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Buses World News

In brief: Worldwide montly news & informations about Buses, Busmakers, Passengers' and the Transport Industry

3.5.17

SCANIA's INVESTMENT * Europe - In Brazil

* Sweden - Scania CV AB, invest $800 Million in Brazil

--- The scheduled investment should guarantee the technological evolution of the Brazilian unit. Scania thus reinforces its strategy of making Brazil a mirror of its Swedish plants... The plant in São Paulo has become an export platform for Scania and it supplies 30 markets in Latin America, Middle East, Africa and Asia. Scania has launched recently its laboratory to develop, test and certify engines in Brazil. The new research area demanded and investment of U$12 million (R$40 million). In 2015, it also announced a new facility for painting and assembling trucks cabins, with and investment of R$96 million...
Södertälje, Sweden - Busworld.org - 3 MAY 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 7:03 AM  0 Comments

VDL ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe - Double decker ones, for Transdev

* The Netherlands - VDL gets order for largest electric bus fleet in Europe
--- Dutch public transport company Connexxion has placed an order with VDL Bus & Coach for no fewer than 100 Citeas SLFA Electric. This is the largest order for electric buses in VDL's history and gives Connexxion and its parent company Transdev the largest electric bus fleet in Europe. The order also includes 18 VDL Futuras FDD2. It is the first time that double-deckers will be used for public transport in the Netherlands... All the buses and coaches are destined for the Amstelland-Meerlanden concession in the province of North Holland, a concession characterized by huge passenger demand. The 100 electric Citeas will be deployed for the bus lines serving Schiphol and the surrounding area and on bus rapid transit lines within the concession area... With a length of 14.1 metres, there is room for 86 seats. The door constructions will be adapted to the demanding public transport work. To optimize the flow of passengers and entry and exit, displays will be placed on the outside to show where free seats are still available...
(Photo: A VDL Citea-Electric double decker bus 2017)   --  Valkenswaard, Netherlands - Busworld.org - 28 April 2017

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ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe - By Solaris Bus and Coach S.A.

* Poland - First Solaris electric buses for France

--- By the end of this year, two Solaris Urbino 8,9 LE electric buses will arrive in the French city of Frontignon, on the south coast of the country. The emission free vehicles will use the traditional plug-in technology to charge their 160 kWh batteries. France will therefore become the eighth European country to use these products from Solaris... The city transport operator, Thau Agglo, decided to purchase the buses after the positive tests of the 8,9 meter Solaris buses which took place in the city in the beginning of 2017. Both buses will be equipped with several comfort and safety enhancing features, such as air conditioning, ecological LED lightening and monitoring system. The total amount of battery buses contracted by Solaris, including the two for Frontignon, has risen to 116. That puts the Polish manufacturer in the European top, regarding the electric buses sales...  
Bolechowo, Poland - Busworld.org - 30 April 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:34 AM  0 Comments

VOLVO BUSES * Sweden: Sold to Panama City

* Stockholm - Volvo sells 203 city buses to Panama City

--- Volvo Bus Corporation has sold 203 city bus chassis to the urban public transportation system of Panama City. After the delivery, nearly 1,500 Volvo buses will be running in the capital of Panama. The purchase is a continuation of the delivery made in 2010 of over one thousand Volvo vehicles to Panama... Volvo’s low-floor chassis model is 13.2 m long and equipped with high technology. In addition to EBS brake systems, they are equipped with ESP, the electronic stability program which significantly reduces the possibility of skidding or tipping over... The buses will have air conditioning, Wi-Fi and seats with seatbelts. They will also feature the Fleet Manager, Volvo’s fleet management software that enables operators to control a number of functionalities in the vehicle: fuel consumption and type of driving used by the driver, on-line reports on the vehicle’s position, average speed for the fleet, engine rpms, etc. ... 
Stockholm, Sweden - Busworld.org - 22 April 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 6:10 AM  0 Comments

SOLARIS BUSES * Europe: Ordered by Dutch's Connexxion

* The Netherlands - Solaris enters Dutch bus market 

---   A total of 40 new Solaris Urbino 18 articulated buses will be ordered from Solaris by Connexxion, a large Dutch owned by Transdev. This is the first ever order won by Solaris on the Dutch market... Under the agreement 40 Urbino buses are going to be delivered by the end of this year. All vehicles purchased by Connexxion are articulated buses to be equipped with a well known Dutch engines – DAF. Propulsion unit comply with the strict Euro 6 emission standards... The new Solaris Urbino 18 buses will be used in region Amstelland-Meerlanden, within so called R-net public transport system... 
(Photo: A new Solaris Bus "Urbino")   --  Amstelland-Meerlanden, The Netherlands - Busworld.org - 23 April 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 5:59 AM  0 Comments

