Coach & Bus 35

Issue 35 – 2018 – $8.95 incl. GST

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001 Drivers Seat

PETER BARNWELL SEISMIC SHIFT

I

hate it when people say `You’re afraid of change,’’ because it simply isn’t true. I am in favour of change if it leads to improvements.

On the other side of the coin, I don’t like change for change sake and, when relevant, sometimes throw back a comment like ``If it ain’t broke don’t fix it.’’

But in the case of the bus industry, all aspects of it, change is upon us, like it or not, and most is for the better.

You know what I am talking about – electrification, hybrids and autonomous drive and all the peripherals involved.

We are at the start of a seismic shift in bus transport that is rolling out at a rapid rate to meet the demands of consumers around the world.

It’s being driven by manufacturers who are under the hammer from governments who are themselves under the hammer from the general population to deliver efficient, safe and clean mass transport.

And the backbone of this mass transport will be buses because of the cost involved in building rail based systems.

Put simply, the money required to build a new rail system, light or heavy, buys a lot of buses and even if road restructuring is needed to accommodate them, it is a fraction of the cost of rail.

Take Sydney’s Eastern Suburbs Light Rail for example. If it ever gets built, the 12 or so kilometres of line will cost around three billion….. and three thousand million dollars buys a shed load of buses.

To their collective credit, governments everywhere are already across this and are buying up new bus fleets to efficiently move the population.

They are mostly for urban routes but some are for longer commutes and even interstate and across borders (in Europe).

The only problem is, according to some manufacturers, actually getting someone to drive the buses is problematic.

Bus driving obviously holds little appeal for most of the workforce.

So this in turn is forcing bus manufacturers down the autonomous or driverless road and they are making large steps forward along that path.

Autonomous buses are being tested on select routes all around the place with a lot of success and some glaring failures.

But when you consider driverless trains and driverless mine dump trucks, among other things, have been around for years, then the writing is on the wall for driverless buses.

So, to powertrains and they are inexorably moving to electrification because of running costs and more importantly, emissions.

Big cities around the world are choking on various air borne pollutants and don’t need a dose of diesel fumes adding to the problem so the rise of the fully electric route bus is inevitable.

It’s not such a big thing really as San Francisco has had electric trolley buses for decades and ``free range’’ electric powered buses are used in plenty of the world’s major cities.

Then there is China, possibly the biggest driver of electrification due to emissions regulations.

In some of China’s larger cities, thousands die every year as a direct result of air pollution.

To their credit, the Chinese Government has taken action to minimise the problem and one part of the solution is electric buses.

They make about 100,000 buses a year in China, substantially more than the rest of the world combined.

Guess what…. like it or not, we are going down the electric path.

Here at Coach and Bus magazine we recommend you embrace it because electric power delivers stronger performance and potentially lower running costs than anything else. As long as the charging system is in place it’s happy days.

In the meantime, hybrid diesel/electric buses seem to be a viable stopgap on the run up to full electrification. Hybrids currently make sense on touring runs and for long distance work where recharging a battery powered bus poses problems.

Hybrids offer the best of both worlds,

plenty of power and low fuel costs even if they have potentially greater service costs due to more moving parts and two engines.

At C&B we are watching the whole bus sea change unfold and it certainly makes for interesting reading. For operators at ``the coal face,’’ the challenge is to get in front of the curve, not on it or behind it.

In this issue we have a packed agenda with a full rundown on all the wondrous bus and coach displays at the recent IAA commercial vehicle expo in Hanover, I travelled to Port Douglas to take a look at the new Scania Touring Coach, the first fully built up coach to come to this country from Scania’s factory in China.

While there I also had the chance to sit down and chat to the bloke who runs that plant, Jesper Eriksson, a very interesting chap indeed.

As well as that we head out to Wellington in Western NSW to take a look at some school buses built on truck chassis in order to better cope with the rugged gravel roads in the area, we also visit Sydney bus repair specialist, Wales Bus Repairs, we take a look at part of the massive 120 bus Station Link fleet assembled to fill the gap while the Chatswood-Epping rail line is converted to Metro.

In the UK ADL has just delivered the first of 42 double deckers to Edinburgh each with a capacity of up to 130 passengers, we take a look at the massive new vehicles and ponder whether a similar version may be seen on Aussie roads in the future.

That is a pretty full bus I reckon.

Till next time drive safely and see you on the flip side Cheers, PB.

001 www.truckandbus.net.au

Issue 035

CONTENTS CONTACT DETAILS PO Box 7046 Warringah Mall NSW 2100

FEATURES

16

Scania has unveiled a fully built up Touring coach that fits Australia’s recently revised 18 tonne two axle GVM limit for coaches, a first for the Swedish maker because this particular coach arrives virtually ready to work having been built in, wait for it... China. Editor Peter Barnwell flew to Port Douglas to get the low down on this Fine China from Scania.

www.truckandbus.net.au admin@truckandbus.net.au Enquiries 02 9938 6408 Follow us on Twitter #truckandbusnews Follow us on Facebook at Truck and Bus Australia

Publisher Jon Thomson admin@truckandbus.net.au Editor in Chief Peter Barnwell peter@truckandbus.net.au

22 THE HANOVER – 18

While it is seen primarily as a truck show, the IAA Hanover Commercial Vehicle Expo is also a major platform for bus makers to show their advanced products and new wares. C&B takes a look at the glittering array of bus technology on show in Germany this year.

30 TOP OF THE CLASS While most new buses these days are rear or mid engine the rigours of country school bus runs led Iveco to develop and adapt a front engine truck chassis to cope with gravel roads and rural operations.

We visited Ogdens in Wellington NSW to see just how well these up front Ivecos work.

36 OUR MAN IN CHINA Editor Barnwell headed north to Port Douglas for the chance to sit down with the man who runs Scania’s manufacturing operation in China at Suzhou near Shanghai, Jesper Eriksson. For some, question marks over quality of Chinese built vehicles still remain, so the editor quizzed Eriksson about how Scania will deliver vehicles of a comparable quality to its other models.

42 IN THE PINK In a massive undertaking Transport for NSW has closed down the Epping to Chatswood rail line to turn it into a driverless metro line. The seven-month shutdown created a need to replace the trains with buses – a lot of buses – 120 to be precise. C&B takes a look at how they pulled the fleet together.

