders -27 April 2009: -- Navistar has been selected by the U.S. Department of Energy to participate in a project that will develop and deliver energy-efficient and environmentally friendly plug-in hybrid school buses... The U.S. Department of Energy announced that it has selected Navistar for a cost-shared award of up to $10 million—half of the total projected cost. As part of the Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) Technology Acceleration and Deployment Activity program, Navistar will develop and deploy 60 plug-in electric hybrid buses to fleets across the nation during a multi-year program... * France - Using Ultracapacitors in Buses
Paris, France -Autoblog Green/Ecogeek -April,17 2009: -- German company MAN has decided to look beyond small electric vehicles and has outfitted a hybrid bus with an ultracapacitor. Paris's public transport system RATP is currently testing a few of these models called Lion's City Hybrids in the city without passengers to see if they're worth permanently adding to their transportation fleet. The bus is being tested on four different bus routes to gauge its performance under various demands like longer distances or more frequent stops. The ultracapacitor allows the bus to start without turning on the engine. Once the bus is moving, the diesel engine starts running. MAN claims that the hybrid bus reduces fuel use by 20 to 25 percent compared to the currently-used models. If these test go well, this could be the beginning of ultracapacitors finally making their way onto the road instead of just being an exciting prospect...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Factory takes on production of shuttle buses
Leaders get a close look; expansion will add 18 jobs
Woodburn,OR,USA -The Statesman Journal, by Ruth Liao -March 18, 2009: -- A Woodburn bus factory has expanded its production to make shuttle buses and created 18 new jobs for the plant, officials said... Supreme Northwest officials said they expect to add more jobs after production kicks into full gear. The Woodburn facility began producing the StarTrans bus line in January... The plant currently employs 52 people, Supreme Northwest general manager Fred Ballowe said... On Tuesday, the company hosted an open house, which drew state and county leaders in transportation and business development... (Photo by Timothy J. Gonzalez The Statesman Journal: Guests tour Supreme Northwest bus manufacturing facility on Tuesday in Woodburn during an open house. The company began building shuttle buses in January)Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * UK - Firms given new Routemaster task
Bus manufacturers have been invited to submit their plans for London's new Routemaster buses
London,UK -BBC News -15 Feb 2009: -- The city's mayor, Boris Johnson, announced the new design in December following the New Bus for London competition... Manufacturing firms are now being asked to show Transport for London (TfL) how they would combine their engineering solutions with the winning designs. The first buses are expected to be in service by 2011...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE
* Germany - Buses and vans bolster Daimler 2008 profit -paperFrankfurt,Germany -Reuters -Feb 7, 2009: -- Daimler's buses and vans business generated earnings before interest and tax of about 1.1 billion euros ($1.41 billion) last year, industry publication Automobilwoche reported on Saturday... Without citing sources, it wrote that the two operations likely generated an EBIT margin of 8-9 percent for 2008, making the sale of city buses, coaches and delivery vans clearly more profitable than its passenger car business... Daimler has forecast for its Mercedes-Benz Cars division, which includes its flagship luxury car brand as well as Smart and Maybach, a margin of roughly 5 percent for 2008 on an EBIT of around 2.5 billion euros included lease-related losses...
* USA - San Jose woos electric-bus maker
San Jose,CA,USA -The San jose Mercury News, by Matt Nauman -6 Feb 2009: -- San Jose is talking to a Colorado company about locating its electric-bus factory in Silicon Valley, a city official said Friday... The factory would fit with San Jose's goals of creating green jobs and converting its fleet to nonpolluting vehicles, said John Weis, assistant executive director of the San Jose Redevelopment Agency... On Friday, Proterra showed off a prototype of its electric bus, the aerodynamic EcoRide BE35, outside San Jose City Hall. City officials got a ride in the nearly silent, zero-emissions vehicle... Proterra is taking its approximately $1 million prototype on a 10-city tour of California this month. The company hopes to get orders for production versions of the bus, and then use those orders to get financing for a factory to build them... (Photo: Proterra's EcoRide BE35) Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - San Francisco firm repairing Port Authority buses
Pittsburgh,PA,USA -The Pittsburgh Tribune-Review -November 22, 2008: -- A San Francisco company is repairing Port Authority of Allegheny County buses that are "drooping" because of a structural problem... Gillig Corp. is fixing a corrosion problem discovered in some of the buses the Port Authority bought from the company in 2003-04... The corrosion was found where two parts of the buses' frames connected. The problem caused the back of some buses to sit lower than the front... The repairs will not cost the Port Authority money because the problem is covered by a warranty, spokeswoman Judi McNeil said. The problem did not make the buses unsafe, and the repairs will not hinder service, she said... (Photo: A Gillig's Low Floor Bus)* India - Chinese automaker to build cars, buses hereKolkata,India -The Economic Times, by Sutanuka Ghosal -23 Nov 2008: -- Chinese auto major First Automobile Works (FAW) Group, which has evinced an interest to set up a manufacturing base in West Bengal, is now scouting for land in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu... FAW Group plans to manufacture passenger cars priced at Rs 1.6 lakh and 80-seater buses in India, said JK Saraf, chairman of Ural India, which has entered into a pact with FAW Group for setting up an automobile plant in the country... Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Low Orders, Recession Required Cuts, Company Says
Thomas Built Buses will lay off about 16 percent of its workforce due to low school bus orders, the company announcedHight Point,NC,USA -School Transportations News -Oct. 31, 2008: -- ... In a statement, the company said the cuts were "due to ongoing lower order activity in the school bus industry, which is expected to continue as the current economic recession impacts state and local school transportation budgets"...