MAN BUSES' * Europe: Purchased by MOVIA

* Denmark - MAN Lions's City GL CNG buses for Copenhagen 

--- MAN Truck and Bus AG Trafikselskabet Movia (Movia), a major Danish public transport agency serving Copenhagen and the surrounding district is deploying 41 articulated MAN Lion’s City GL CNG buses on the new BRT line in the city’s north. Since Movia does not itself own any vehicles, Arriva will be operating the line on its behalf... With room for up to 150 passengers and five automatic sliding doors, the buses will help to speed up local public transport in Copenhagen as they run from Herlev through the city centre to the airport. With more than 20 million passengers a year and up to 75,000 passengers a day, the ‘City Line’ is the busiest line in the north of Denmark’s capital... The 310 HP (228 kW) city buses are fuelled with biogas. This means that MAN’s Lion’s City GL A40 CNGs have extremely low-emissions, making them a climate-friendly and economical mobility solution for urban transport... 
Copenhagen, Denmark - Busworld.org - 16 April 2017

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CUMMINS & EATON * USA: New 50-50 joint venture

* Ohio - Cummins and Eaton in driveline JV
--- Cummins and Eaton are expanding their partnership in vehicle powertrains with the establishment of a new 50-50 joint venture that will be called Eaton Cummins Automated Transmission Technologies... Under the terms of the agreement, Eaton will receive $600 million in cash from Cummins for 50 percent interest in the joint venture... Since 2013, Cummins and Eaton have partnered in the development of a range of SmartAdvantage powertrain systems for heavy-duty trucks. The powertrains combine Cummins diesel engines with Eaton’s transmissions... The joint venture will design, assemble, sell and support all future medium-duty and heavy-duty automated transmissions for the commercial vehicle market... 
Beachwood, Ohio, USA - WikipediaBusworld.org - 20 APR 2017

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4.4.17

NAVYA' DRIVERLESS BUSES * France - Tested in Japan

* Lyon - NAVYA plans to test self-driving bus in Japan 
--- The French electric vehicle startup, Navya, is aiming to bring its driverless bus to sites such as shopping centers, airports and university campuses in Japan, with the intention of delivering low-speed shuttle services that would run along fixed routes... In 2015, Navya completed manufacturing of its driverless bus, which can travel at a maximum speed of 45 kilometers per hour and carry up to 15 passengers. Currently, there are 30 Navya self-driving buses operating in a total of 7 countries, including France, the U.S. and Switzerland. With regard to the Japanese market, a SoftBank subsidiary has bought two buses from Navya, and plans to test them out in Japan this spring... In the case of Navya, once the fixed route has been mastered by an operator during a test run, the driverless bus will then remember the exact route. In the event that an unexpected object does suddenly obstruct the route of the bus, the vehicle will pick up on this using its sensors, and an automatic brake will be applied... With relatively low development costs, Navya plans to offer its self-driving bus service at a total cost of about 40,000 euros per year (approximately 4.8 million yen). The company is expecting global demand for tens of thousands of its self-driving buses... In Japan, one company making considerable progress in the field of driverless vehicles is DeNA Co. In August 2016, the company tested out a driverless bus service in a park in Chiba -- together with the French venture company EasyMile -- transporting approximately 1,600 passengers. Looking ahead, DeNA aims to introduce a driverless bus service at Kyushu University's Ito campus in Fukuoka during the first half of fiscal 2018... 
Lyon, France - Busworld.org (Belgium) - 17 MAR 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 5:02 AM  0 Comments

HYDROGEN FUELED BUSES * Ireland

* Dublin - How a British bus operator leads the way down the hydrogen highway

... Hydrogen is still discussed in the future tense. It’s often referred to as the most realistic long-term replacement for fossil fuels, because tailpipe emissions are nothing but water and you fuel and run the vehicle in the same fashion as a petrol or diesel vehicle. However, there are still some challenges that will need to be overcome – the cost of the infrastructure, price and availability of vehicles and where and how you refuel... The city of Aberdeen has proved hydrogen a viable prospect for buses, though. It launched the H2 hydrogen bus project in March 2015, comprising 10 vehicles – the largest hydrogen bus fleet in Europe... The introduction of hydrogen buses necessitated additional training for the drivers, but despite having to get their heads around the new technology, they’re still fans... The transition has been easier for passengers. Travellers enjoy the refinement of hydrogen buses...