Art Director Fiona Meadows fiona@kududesign.com.au Advertising Sales Jon Thomson Mobile: 0418 641 959 admin@truckandbus.net.au Contributing Writers Allan Whiting, Barry Flanagan, Sven Erik Lindsrand

48 YOU CAN BANK ON THE WALES The risk and chance of buses being damaged on our increasingly busy roads is an ever present reality for bus and coach operators. So if they are damaged how or who do we get to fix them? C&B dropped into the very impressive Wales Bus Repairs in the Western Sydney suburb of Smithfield to find out why they have quickly become the dominant player in the local bus repair market.

54 UNDER THE BIG TOP Pressure on city bus operators to move more people more efficiently has seen British bus maker ADL come up with a new 131 passenger double decker design for Edinburgh’s main bus operator. We take a look at the new 13.4 metre ADL Envio400XLB

Contributing Photographers Mark Bean, Cristian Brunelli, Jan Glovac

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FINE CHINA

REGULARS

01

DRIVER’S SEAT Editor Peter Barnwell has his say on the growing technology tidal wave and what it might mean in the bus world.

04 UP FRONT We wrap up the key local and international bus and coach news that affects us as a global industry and where we are heading.

60 COMPANY CAR We drive the Voyage Discovery.

64 MONEY Paul Clitheroe’s latest advice on finances.

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NEW DIGS FOR VOLVO BUS IN SYDNEY VOLVO BUS has officially moved from its old operation at Chullora and opened the doors at its new purpose-built, $35 million dealership and service centre in Sydney, demonstrating the company’s commitment to customer service and support, and their investment in continually enhancing the Volvo customer experience.

The new larger Volvo facility is at Prestons on Sydney’s South West edge close to the M7/M5 interchange with easy access for customers from the motorways, the new facility will become the key servicing site for buses and coaches in the Sydney region.

The dealership boasts state of the art service bays dedicated 004 www.truckandbus.net.au

100 per cent to buses and coaches, a team of twelve specialist trained key Volvo bus and coach technicians who are also RMS approved, onsite bus brake and roller testing, three dedicated bus only service and support vans, and a bus only after sales representative.

“We expect our service and support to be second to none for bus and coach customers in the region,” said dealer principal, Greg Sargeant.

The company says the bus and coach division at the new Prestons dealership will operate around the clock from 6.00am on Mondays through to 1.00pm on Saturdays, and also offer a 24/7 bus dedicated roadside assistance

van, and two additional bus only support vans for onsite service and maintenance support at customers’ facilities.

“While we leverage our commonality with Volvo Group trucks in our organisation, for a very long time now we have seen tremendous advantages in setting up dedicated bus teams with specialised bus and coach knowledge and complete understanding of the unique nature and intricacies of bus and coach operations,” says Lauren Downs, Volvo Bus Australia general manager.

This bus focused approach is not new to Volvo, with the dedicated bus service team philosophy and set up seen nationwide across

the Volvo network, including in Newcastle, Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, and other regional sites.

This structure is also seen in Volvo’s Australian head office, which has the largest dedicated bus team in the industry that boasts more than 200 years of combined bus and coach industry experience.

The new Prestons’ dealership and service centre is in addition to the Volvo dealership located at Blacktown in Sydney, which was again purpose built and added to Volvo’s dealer network only two years ago. The two facilities, in key locations for customers, will together provide excellent coverage, service and support for the Sydney region, and replace the now outgrown Chullora dealership.

BENZ PUTS COMPETENCY FRONT AND CENTRE MERCEDES-BENZ Buses has announced it has opened a ‘Centre of Competency’ at its Daimler Perth dealership, which is the first stage of a national initiative that will see bespoke bus Centre of Competency facilities open in major centres across Australia.

Daimler says the Perth bus Centre of Competency is based at the 42,000 square metre Daimler Perth dealership site and features bus-focussed staff with specialised training, unique equipment, increased parts supply and dedicated bus bays.

Mercedes-Benz Truck and Bus Australia Pacific Director, Michael May, was on hand to cut a ceremonial ribbon with Daimler Trucks Perth Dealer Principal, Sean Edwards, and Mercedes-Benz Bus Senior Manager, Mehmet Karal, along with other key bus staff members.

Michael May says MercedesBenz has been increasing its investment and commitment to bus customers across Australia in recent years but is now doubling down on that commitment.

“By opening a series of Centre of Competency facilities across major metropolitan centres in Australia, starting with Perth, we are demonstrating a sharper focus on the needs of our customers,” Mr May says.

Mr May says it is already well known that Mercedes-Benz has access to world-leading bus and coach product which is setting new standards for innovation, safety, efficiency and comfort.

“We have incredible product now and our technology advantage is

only going to become stronger with the introduction of electrification and autonomous driving elements as you can see from MercedesBenz buses that are already on the road in Europe,” he says.

Mercedes-Benz also has a strong relationship with leading Australian body builders, ensuring that bus customers get the best

quality product that suits their specific needs.

However, Mr May says the company can’t rely on the product alone.

“The bus business is all about people, the people who ride in them, the people who own and run these buses, the people who drive them and the people who are

dedicated to looking after them,” he says.

“That is why we are ramping up our commitment to our customers, bolstering our bespoke bus service offering, upskilling our bus-dedicated workforce and increasing our bus parts availability to keep our customers’ buses on the road for longer.”

www.truckandbus.net.au 005

VENTURA HIGHWAY!

MELBOURNE OPERATOR INKS NEW FOUR-YEAR DEAL WITH VOLGREN Melbourne’s largest bus operator, Ventura Bus Lines, has announced a new four year extension of its bus supply agreement with Australia’s largest bus body builder, Volgren.

Volgren will deliver a minimum of 21 route buses, primarily on Scania chassis, each year until 2022 under the new contract.

Michael Hourn, Ventura’s general manager for fleet and maintenance said the new deal would be a first for the company, whose procurement committee has previously reviewed supply agreements on a more regular basis.

“Traditionally we go through the process every two years to maximise purchasing power, however this time around our procurement committee was open to longer agreements anywhere up to four years.”

Hourn said with a number of key personnel on its procurement committee they consider price in conjunction with quality, “We can get a cheaper product elsewhere but we won’t compromise on quality,” he said.

“We look at run rate and by that we mean are we happy with the product and we’re really happy with the product and we buy the best product for the best price.”

“The Optimus low-floor is an excellent city bus and it’s widely recognised as one of the better products going around.”

Under the new supply agreement signed in August, Volgren will deliver 18 vehicles by Christmas this year.

