Innholdsfortegnelse for Issue 362 i Australasian Bus & Coach

The manufacturing deal follows talks between Premier Jay Weatherill and Navya CEO Christophe Sapet in Paris. Navya says it is attracted by South Australia’s carbon-neutral and renewable energy focus. The French firm currently has manufacturing operations in Lyon, France and Detroit, Michigan. A plant in Adelaide will secure operations in Europe, the Americas and Asia-Pacific. Navya’s ARMA shuttles are electric, 100 per cent driverless and can carry up to 15 people. South Australian Premier Jay Weatherill endorsed the driverless vehicle company for its plans to create a manufacturing base in the state. “Establishing a driverless car vehicle operation here in South Australia is the perfect bridge connecting our past in traditional vehicle manufacturing and our future in advanced manufacturing in a clean, carbon-neutral environment,” he says. “South Australia is already…

Proterra’s Catalyst E2 Max electric bus was driven for more than 1773 kilometres, setting a new world record for distance travelled in an electric vehicle on a single charge in the United States last month. Proterra’s chief commercial officer Matt Horton says the record is a testament to Proterra’s purpose-built electric bus design. Lithium-ion battery prices have dropped significantly since 2010, and the economics of these batteries continues to improve. Proterra CEO Ryan Popple is convinced that the business case for heavy-duty electric buses is superior to all other applications, and that the transit market will be the first to transition completely to battery-electric powered vehicles. “Early electric bus adopters have paved the way for future heavy-duty applications like motor coaches and commercial trucks,” he says. “As we see more…

In an era during which Australia has watched the demise of the car automotive industry, it is both surprising and interesting that local bus manufacturing has not only survived but also grown. One of the success stories in this field is Volgren, a Victorian-based company – now owned by Brazilian giant, Marcopolo S.A. – whose history as a bus body manufacturer spans 40 years. Today, the company has facilities in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and Perth, and it was at Volgren’s manufacturing centre in the Western Australian capital that I met with Volgren state manager Mathew Smith. He recently oversaw delivery of 32 Volgren-built CAT buses to the Perth Transit Authority, part of a long-standing partnership that he believes has flourished thanks to strong collaboration and high-quality Australian design. “Volgren buses…

A call for tenders to supply at least six hydrogen cell buses for the Adelaide Metro fleet along with supporting production and refuelling infrastructure has been put out by the South Australian Government. The plan is party of a broader ‘Hydrogen Roadmap’ which has been designed to accelerate investment in hydrogen infrastructure and technologies in the state. “Within two years, commuters in Adelaide will be able to ride on the first of a fleet of hydrogen-powered buses using locally produced fuel,” mineral resources and energy minister Tom Koutsantonis says. “Within three years, South Australia will have the capacity to export its first hydrogen supplies produced using our renewable energy assets. Within a decade, South Australian motorists should be able to drive from Ceduna to Mt Gambier in a hydrogen-fuelled vehicle…

Optare has marked its recent rebirth in the Australasian market with the announcement of a major order for more than 100 buses to service the Greater Wellington region in New Zealand. The huge deal was announced by Australasian Optare distributor Bus Corp Oceania recently. The order of 114 Optare Metrocity buses, worth more than $36 million (NZ$40 million), is from New Zealand bus operator Tranzit Coaches. There will be buses deployed throughout the Greater Wellington region from the CBD all the way up to Palmerston North. The first of the Optare Metrocity buses is due to be delivered and on the roads in New Zealand in March 2018, with the entire 114 bus order set to be fulfilled by June 2018. The deal is Optare’s biggest ever single export order.…

A steering committee has been formed to work towards a business case for the redevelopment of a new Box Hill station and bus interchange in Melbourne. The suburb has been identified as one of the fastest-growing areas in Melbourne and an agreement to upgrade its public transport infrastructure was made earlier this year. Victorian Minister for Public Transport Jacinta Allan says the committee will build on the work of the Ministerial Advisory Group, which provided options to the public transport minister to improve the commercial and transport hub in Box Hill. “This steering committee will give locals a voice, and help get the planning right for the Box Hill interchange redevelopment,” she says. “I thank and acknowledge the work of the Box Hill Ministerial Advisory Group, which means we can…

Sydney commuters will be seeing double as Transit Systems launches two brand-new double-decker buses into service, catering to increased patronage growth in the Transport for NSW Contract 3 region. These are the first of six new double-deck buses funded by the NSW Government, with the remainder of the new fleet to be rolled out over the next few months. Set to increase patronage capacity on the T80, Transit Systems CEO Clint Feuerherdt says the double-deck vehicles are licenced to seat 97 passengers. “Since 2013 Transit Systems has experienced a 12 per cent increase in overall customer satisfaction, with patronage on the T80 also increasing by 29 per cent to date,” he says. The T80 service between Parramatta and Liverpool has become Sydney’s first bus rapid transport route, operating a five-minute…

Deliveries decreased in September as 53 brand-new buses arrived with operators Deliveries decreased in September 2017 with 53 brand-new buses delivered throughout Australia. This pales in comparison to August, during which 110 new bus deliveries were reported by manufacturers, representing a decrease of 57 vehicles. The September delivery number stacks up poorly when compared to the 88 new buses delivered at the same time last year. Scania had an average month, its deliveries decreasing from 36 in August to 20 in September. Volvo followed with 18, which was well down on last month’s 40. Higer and King Long had a strong month, reporting four deliveries each. Most other manufacturers delivered less than three vehicles respectively. The body builders posted fairly low-key results overall, with Volgren leading the pack on 21,…

Signage has been upgraded and almost 30 digital displays will be installed at O-Bahn bus stops in preparation for the opening of the $160 million O-Bahn tunnel in Adelaide. Digital bus stops displaying real-time arrivals will be installed at 27 locations on Grenfell and Currie streets, along with signs providing more detailed information about public transport routes and popular destinations such as Adelaide Central Market. Bus stop locations, parking and loading zones in Grenfell and Currie streets are to be enhanced to make it easier for bus passengers to access services while also improving the flow of traffic for other road users. Metrocard validators are also being installed at the middle and rear doors of O-Bahn buses for quicker boarding on Adelaide’s most popular public transport network. The $2.5 million…

Ohmio Automotion will start manufacturing self-driving vehicles in New Zealand, it has been announced recently. The company showcased three shuttle buses that feature self-driving vehicle technology developed by HMI Technologies in New Zealand recently. Fully operational prototypes of the electric Ohmio Hop shuttles carried passengers including school children as they performed on a circuit around the Christchurch Art Gallery. Ohmio claims to be one of the first companies whose shuttles can form a connected convoy, which can move efficiently and safely together in formation. Ohmio vehicles include self-mapping artificial intelligence. Once they have completed their route once, they are able to self-drive the route over and over. The importance of this is that the vehicles can be quickly deployed and relocated as required. All models will be built around technology…

Marshall’s Bus and Coach is a family-owned and operated business that has operated in the Moruya district on the NSW south coast for the past 25 years. Earlier this year it took delivery of 12 new SB50 buses built by Custom Bus Australia for its school bus fleet. I met the Marshall brothers (Peter and Wayne) and Luke Jolly from Custom Bus Australia to find out about Marshall’s and why it chose Custom Bus for this significant purchase. “Dad was semi-retired when we bought the bus runs at Tuross Head, and when the Moruya bus company come up for sale we bought them out,” Peter says. “After that my brother Wayne came home from the Northern Territory to join us in the business and things grew from there. “Unfortunately dad…