(Photo: A hydrogen filling station in Kittybrewster, just north of the city centre of Aberdeen) 
 ... Buses aren’t the only hydrogen powered vehicles in the city, as the council is currently trialling a pair of Hyundai iX35 fuel cell cars, supplied by the CoWheels car club. The vehicles will soon be available for public hire and another two will be added to the fleet and made available for businesses to lease before the end of 2017... 
Dublin, Ireland - Transport Parts, by Padraic Deane - March 29, 2017

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VOLVO BUSES * India: Sale 100 vehicles to BMTC

* Karnakata - Volvo to deliver hundred city buses to Bangalore

--- Volvo Buses has received an order for 100 city buses from the Bengaluru Metropolitan Transport Corporation (BMTC). The buses of the typd 8400 are in compliance with the UBS-II emission level and the BSIV emission rules. The locally manufactured Volvo D8C engine’s coupled to a 6-speed automatic transmission with integrated retarder and optimised rear axle ratio delivers high performance required in the city’s frequent start-stop traffic.. The engine supplies a peak power of 330hp in order to meet optimal power-to-weight ratio and ensure reserve power, which is critical to meet three areas for good city duty cycle – instant acceleration, air-conditioning performance, and gradeability...
 (Photo: A bus by the Division of Volvo India Pvt. Ltd)  --  Bengaluru, Karnataka, India - Busworld - 23 MAR 2017

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BYD China * Europe: To build a factory in France

* Hauts-de-France - BYD to invest €10M in electric bus assembly in Beauvais

--- BYD Europe BV At a recent press conference in Beauvais, announced the Chinese group's decision to invest €10 million in a site in the town of Allonne, near Beauvais, in Hauts-de-France, intended to create an assembly factory for Europe... The project calls for around 100 jobs to be created in the initial phase. The production facility will occupy 32,000 sq m of a parcel totaling nearly 80,000 sq m, and will assemble up to 200 vehicles a year - single-deck buses and coaches - in its first phase. Other vehicles may be added as BYD expands its product line... Production is scheduled to get underway in the first half of 2018... BYD Europe, chose France because it has Europe's largest bus market... 
(Photo: A twin- bus Pure Electric, by BYD)  --    Schiedam, The Netherlands - Busworld - 24 MAR 2017

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posted by Unknown @ 4:18 AM  0 Comments

18.3.17

SCANIA's GAS CITY BUSES from Sweden to Spain

* Sweden - Scania delivers 160 gas-buses to Madrid

---  The City of Madrid has initiated an ambitious programme to improve air quality and reduce carbon emissions with the stated goal to ban diesel by 2025. Half the EMT fleet of more than 1,500 buses is already gas powered and with the scheduled deliveries that share will be even higher... As part of the complete bus renewal programme for the Spanish capital Madrid, Scania will deliver 160 gas city buses. The municipal transport company, EMT Madrid, will take delivery of 80 new buses this year with another 80 buses added to the fleet in 2018. This order is in addition to the 46 Scania gas buses ordered last year. The 12-metre low floor buses will be bodybuilt by Castrosua... Scania is a part of Volkswagen Truck & Bus GmbH and one of the world’s leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications... 
(Photo: A Scania EMT biogas 2017)   --  Sodertalje, Sweden - Busworld - 9 MAR 2017

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17.3.17

ALSTOM ELECTRIC BUSES * Europe: Are tested in the Ile-de-France region

* France - Alstom and NTL launch Aptis new electric bus 

--- As cities are looking for smarter, more efficient and more connected means of transportation, Aptis has already attracted the interest of customers in Europe...  In France, STIF has decided to launch two trials, one of which is with RATP. Aptis will undergo test runs in Paris and in the Ile-de-France region during the second half of 2017... Aptis’ unique and innovative design, based on that of a tram, incorporates low-floor accessibility and 360° views... Operators will benefit from a vehicle that is easy to maintain with the longest lifetime in its category... Alstom and NTL will provide not only the vehicle, but an entire system. It includes dimensioning, charging options, road infrastructure, leasing and warranty options, Buses can be charged at night in the depot, or rapidly at the end of each line during daily operations. Fast charging is either via inverted pantograph or SRS, Alstom’s innovative fast ground charging system... Thanks to low maintenance and operation costs and a longer lifetime compared to buses, Aptis has a total cost of ownership equivalent to current diesel buses... Aptis prototypes are being manufactured in NTL’s factory in Duppigheim, Alsace, with key components manufactured by five of Alstom’s sites in France...
Duppigheim, Alsace, France - Busworld - 14 MAR 2017