006 www.truckandbus.net.au

The buses are predominately government contracted replacements and the agreement includes a commitment to partner with Volgren on growth buses as well. This could involve the annual supply number reaching into the high 20s. The majority will be low-floor route buses but there will be an average of two articulated buses per year.

Hourn said while the specifications of the new buses are similar to those of the current Volgren fleet, designers and engineers from both organisations will continue to work collaboratively to deliver a modern, safer and cleaner bus.

“The new buses will include some new anti-vandalism

measures including a spray-on coating which will prevent graffiti ink from adhering. It’s quite exciting, although it’s early days.”

Hourn said that they had also modified the seating configuration; a change he thinks will make a noticeable difference in lowering customer falls.

There are also new safety measures for drivers around the drivers security screen area.

Peter Dale, CEO of Volgren, said the Ventura-Volgren partnership has become stronger over the years thanks to a shared confidence that one party can always expect value from the other.

“The value we provide to Ventura comes from an unrivalled wholeof-life bus cost. We are proud to

offer a bus that, with its advanced engineering and unique CO-BOLT design, delivers the lowest cost of life savings to Ventura,” Dale said.

He added that one of the advantages of an extended partnership between Ventura and Volgren will be continuity – for drivers, passengers, administrators and local businesses who rely on the collaboration to employ significant numbers of people and, in some cases, to remain feasible.

“But continuity doesn’t mean complacency. We will, as we’ve always done, listen to Ventura’s feedback, value their input and continue to advance in the areas of body design, engineering, after sales service and technological innovation.”

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THE COMEBACK KID – HIGER FINDS A WAY BACK TO AUSSIE ROADS

BUS CORP OCEANIA (BCO) has announced it has further expanded its growing portfolio of bus brands with the addition of Higer and H7 model to the company’s bus line up.

The Higer H7 is the latest incarnation of Higer’s small bus, which has enjoyed strong sales success in Australia in the past with previous distributors and which was sold here previously as the Munro.

BCO general manager Jason Pecotic said that the return of the Higer brand answers a strong market demand for a well priced and economical to run 28 +1 seat bus with a proven driveline and credentials for a range of operations.

“The return of Higer is something I am very proud of personally as I was directly involved in first bringing Higer to Australia almost a decade ago with WMC,” said Jason Pecotic.

“Higer’s well proven formula of a Cummins engine mated with an Allison automatic transmission and well established design and construction has won friends in Australia and NZ in the past and existing customers have indicated they want to buy more in the future,” he said.

At this stage BCO will only be distributing the H7 as a compliment to its Optare route bus range and the full size Bonluck buses and coaches it sells in conjunction with BCSA. BCO will provide full back up and service for the Higer H7 through its network of dealers and service providers in Australia and NZ. Higer will enjoy after sales back up around Australia through BCO’s own head office in Melbourne, its NSW office in Western Sydney, its cooperative agreement with BCSA South Eastern Queensland as well its new dealer Horizons West Bus and Coachlines, based in the Perth suburb of Welshpool, with other dealers to come in other states and regions around the country in the near future.

BCO has been distributing the Optare bus range in Australia and New Zealand since August 2017 and recently entered an agreement with BCSA to act as dealers for Bonluck buses and coaches in NSW. Victoria, SA, WA and Tasmania. BCSA is now also acting as sales and service dealers for Optare in Queensland and Northern NSW.

008 www.truckandbus.net.au

PRETTY NEW ROSA WITH A ‘BLACK BELT’

FUSO HAS UNVEILED an all new look for its venerable and popular Rosa bus, the first external makeover for the bus in 21 years.

AS well as a new face it is understood the new Rosa also will be powered by the three litre turbo diesel used in the company’s Canter truck models. The 4P10 (T6) three litre produces 129KW and is mated to the six speed Duonic 2.0 transmission for the 28+1 seat Rosa.

Fuso says the design language integrates the “Fuso black belt” an element that it says enhances the Fuso logo and signals the new brand identity of upcoming Fuso vehicles and features optimised headlamps and new LED fog lamps.

While Daimler sources would not indicate when we might see the updated Rosa here in Australia however Coach & Bus understands we could see it here in early 2020.

Daimler Trucks Asia (DTA) which controls the Fuso brand has the new Rosa bus available on sale across Japan now.

Scania Touring Treat your passengers as guests

Contact your Scania Account Manager for more information on the all new Scania Touring. www.scania.com.au

OPTARE’S ELECTRIC DREAMS BRITISH BUS manufacturer Optare was one of the stars of this year’s Euro Bus Expo in Birmingham unveiling the ‘next-generation’ of its electric bus range.

“We have excited the industry once again with the launch of our next generation of Optare EV bus offering,” said a company statement.

“It is a range that has the efficiency, passenger capacity and low weight of Optare’s ‘next generation’ of fully electric buses,” the statement said.

Optare said. that In response to customer feedback it has also become the first OEM to offer Allison’s xFE transmission as standard on its single-decker buses.

010 www.truckandbus.net.au

Optare is the first OEM to integrate the Allison fully automatic transmissions with xFE™ fuel saving technology into its single deck buses as standard equipment and optional on double deckers.

The company says the decision follows recent independent testing conducted under conditions representative of actual service, where the Optare Euro 6 single deck range fitted with xFE transmission and Allison’s FuelSense 2.0 Max fuel-efficiency software returned significantly improved fuel economy.

Optare showed the Allison xFEequipped Solo and Versa buses at Euro Bus Expo 2018, where two years ago, the Optare Metrocity

xFE midi bus was launched. The Optare Solo was equipped with the T 2100™ xFE and T 3270R xFE transmissions, while both the Metrocity and Tempo buses will be produced with the T 3270R xFE. “Optare’s customers have been asking for more fuelsaving features and we are delighted to add value by providing improvement in fuel economy along with reliability and robustness, supported by our aftermarket network,” said Ashley Brooks, UK & ROI area director, Allison Transmission.

Allison’s xFE transmissions feature the latest advances in fuelsaving technology. Incorporating optimised gear ratios coupled with

the FuelSense® Max package, xFE transmissions have been designed to deliver significantly more lock up operation and operate at lower engine speeds in higher ranges for further fuel economy improvements. Allison offers the following xFE models in Europe: the T 2100 xFE, T 3270R xFE, T3280 xFE, T3325 xFE and T3375 xFE Launched at Euro Bus Expo back in 2016, the fuel-saving transmission performed well in testing with a single-decker, Euro VI Optare equipped with the gearbox and FuelSense 2.0 Max returning an annual fuel saving of up to $AUD3000 (GBP1650)in the UK , says Optare.