Layoffs for up to 195 hourly plant workers and 10 salaried workers in the 1,200-employee division of Daimler Trucks North America took effect today...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Thomas Built Buses Lay Off Another 205 Employees
High Point,N.Carolina,USA -DigTriad, by Chelsi Zash -24 Oct 2008: -- The bus building company based out of High Point announced Friday that they will lay off an additional 205 employees... A statement issued by Thomas Built Buses reads: "Due to ongoing lower order activity in the school bus industry, which is expected to continue as the current economic recession impacts state and local school transportation budgets, Thomas Built Buses today gave notice that a reduction in force of up to 195 hourly plant workers will be required. Approximately 10 salaried positions will also be affected. The layoffs will take effect on October 31, 2008..." ... The company cut 190 jobs at the beginning of June this year due to shrinking demand for new buses...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - BAE Systems makes bus system advances
Westover,Binghampton, New York,USA -Press Connects, by My-Ly Nguyen -October 15, 2008: -- BAE Systems in Westover announced two advances to its hybrid bus program that could help continue the growth of the business line while adding to the number of local workers... The company said it has created an improved version of its hybrid propulsion system that can be used on multiple bus platforms and opens up opportunities for additional customers... The new HybriDrive system is based on BAE's diesel-electric hybrid technology already in use by transit agencies across North America. It can be configured with a diesel engine and generator arranged inline or transversely to make it adaptable to a wider range of bus models... BAE noted that buses equipped with the new system will use lithium-ion energy storage that increases battery life and reduces vehicle weight, improving fuel economy and reducing emissions...* India - Increase in demand for inter-city transport: Volvo India Chief Bangalore,India -Trading Markets -Oct 13, 2008: -- Luxury bus maker Volvo India today said it wants to cash in on the rising demand in the inter-city long distances transportation... Volvo which already has a 50 per cent share in the luxury bus segment in India is looking to sell 550 units per annum next year, a 25 per cent jump over last year from its Hoskote plant which has a capacity for producing 1,000 units in a year...
Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * USA - Schaumburg-based Motor Coach, files for Chapter 11
Busmaker cites costs, fall of dollarChicago,ILL,USA -The Chicago Tribune -September 16, 2008: -- Schaumburg-based Motor Coach Industries International Inc., the biggest U.S. supplier of long-distance buses, filed for bankruptcy Monday, blaming falling demand, the rising cost of steel and the weak U.S. dollar... The company and six affiliates filed Chapter 11 paperwork in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Wilmington, Del., listing assets valued at as much as $1 billion and debts of as much as $765 million... "The company's financial performance continued to deteriorate during 2008 due to continued commodity price and exchange rate pressure," Chief Financial Officer J. Michael McIlwain said in court papers...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * Germany - MAN AG Hybrid Buses.
Nuremberg,Germany -joannascholer -11 Sept 2008: -- Within the context of a research project, MAN AG has further improved the ultracap bus already tested in scheduled-service operation in Nuremberg since 2001, by means of a variety of optimisation measures. Essential features of these measures are the use of a newly developed ultracap storage system, the requirement-oriented operation of secondary units and optimised energy management implementing an automatic stop-and-start system... This further-developed prototype vehicle was tested in several months of scheduled service at VAG Nuremberg in 2005. This enables a direct comparison between the improvement achieved in the optimised drive system and the current status. While in conventional buses/coaches with mechanical brakes the kinetic energy goes unused during braking, the “ultracap bus” developed by MAN can be decelerated electrically. The braking energy regained by this is stored in high-performance capacitors and reused when the bus moves off again. This markedly lowers the vehicle’s fuel consumption, moving-off noises and emissions...* Sweden - Volvo launching hybrid bus at Hanover
Stockholm,Sweden -auto.cooone, by BlueFox -11 September, 2008: -- Volvo has announced plans to launch a new hybrid bus for Europe at the IAA Bus and Truck Show in Hanover, Germany this September... The first hybrid model is a 12 meter (40 foot) low-floor city bus with all the components of its parallel hybrid drivetrain sourced from Volvo. The hybrid uses a 5 liter diesel engine that is smaller than the one normally used in this chassis which allows them to add the extra hybrid bits within the same space. The weight of the hybrid is about the same as the diesel model was but has better weight distribution and so can carry more passengers. Though it’s not mentioned in the information from Volvo, there is an articulated model present in the press images and we suspect that this may be part of their future plans - at least, we hope so. The official press release is after the break... (Gallery: Volvo 7700 hybrid bus)Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * Peru - Order for Over 200 Natural Gas Bus Engines