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"BANDONEON" VEHICLES: BUSES or TRAMS ? * Europe: Belgium / Italy

* Belgium - Bi-articulated buses for Brisbane


--- Van Hool NV from Belgium, or Carrosserie Hess AG from Switzerland, electric-powered buses almost 30 metres long, could move Brisbane commuters in the new "metro" service announced by Brisbane City Council recently. "It is new-generation buses that would shift the people"... They are called "bi-articulated" buses and are common throughout Europe and South America (wheter are known as "bandoneon-buses")... The plans are to have a bus available every three minutes on two new routes which are particularly created for these buses... They would look like modern "bi-articulated buses" with three passenger sections and two rubber-lined joints, with the driver sitting in the front section. The Council is still reluctant to call them buses, arguing that while they would have rubber tyres, they would operate more like trams...
(Photo: Van Hool NV Carrosserie Hess AG Electric-powered buses) --  Koningshooikt, Belgium / Brisbane, Queensland, Australia - Busworld - 10 MAR 2017


* Italy - IVECO to supply 120 hybrid articulated buses to Milan 

--- Italian bus and truck manufacturer Iveco will be supplying 120 new 18-metre articulated hybrid buses to Milan public transport operator ATM... The model auppled by Iveco is the Urbanway Hybrid, which was developed by the company to significantly reduce emissions and fuel consumption while ensuring increasingly-sustainable mobility for the community it serves. The Urbanway Hybrid consumes up to 30% less fuel than conventional buses, with reductions of 33% and 40% in CO2 and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions per kilometre respectively, compared with diesel buses... According to Iveco, the new vehicle combines an electric traction system with a Euro VI internal combustion engine and a latest-generation lithium-ion battery pack. The “Arrive & Go” function (a smart power management system) permits 100% electric operation with zero emissions when approaching and leaving bus stops, even where significant distances are involved... Another advantage of the Urbanway Hybrid is its complete silence, said the statement... All vehicles included in the contract are equipped with series-hybrid systems comprising a 175 (peak)/120 kW (continuous mode) electric motor and a 210kW Tector internal combustion engine...
 (Photo An Iveco Bus) -- Milan, Italy - Busworld - 2 March 2017

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9.12.16

THE WORLD’S LARGEST BUS * Brazil - THIRTY METERS LENGTH FOR

* Rio Janeiro - New biarticulated chassis, Gran Artic 300: 30 meter long, by VOLVO


--- Volvo Bus Corporation recently launched the world’s largest bus chassis at the FetransRio exhibition in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The new biarticulated chassis, Gran Artic 300, is 30 meter long and can carry up to 300 passengers. It was developed in Brasil. The new Gran Artic 300 has been developed in Brazil especially for BRT systems – high demand transportation systems where buses run on dedicated lanes. The bus will be able to carry up to 30 passengers more than the preceding model. One biarticulated bus of the model replaces three standard vehicles... At the FetransRio exhibition, Volvo also unveils a new 22 m articulated chassis, Super Artic 210. In addition to the higher transportation capacity, 210 passengers, it is equipped with five doors. The extra door facilitates boarding and alighting and also enables a better passenger distribution inside the bus. The vehicle is built on only three axles.The high-capacity buses reduce the number of vehicles operating in the bus corridors, leading to an increased average speed of the system as well as reduced emissions.Volvo claims to be a pioneer in the development of vehicles for BRT systems... 
Rio Janeiro, RJ, Brazil - Busworld - 27 NOV 2016

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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

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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 bus in a premier location at the convention... 
(Photo: Aerial photo of Vancouver)   --  Vancouver, BC, CAN - CNW/Edmonton Journal - Oct. 28, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 11:12 AM  0 Comments

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

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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

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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

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FIRST ELECTRIC BUS * India - By ASHOK LEYLAND

* 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

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DRIVERLESS POD in * Australia

* 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

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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 to Persistence 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

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posted by Unknown @ 7:28 AM  0 Comments

ENVIROMENT HELP = ELECTRIC BUSES * USA: Report

* 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

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posted by Unknown @ 7:13 AM  0 Comments

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

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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

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posted by Unknown @ 6:42 AM  0 Comments

AUTONOMOUS BUSES * USA: And Rapid Routes

* 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

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BLIND SPOTS * Canada - A issue for bus drivers

* 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

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BUS SHOW * Australia: Brings out industry best

* NSW - Luxury coach, or private jet?