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GOVT. ANNOUNCES OFFICE OF THE AUTONOMOUS

THE FEDERAL MINISTER for infrastructure, transport and regional development and deputy prime minister, Michael McCormack has been a busy man announcing a new Federal Office of Future Transport Technologies as well as signalling a review of National Road Safety Governance.

Mr McCormack has said the Federal Government is moving to bring some order to the testing and development of autonomous vehicle capability and has given the new Office of Future Transport Technologies an initially small $9.7million annual budget.

McCormack made the announcement in an address to a Roads Australia event in Sydney and said the office’s role would be to offer strategic leadership and co-ordinate with other governments and agencies on autonomous development and future road safety and transport outcomes.

012 www.truckandbus.net.au

The decision has been met with support from industry bodies including the HVIA “The Australian heavy vehicle industry has a culture of innovation highlighted by our high-productivity combinations and the Performance Based Standards scheme,” said HVIA director Todd Hacking.

“We hope that an independent government office will consider all blockages to enabling the uptake of the safest and most productive possible vehicles, and ensuring they are given appropriate access to every city and every town.”

At the moment there is little co-ordination of the many autonomous projects currently being researched around the nation with various programs being run by research bodies, universities, state governments and private companies, spanning everything from semi autonomous vehicles to transport pods and

coordination between them is often very ad hoc “I expect the office to collaborate across governments to ensure automated vehicles are safe, to consider future infrastructure needs, to make sure cyber security safeguards are in place and to support Australian businesses in taking advantage of new commercial opportunities,” McCormack said.

HVIA also says that whilst there needs to be investment in developing the right policy settings, and ensuring infrastructure is in place to implement future transport technologies, more needs to be done to see the uptake of technologies that are available right now.

“The highest priority is to incentivise a reduction in the heavy vehicle fleet age and the uptake of safety technologies for heavy vehicles.”

HVIA applauded State and Territory Ministers for declaring their intent to increase the deployment of Autonomous Emergency Braking in both heavy and light vehicles at a meeting in May. “Recent analysis by Monash University Accident Research Centre suggests this technology could save 67 lives per annum,” Mr Hacking added.

Apart from the autonomous announcement, McCormack announced the Road Safety Strategy Review at a dinner in Sydney the night before and is one of 12 recommendations put forward by the independent inquiry into the National Road Safety Strategy 2011-2020, initiated by the Australian Government in September last year.

Mr McCormack said it was important for work on the Governance Review to start as soon as possible and that he

Michael McCormack, Minister for infrastructure, transport and regional development and Deputy PM

would be discussing the scope of the review with state and territory ministers when the COAG Transport and Infrastructure Council has its first consideration of the Inquiry Report next month.

“I want to ensure broad consultation on the terms of reference, including with the Inquiry Panel and other stakeholders, ahead of release before the end of the year,” he said.

Delivering the Governance Review is a vital first step in following through on the NRSS inquiry’s 12 recommendations and progresses the Australian Government’s agenda to invest strategically in infrastructure, to ensure Australians and their families arrive at their destinations sooner and safer.

The first inquiry into progress of the NRSS highlighted areas for potential improvements which can reduce road deaths and trauma

such as: road safety leadership, resourcing, performance monitoring, and innovative technology.

Meantime ANCAP Chief Executive, James Goodwin also acknowledged the national leadership shown by the Government in establishing the Future Transport Infrastructure Office and encouraged a collaborative and coordinated approach to ensure international and state consistency of regulation.

“As we move to an automated transport future, building consumer, industry and regulator confidence is key,” said Mr Goodwin.

“Automated vehicle technology is no longer the future, it is in today’s new cars, and as the building blocks for full automation the establishment of a dedicated office shows national leadership and confidence.”

“ANCAP is currently undertaking independent safety testing of Level 2 autonomous technologies

including intelligent speed assistance, autonomous emergency braking and active lane-keep assistance.”

“Safety is a critical element which must carry through in all preparations for an autonomous future.”

“A dedicated office should concentrate on the regulatory and legal framework but also prioritise Australian testing and research capabilities.”

“While some of this work has already started, we will see the office of future transport technologies ramping up over the next few months to coordinate Australia’s responses to the challenges ahead.”

The National Transport Commission is also at the same time developing an end-to-end regulatory framework for the introduction of Autonomous vehicles by 2020.

Until that is concluded there is little prospect that autonomous

vehicles will go much past Level 2 in Australia, where drivers are required to be always ready to take back control of the vehicle.

Many experts believe that Australia is lagging behind most developed nations when it comes to autonomous vehicles with just about every major civilised country having a proper framework in place for testing autonomous vehicles.

During his speech Mr McComack said that the future transport and mobility industry could generate more than $16 billion in revenue in the next seven years alone.

Obviously safety is one of the most important positives about autonomy and it is expected to play a role in major part in reducing road accidents, which currently costs Australia around $27 billion per year with around 90 per cent of accidents caused by human error. www.truckandbus.net.au 013

SCANIA’S

ASSAULT ON BATTERY B us maker Scania sa ys it will be m oving f or ward t oward s s er ies p r od u ct ion of b at t er y el e c t r i c b us es fol l ow i n g e nc o ura ging re sults in a s ix -m on t h t r ial of t h e b at t er y elect r ic S can ia C i t yw i de b us es i n th e n or the r n Swe dish city o f Öst er s u n d .

SCANIA, it appears, has been a bit more cautious and circumspect about large scale bus electrification compared with some of its rivals taking a measured approach, however results of the Swedish trial appear to be have convinced the second Swedish maker to move ahead with the concept.

Head of Buses and Coaches for Scania, Karin Rådström speaking at the IAA in Hanover, says the trial demonstrated an uptime level which is basically in line with its conventional buses.

“The buses are performing very well and both the operator and the public transport authority are pleased,” said Rådström.

In developing battery electric buses, Scania says it adheres to its modular philosophy to meet diverging demands.

“We know that all cities and operators have varying demands and that won’t change just because the buses are electrically powered. However, robustness and uptime will remain as important as ever,” said Rådström.

“In the long run, the total cost of operating battery electric buses will come down since we can use and reuse technology and the same parts as in our conventional buses,” she added.

“That will also enable us to provide a wide range of different versions of electric buses, such

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as articulated variants and buses with different bodies,” she said.