Cummins Westport Captures New Market Opportunity in Lima, PeruVancouver,BC,CAN -Truck Net (USA), by Craig Zwiener -September 11, 2008: -- Cummins Westport Inc., a leading provider of high-performance, alternative fuel engines for the global market, announced today that it has received an order for over 200 CWI natural gas engines to equip new buses for transit providers in the capital city of Lima, Peru... According to the International Association for Natural Gas Vehicles and its publication NGV Global, Peru has the fifth largest proven natural gas reserves in South America and over 7,800 natural gas vehicles as of mid-2007... Natural gas vehicles are not new to South American markets. Argentina and Brazil, for example, have significant natural gas reserves and production, existing fuelling infrastructure, and some of the highest natural gas vehicle populations in the world...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * UK - Lothian upgrades fleet with Optare and Wright
BUSES' PURCHASELondon,UK -A Transport of Delight -13 Aug 2008: -- A 60-vehicle order has been placed with Wrightbus for 50 Eclipse Gemini double deckers and 10 Eclipse single deckers all on Volvo chassis, for delivery after October this year; the company has recently placed into service Scotland's first examples of the Optare Solo SR... (Picture: Eclipse Gemini model Bus)
Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * UK - Roush catches the bus with its Hybrid Technology
Leading engine development and engineering services provider, Roush Technologies, is supporting Northern Ireland based Wrightbus on a major hybrid drive performance and optimisation programme
Essex,UK -Easier Motoring -30 July 2008: -- It is further confirmation of Roush’s rapidly expanding hybrid and alternative fuels activity. The company is involved with projects from small capacity, lightweight units through to heavy commercial and industrial applications. The recent surge in interest and demand for hybrid vehicle systems has caused Roush to strengthen its already established resources available to the sector, including additional investment in its advanced dynamometer facilities in Essex. In recent months, it has undertaken base engine design, control systems and advanced calibration projects for a significant number of major OEMs. Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS WORLDWIDE * Germany
* ZF Electric Drive for low-floor buses 
Germany - ABC (Australia) -5 August 2008: -- At the IAA Commercial Vehicles 2008, ZF will present a concept for a new serial hybrid drive for city buses which is currently being developed by ZF Passau GmbH, the ZF Off-Road Driveline Technology and Axle Systems division... Two electric motors are integrated into the axle and are also used for energy recuperation during braking. The serial hybrid drive concept makes particularly economical and environmentally friendly operation possible, in particular for city buses with tough inner-city applications characterized by numerous starting and braking processes. Suitably dimensioned electric motors allow for zero-emission driving in certain operating states, for example at traffic lights and bus stops or when accelerating out of the bus stop... City buses are comparatively slow-moving: traffic lights, high traffic volume, bus stops. All of these things leads to frequent starting and braking as well as standstill times. For this reason, hybrid drives are a particularly economical and resource-preserving alternative... (Picture: ZF Bus)* Hannover Bus new player in luxury bus transport
Hanover,Germany -ABC (Australia) -5 August 2008: -- Volkswagen Commercial Vehicles has introduced the latest addition in the Crafter series... Featuring 14 seats and a huge cargo area, the Hannover Bus is sure to be a hit with airport shuttle operators, tour and resort operators, taxi and limousine serviced operators, the care industry or anyone that has a need to move 13 people and large luggage in class... All 13 passenger seats are fitted with 3-point seatbelts and offer excellent legroom for each passenger. Aisle seats are equipped with armrests for enhanced comfort... With extensive luxuries such as full interior trim and tinted windows the Hannover Bus is a true winner in the luxury small bus market... Features such as comfort driver seat with suspension, electric windows and door mirrors are all standard. Other standard features include park distance control for front and rear, a multi-function steering wheel and remote central locking... (Picture: Volkswagen's Crafter)
Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * Finland - Volvo Buses to sell Turku plant
Volvo Buses has signed a letter of intent covering the sale of the body plant inTurku,Finland -Automotive Business Review -4 July 2008: -- The plant in Turku produces bodies for the Volvo 9700 model. The Turku plant is claimed to be the smallest plant within Volvo Buses, primarily producing for the Nordic markets... The buyer consists of a group of private Finnish investors and managers from Volvo Buses in Finland... Volvo has determined that it is more efficient to sell the plant and purchase bodies from the new owner. In accordance with the letter of intent, the new owner will also continue to, under license, produce the Volvo 9700 for Nordic customers...Labels: busmakers' news
BUSMAKERS' NEWS * WORLDWIDE
* Germany - Daimler AG spokesman will head its bus unit
Stuttgart,Germany -Manager Magazin/The Detroit News (Detroit,MICH,USA) -27 June 2008: -- Daimler AG's chief spokesman Hartmut Schick will head the Stuttgart, Germany-based automaker's bus business starting in January, according to the German monthly Manager Magazin. Daimler recently said that Schick, the company's communications chief for nearly seven years, would leave that position and take an operational job at the car and truck manufacturer... Labels: busmakers' news
(Photo: Altoona Testing of the propane autogas Ford E-450)