--- 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

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13.7.16

BUSES PURCHASING PROSPECTS * India

* Delhi - Govt aims to connect 125,000 villages with 80,000 mini-buses

--- The central government, in partnership with state governments, will purchase 80,000 mini-buses to connect 125,000 villages, two people aware of the matter said... The move, which could mean a windfall for mini-bus makers such as Tata Motors Ltd, Mahindra and Mahindra Ltd and Ashok Leyland Ltd, will also integrate the villages with the country’s economic mainstream, providing access to markets as well as better employment and education opportunities... 
 (Photo: An ordinary public transport bus, India)  --  New Delhi, India - LiveMint, by Amrit Raj/Jyotika Sood - Jul 13 2016

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SELF-DRIVING BUSES SERVICE * Japan - Company plans to use EZ10 electric shuttle produced by EasyMile

* Japan’s - DeNA says get on the self-driving bus

--- Japanese mobile internet company DeNA Co. on Thursday said it would start a transportation service in Japan that uses self-driving buses, its latest push into autonomous driving... DeNA will use the EZ10 electric shuttle produced by EasyMile, a French driverless technology startup, that it has dubbed the “Robot Shuttle” ...  It will begin offering services next month at a large park partially managed by a shopping mall developer in Chiba prefecture, near Tokyo... The four-meter-long (13-foot-long) Robot Shuttle can accommodate as many as 12 passengers and travel at up to 40 kilometers (25 miles), an hour, DeNA said. The vehicle uses sensors, cameras and a Global Positioning System to navigate and avoid obstacles... Driverless buses have been tried—or will soon be—in places such as the Swiss city of Sion and Trikala, Greece... Aiming to commercialize its driverless transportation service by 2020, DeNA has said it would seek to offer unmanned cabs to foreign travelers and local residents in areas of Japan where buses and trains aren’t available... 
(PHOTO: ALEXANDER MARTIN/THE WALL STREET JOURNAL - DeNA's driverless bus, the Robot Shuttle, in Tokyo on Thursday)  --  Tokyo, Japan - The WSJ, by Alexander Martín - July 7, 2016

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posted by Unknown @ 4:06 PM  1 Comments

BUSES PURCHASE * Australia: Tasmania's - ** Canada/USA: New Jersey's

* Tasmania / Australia - Update on $31 million plan to upgrade Tasmania’s Metro bus fleet
--- The State Government hopes to lure a bus manufacturer to set up shop here to build 100 new Metro Tasmania buses... Companies vying for a luc­rative government contract to upgrade Tasmania’s ageing public bus fleet have taken part in an industry briefing... The State Budget included $31 million towards 100 modern buses and the State Government is keen for the buses to be built in Tasmania... Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding said there had been strong interest in the contract... Metro Tasmania recently ordered seven new Scania art­iculated buses that would rep­lace five 30-year-old articulated buses... Metro chief executive Stuart Wiggins said the bigger buses would improve the packed services...
(Picture: MATHEW FARRELL - Metro CEO Stuart Wiggins was on hand as Infrastructure Minister Rene Hidding delivered an update on the $31 million project to upgrade the state’s public transport fleet)  --  Hobart, Tasmania, Australia -  The Mercury, by BLAIR RICHARD - July 6, 2016 


* Manitoba / Canada - Winnipeg bus company hit by New Jersey money woes

--- A Winnipeg-based bus manufacturer says an order from New Jersey’s transit system has been put on hold following a state of emergency declared by Gov. Chris Christie due to funding problems... New Flyer Industries says its MCI subsidiary had received approval in May for the delivery of 142 motor coaches this year — part of an order for up to about 1,200 buses over six years... New Flyer says New Jersey Transit has advised the company, one of North America’s largest bus manufacturers, that there must be an orderly shutdown of all work for the bus contract... 
(Photo by Tamara Forlanski / Global News)   --   Winnipeg, Manitobba, Canada - Global News - July 11, 2016

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