In an obvious statement of logic that many electric vehicle advocates tend to gloss over at times, Rådström underlined that battery electric buses are only effective in curbing carbon emissions if the charging electricity is generated through clean energy.

“In Östersund, the buses are charged on hydroelectric power and are thereby fully fossil free, otherwise, it’s actually better to operate a diesel bus.”

Scania says that battery electric buses are best suited for inner city bus operations that actually only account for one-fifth of bus operations in urban areas.

“In different areas of the city, there will be different needs, our electric bus has its place in the inner city but in suburbs and in traffic between the inner city and suburbs we have other solutions that we believe are more suitable such as buses fuelled by natural and biogas as well as our hybrid buses.”

Meanwhile, Scania says it is continuing its trials in Östersund to the delight of passengers.

“They like riding the electric bus because it’s quiet and the journey is very comfortable, and happy customers are what ultimately drives our business,” says Rådström.

Moving People for Over 100 Years Mercedes-Benz have been producing buses for over 100 years, with the first Mercedes-Benz city bus beginning operation in 1895.

Since then, Mercedes-Benz Buses have been at the forefront of product development, achieving many milestones in the industry.

Locally, Mercedes-Benz Buses have been building a rich history, strong partnerships and a reputation for quality vehicles since the 1970s. Today, we are committed to delivering local jobs, local opportunities and the very best vehicles available, all supported locally by a dedicated team.

Mercedes-Benz – setting the standard for buses. mercedes-benz.com.au/bus

New Model

FINE CHIINA Scania has unveiled a fully built up Touring coach that fits Australia’s recently revised 18 tonne two axle GVM limit for coaches, a first for Swedish maker because this particular coach arrives virtually ready to work having been built in, wait for it ...China. Editor Peter Barnwell flew to Port Douglas to get the low down on this Fine China from Scania.

S

cania Australia boss, Mikael Jansson is upbeat about sourcing the company’s new ready-built Touring bus from China.

Scania unveiled the new fully imported CBU – built in China, Touring Coach at a special function during the BIC conference in Port Douglas in early October.

The Scania Touring Coach which is being imported ready to go from a cooperative agreement coach body factory in China meets the recently changed coach GVM rules as a two axle 18-tonne GVM 57-seater and fits the width and height rules at 2.5m wide and 3.8 metres high.

Scania says the Touring uses a Scania designed body, which is built and fitted by Higer in China where Scania has been involved in a cooperative agreement for many years.

The Touring Coach uses a Scania two axle chassis and comes with a smorgasbord of power options with the choice of a five-cylinder 9-litre 360 hp, Euro 6 engine with a ZF six-speed automatic, or eightspeed Opticruise automated gearbox, a Euro V compliant 360hp 9-litre six-cylinder engine fitted with the eight-speed Scania

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Opticruise or the top power 410hp/2150Nm 13-litre six-cylinder Euro 6 again using the eight-speed Scania Opticruise.

While the Scania is built in China it bristles with all of Scania’s latest technology and safety systems and comes with a 57 seat capacity 9 cubic metres of luggage space.

“It’s a Scania from bumper to bumper,’’ said Scania Australia CEO Mikael Jansson of the new 12.3 metre, two axle bus that can be used for multiple purposes spanning everything from school transport through to charter work. “We offer Touring with a single point of contact for all aspects of servicing and maintenance over the full life cycle,’’ he added.

“The Touring is a very safe bus and exceeds all the requirements of the European rollover test,’’ Jansson said.

Touring comes equipped with ABS, EBS and electronic stability control.

Optional safety features include the latest active safety systems such as advanced emergency braking, adaptive cruise control and lane departure warning.

Adaptive cruise control is not available on

vehicles with a ZF full auto transmission.

Jansson says the Touring is engineered for Australian conditions and comes out of the new dedicated Scania factory at Suzhuo outside Shanghai that is run in partnership with China manufacturer Higer.

The two share a history going back to 2004.

The new plant, adjacent to Higer’s facility, is capable of producing 1000 Scania buses a year and is currently running at half that rate.

Suzhou builds Touring for the global market in various configurations to suit local regulations, which, in the Australian version, meant a narrower 2.5 metre wide body, hiving off 50mm from the standard spec’ width to pass Australia’s archaic heavy vehicle regulations. It has been shown that many heavy trucks actually exceed the 2.5 metre width window with such things as mirrors and even tautliner buckles protruding beyond the 2.5 metre allowance by around 50mm but a bus seems to present unique problems. Benz has a similar problem with Citaro, if it is good enough in Europe then why not here, but don’t get us started!

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It may have been a cut and shut job for the body but the chassis and powertrain, built and exported from Sweden to the China factory, remain untouched.

Jansson said at the early October Touring launch function in Port Douglas that the bus was already operating in European countries, Asia and Africa as well as China.

“It complies with the new Australian 18 tonne GVM rule and features a fuel saving “aero’’ body with squared off wheel arches and smooth side panels for optimum efficiency.

“Coupled with that is the class leading nine cubic metres of underfloor luggage space behind banks of pantograph side doors that are raised vertically instead of swinging out like hopper doors.’’

“We listened very carefully to market feedback with Touring and the result, we are sure, will please operators as well as passengers and drivers,’’ Jannson said.

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The Touring looks good in the metal and seems more compact than a 57 seat (+driver) capacity might suggest. It’s also available in 49 and 53 seat configuration.

Critical dimensions of Touring are 12.3m long, 3.8m high and 2.5m wide.

Though prices were not available at launch, the number 306 was mentioned in hushed tones – without seats.

The bus on display featured locally supplied and fitted leather seating but they can be sourced and fitted ex-China and the bus imported fully built up, ready to go.

According to Julian Gurney, Scania Australia’s bus sales director, the advent of Touring out of China, virtually fully built up, cuts delivery time to a fraction of locally built buses which can take up to six months to build.

“Six to eight weeks is feasible from order to delivery with these buses from China,’’ he said at the launch function.

The steel, aluminium and fibreglass body is manufactured in China and married up to the imported chassis at the Suzhuo factory under the watchful eyes of Scania quality controllers.

The latest manufacturing methods are used in body construction which is fitted by highly experienced workers from Higer, one of China’s biggest bus builders cranking out some 25,000 units a year.

Touring’s standard powertrain is Scania’s venerable Euro 6, five cylinder, 9.0-litre engine driving through an eight speed Opticruise automated manual transmission with retarder. An optional ZF six speed fluid auto is also available.

Other engine options for operators who require greater torque are a 13-litre Euro 5, six cylinder engine with 360hp and a 13-litre, six cylinder, Euro 6 six version with 410hp both only with the Opticruise transmission.

According to Gurney, the new Touring

shares many of the advantages of the Scania-Higer A30 sold in Australia over the past decade….. “exceptional build quality, rugged construction capable of taking on Australian conditions and the many advantages of the Scania chassis and powertrain.’’

“However, the Touring is bigger and better,’’ he said.

Scania aims to keep stock on hand in Australia to enable a very fast order to delivery time.

“On top of holding stock of new buses, a key benefit for operators who choose Touring or any Scania bus is the single point of contact for sales, service and replacement parts, routine maintenance and repairs.’’

“All are available through Scania’s national network of wholly owned branches and 46 independent authorised service dealers,’’ said Julian Gurney.

The Touring is offered with a 5-year structure and paint warranty, 12 months factory warranty on the chassis and a two year factory warranty on the driveline.

Every vehicle is also supplied with a Scania driver training session and 4-years of complimentary vehicle monitoring.

Julian Gurney said the Touring has been proven in service around the world as a very durable and satisfying product, one which delivers customers bumper-to bumper quality and reliability.

“The Touring is highly cost effective to run and supplies will be readily available. It can be optioned with the latest safety features and can be tailored to meet operators’ specific requirements,’’ he said “Driver comfort has been a focus in the development of Touring to the point where a separate factory fitted air conditioner is used for the driving compartment with the saloon part of the bus using its own dedicated aircon.

While the launch of the Scania Touring only happened in early October pre selling has clearly been underway and we are told around a dozen orders have already been taken.

Scania hosed down fears that bringing in a CBU coach such as the Touring would severely affect local body builders by explaining that the local industry is running well above capacity.

Scania PR man Alexander Corne explained that the company already takes up around 50 per cent of capacity with local body builders and that building slots are pretty much booked out till mid 2020.

Corne emphasized that volumes for the Touring will be modest initially and while the local body builders are at capacity the company doesn’t think the Touring will cause issues with the local builders.

The first stocks of Scania’s new Touring should be available in November, just in time for Christmas.

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SPEC PANEL Length

12.30 m

Width

2.50 m

Height

3.80 m

Seating capacity

57 + driver

Wheel configuration

4x2�

Fuel capacity

465 litres / 50 litres adblue

Driver seat

ISRI 6860

Climate system

38 kW roof-mounted air conditioning system with fully automatic control Convector heating at side walls Separate climate control for driver

Electrical system

Xenon Headlights LED tail lights

Front and rear fog lights

2 x 225 Ah batteries 2 x 150A alternators

Powertrain

Scania 9-litre 5-cylinder Euro 6 SCR (standard) 360 hp at 1900 rpm, 1700 Nm at 1000-1300 rpm Scania 13-litre 6-cylinder Euro 5 SCR (optional) 360 hp at 1900 rpm, 1850 Nm at 1000-1300 rpm 410 hp at 1900 rpm, 2150 Nm at 1000-1300 rpm 8-speed Scania Opticruise automated transmission, with Economy, Standard and Power Modes (standard on all models) 6-speed ZF hydraulic automatic transmission (optional for 360 hp 5-cylinder only)

Brakes & Safety equipment

ABS anti-lock brakes EBS Electronic Braking System ESP Electronic Stability Control Traction Control Disc brakes Hydraulic Retarder Reversing camera Bus stop brake Hill hold Adaptive Cruise Control (An option for Opticruise transmission models only)

Suspension & Wheels

Kneeling front airbag suspension, 4-spring at rear, anti-roll bars front and rear Alcoa DuraBrite aluminium rims Michelin 295/80R 22.5 tyres

Luggage Space

9 cubic metres of underfloor luggage space Manually operated parallel lift luggage compartment doors

Tool box in luggage compartment.

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BUS & COACH REPAIRS & REFURBISHMENTS

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Accident repairs to OEM standard (large or small)

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Refurbishment & remodelling to your specific brief (including seating, school lights / signage, wheelchair hoist, TV / video system, CCTV cameras, destination signs, & air conditioning)

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High quality fleet specific PPG paint refinishing & signwriting

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Fleet maintenance program if required

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I n-house specialists with proven experience & expertise to deliver on every aspect of your repair or refurbishment

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Ongoing investment in equipment & technology to meet the challenges of change in the industry

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Lifetime warranty

WALES is a family owned and operated Australian business (est. 1982) that is genuinely committed to ‘excellence’ in customer service.

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FAX

02 9725 3404

MOBILE

0447 555 300

EMAIL

info@walesbusrepairs.com

VISIT

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International Show

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While it is seen primarily as a truck show, the IAA Hanover Commercial Vehicle Expo is also a major platform for bus makers to show their advanced products and new wares. C&B takes a look at the glittering array of bus technology on show in Germany this year.

D

espite the absence of several European bus manufacturers this time around, Germany’s biennial commercial vehicle show continues to impress and remains unquestionably a key event in the industry calendar.

Centre stage amongst the bus exhibits at Hanover was Mercedes Benz and its Citaro hybrid, which was crowned 2019 Bus of the Year 2019.

Head of Daimler Buses, Till OberwĂśrd, accepted the award at IAA and explained that Daimler sees hybrid technology as the natural choice for low-emission vehicles.

The Citaro hybrid, a version of which also won the 2019 Intercity Sustainable Bus award claims to reduce fuel consumption by up to 8.5 per cent compared to a standard Euro VI diesel Citaro When the Citaro is decelerating, the additional electric motor on-board acts as an alternator and transforms braking energy into electric power stored in super-capacitors and that power can then be used by to assist the combustion engine, especially when moving off. Benz emphasised that this negates the need for complex and expensive high-voltage networks, which are required for pure battery electric buses.

Also making its public debut at IAA on the Daimler stand was the all-electric eCitaro with a drive based around a ZF AVE130 electric portal axle with electric motors at the wheel hubs. Peak output is 250kW (2 x 125kW) while torque is 970 Nm (2 x 485Nm).

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Daimler revealed that the 243kWh Lithium-ion batteries currently provide the power although this will be superceded by a 330kWh lithium-ion pack in 2020 while a lithium-polymer ‘solid-state’ 400kWh battery alternative with a fuel cell range extender is due by 2022.

Series production of right hand-drive eCitaro is still expected to start in 2020 when an18m eCitaro G also becomes available, however Daimler here in Australia is still lobbying governments to allow the 2.55 m wide Citaro in conventional form to be imported.

While trucks with a slightly too wide tautliner buckle or mirror extension seem to get away with being outside the 2.5 metre envelope, it seems much more difficult for buses. Daimler could import Citaro but only if the vehicle is brought in under a PBS like permit which would mean that it would have to be used on specific approved routes for its life in Australia, making its resale virtually worthless. Time will tell if sanity can prevail on this front.

Also making its debut at IAA was the Mercedes-Benz Sprinterbased City 75 which is based on a 5.5-tonne chassis cowl with

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an extended 5.1m wheelbase with up to 24 seats accommodated in right hand-drive production models that are expected to be available from the end of quarter three in 2019.

The battery-electric eVito, eSprinter and Concept Sprinter F-CELL technology vehicle were all talking points at IAA with production eVitos available from the European autumn and following in mid 2019 will be eSprinter.

There was good news for coach and bus operators from Daimler in terms of the technology transfer, because the German giant launched a new Actros truck bristling with the latest technology, that could also be adopted for its bus offerings from now on.

The electronic architecture used by Daimler for truck and for coach/bus will be merged within two years and will allow the latest technology upgrades to be introduced to coaches and buses as they become available for trucks.

Systems like Active Brake Assist 4, which initiates full emergency braking, becomes standard on all Daimler coaches from 2019. The other intriguing and out there technology on the new Actros at IAA

was the MirrorCam system which replaces conventional outside mirrors with compact camera pods and vertical LED screens in the cab, improving the vehicle’s aerodynamics.

Daimler also ‘re-announced’ its strategic investment in the California-based Proterra. Daimler Board of Management member in charge of commercial vehicles, Martin Daum, describing the US builder as a leader in electric buses.

“In conjunction with the investment we’ve agreed on a strategic cooperation,” he said. “We once again underscore our claim: We are the leading supplier of conventional trucks and buses – and we also aim to be leaders in electric trucks and buses.”

An all-electric Jouley US school bus from Thomas Built Buses due to go into production in 2019 for the North American market was one of the many vehicles exhibited by Daimler at IAA. Over at what used to be Volkswagen Truck & Bus Group, now called Traton, Andreas Renschler, introduced the name to the industry.

IAA was the first time Traton, which encompasses MAN, Scania, Volkswagen Truck and Bus Brazil, RIO and a major shareholding

in Navistar, has been exhibited under one roof.

“There is a growing need for transportation globally,” Renschler explained.

“It keeps extending, but the world of transport is changing due to alternative drivetrains, digitalisation and changing customised needs for more sustainable ways of transporting goods and people,” he said.

“TRA standing for transformation of the ecosystem transport, transportation, and tradition of our brands. TON stands for tonnage and ON relates to ‘always on,’ – the ultimate goal of our customers and our attitude in order to make everything possible for them,” he explained.

Renschler cited his strategy as brand performance, global expansion in all relevant markets, corporation synergies within group and external partners for future business models.

“Being smart does not mean to do and own everything yourself.

I am convinced those days have gone. Acting smart together with strong partners is the way forward. Being smart also means

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being fast by trust. In collaboration we are growing and enhancing together,” he added This saw Traton sign its vaunted new partnerships at the IAA with Hino Motors, Sinotruk (of which MAN holds a 25 per cent stake) in China and digital specialists Solera from the USA. “Within the next decade every second truck in our range will have the same common based engine, which is a great result of joint engineering activism,” Renschler said.

MAN’s main unveiling was its Lion City E electric bus as well as having four Tourliner demonstrators in use at the show Scania premiered its 45-seat, 13m Interlink Medium Decker fuelled by LNG with a range of up to 1,000km. It uses power from an inline 320hp, nine-litre liquefied biogas/LNG engine with a maximum torque of 1,500Nm driving through an Opticruise gearbox with fuel tanks located within the luggage compartment.

The Swedish manufacturer said that LNG has the potential to reduce CO2 emissions by 20 per cent while also substantially reducing NOx and PM emissions by as much as 90 per cent.

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“While there are several options for carbon-conscious city and suburban bus operators, there have been fewer alternatives in the long-distance travel market that we are now addressing this,” said Karin Rådström, Scania’s head of Bus and Coach.

An all-electric Scania Citywide LF was running on the show site shuttle service, using a conductive, fast charging inverted pantograph to recharge the on-board 150kWh lithium-ion batteries similar to what this bus has been trialling on a 14.2km route in the Swedish city of Östersund.

Scania’s theme at IAA was its capacity to offer alternative solutions for carbon reduction. That was reflected in the coach and bus line-up on the stand which, in addition to the LNG-fuelled Interlink, included a Touring using Hydro treated Vegetable Oil (HVO) and a Citywide LE Suburban hybrid running on biodiesel/HVO. In a recent study, Scania has explored pathways towards achieving zero ranging from full electrification to a portfolio of powertrain types and shows that electric vehicles will require four to five times more infrastructure investment relative to the

present by 2050 but will decrease operating expenses by 40 per cent. Scania says that by 2031, the total cost of ownership for battery electric vehicles will reach parity with diesel for all vehicle segments, including long-haulage.

Volvo Bus was presented with the 2019 Sustainable Coach award for its new 9900 at IAA and the right hand-drive 9900 prototype was on the stand alongside a 9700 from the new coach range as well as the electric hybrid 7900 bus.

Safety Zone Management, Driver Alert System and more robust frontal impact protection are some of the new safety features on the Volvo 9900, which help it, win the award.

A relatively low drag resistance and various weight-saving measures contribute to excellent fuel efficiency (4 per cent improvement) and low CO2 emissions, said Volvo.

“The future of public transport is without a doubt electric and automated which will mean stepping up from automated driver assistant systems to autonomous driving in confined areas, like bus depots and then further ahead in urban traffic,” said Volvo Buses president, Håkan Agnevall.

“Travelling together is the only way to meet the three major urban challenges: air quality, road space and energy efficiency.

Riding by ourselves, in small autonomous eggs, won’t solve traffic congestions so we believe that in the autonomous future, we will travel together,” he said.

“Already today we are developing autonomous buses for Singapore and this summer we showcased a prototype autonomous bus back home in Gothenburg which proved what automation can mean for safer travel and efficient handling.”

China’s well-known BYD announced that it is to start manufacturing bus chassis for the UK at its factory in Hungary.

On its stand were two vehicles manufactured in Europe including a 12m modular ebus and a production 18m artic ebus with pantograph charging.

BYD says using a modular structure reduces the number of components and time taken to manufacture while the use of new materials including composites has reduced the weight of the body by around 4 per cent while torsional rigidity has increased by 80 per cent.

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Iveco made a big deal about the fact that its stand at the IAA was 100 per cent diesel free.

“The pressure on diesel is mounting,” said Iveco brand president Pierre Lahutte.

“Public opinion has turned against it. EU institutions and national governments are introducing policies and subsidies to support the conversion of fleets to environmentally friendly technologies,” said Lahutte.

Iveco’s electric 18.395m artic Crealis with In-Motion-Charging was awarded 2019 Urban Sustainable Bus and on a totally non diesel stand its 12m GX337 electric Heuliez Bus utilising lithiumion batteries was another impressive vehicle.

Super capacitors as well as high density energy batteries make Iveco’s Daily ‘Blue Power’ electric minibus an interesting view while the Crossway Low Entry CNG (Compressed Natural Gas) and Bio CNG fuelled bus used a Cursor 9 Natural Power engine and boasts a range of up to 600km.

Meantime Iveco corporate sibling FPT Industrial, CNH Industrial’s powertrain brand believes that its hydrogen fuel cell technology could be used in commercial vehicles to deliver zero tank-to-wheel and well-to-wheel emissions.

FPT believes it could play a significant role in the development of a cycle where hydrogen is produced locally through renewable energy sources like bio methane, wind or solar energy and the company says the aim of its R&D project is to explore the possibilities of hydrogen as a zero emissions alternative for longhaul transport while delivering performance, autonomy, efficiency and reliability that the sector demands.

Allison used IAA to announce that its new medium-duty, automatic nine-speed would now be available globally after initially only being offered in its native USA. The company also announced that it has developed an electric hybrid system with a pure electric range extender.

The manufacturer claims that the nine-speed leverages the proven durability of its 2000 Series six-speed auto, which it says has more than 160 billion kilometres under its belt globally. The nine speed uses the same vehicle interfaces as the six-speed allowing easy integration with vehicles currently using the 2000 Series.

The electric hybrid system claims to give a range extension of up to 15km and uses a high energy lithium-ion battery as well as a smaller, lighter dual inverter with water ethylene glycol cooling for more efficiency and fuel economy using the hybrid system to power accessory components like air-conditioning, compressors and power steering.

Cummins had a clear message at this year’s IAA and that was that the Diesel engine is not dead yet.

Cummins’ executive director of product management and innovation, Tim Proctor, said: that while Cummins was maintaining its strong electrification program it was not slowing down its diesel research and development.

It unveiled a concept emissions control system capable it says of meeting the next level of Euro VII regulations anticipated during the coming decade.

Cummins’ also showed its B6.7 concept engine which has been built to run with diesel, petrol, propane, CNG, LNG or RNG (Renewable Natural Gas) as well as displaying its BP74E, a liquid cooled electrified power unit using advanced lithium-ion technology in a scalable modular design.

All in all some exciting bus technology at a show that promised only minimal bus news but delivered rather a lot. It promises to be an incredible era of bus and coach development if Hanover is anything to go by.

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Operator

While most new buses these days are rear or mid engine the rigours of country school bus runs led Iveco to develop and adapt a front engine truck chassis to cope with gravel roads and rural operations. We visited Ogdens in Wellington NSW to see just how well these up front Ivecos work.

H

ead out into rural areas of Australia and you don’t have to move too far away from the big cities to encounter gravel roads snaking away from the tarmac servicing farms, bucolic hamlets and villages.

In fact of the close to one million kilometres of gazetted roads in Australia close to two thirds or more than 600,000km are unsealed so it is often tough going for country school buses.

While it is easy for city slickers to avoid dirt roads and stay on the black top country people don’t always have the choice and for transport operators such as Wellington NSW based bus company, Ogdens there is a daily need to traverse the gravel roads of the Central West to ferry children to schools in the major centres.

Ogdens has four contracts with the NSW government for school bus around 80 routes around Wellington, Dubbo, Condobolin, Narromine, Mudgee, Gilgandra, Gulargambone and Trangie transporting around 2000 students to schools each day.

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TOP OF

THE CLASS

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About eight years ago Ogdens realised the conventional rear engine buses that they had always used were suffering from the constant dust and pounding they were receiving traversing the gravel roads to the various farms and villages on the runs.

Ogdens’ manager of business services and contract compliance, Jeff Nell says that the company started discussions with Iveco about some solutions for the extreme conditions and dust.

“Steve Heanes from Iveco told us that there was potential for building a front engine bus on a truck chassis which would answer many of the issues,” said Jeff.

“For a start there would be less dust ingress with a front engine than a rear engine, the truck chassis would better handle rough road conditions, there would be better ground clearance and less overhang at the back,” he added.

The South Australia government was also keen on finding a more rugged and durable school bus solution for its extensive dirt road network and so Iveco and the then Custom Coaches came up with the first truck based front engine Iveco school bus.

A 44 seater that looked like a conventional bus but based on a Eurocargo truck chassis and powered by a 5.9 litre Iveco turbo diesel engine producing 280 Hp. Ogdens purchased three of the first version in 2011 and they are still in service following those up with two more of an updated second version in 2013 while another three were added last year with bodies by Express in Macksville NSW. Jeff Neill said the advantages were immediately apparent in terms of economy and service intervals while the durability of the buses has shown itself over a longer

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time span with the oldest buses having completed seven years on the job so far.

While Ogdens had to change air filters every 20,000km on the conventional buses working on dirt roads,since employing the front engine Ivecos the air filter change intervals are now out to 100,000km which is a significant saving in maintenance costs alone.

The other economic advantage is the fuel efficiency of the Iveco driveline in this package with Jeff Neill citing regular fuel usage of around 25 to 28 litres per 100 km, which saves about eight to nine litres per 100km compared with the bigger conventional bus chassis in the fleet.

“The truck chassis is just a bit tougher and it offers more ground clearance so they are just better suited to constant dirt road work,” added Jeff Neill.

The Central West area of NSW around Mudgee, Dubbo and Wellington is surprisingly hilly and the Ogdens front engine school buses have to climb a lot traversing the countryside up and down valleys to bring students into the schools.

“There is a lot of climbing on the power constantly on a lot of the routes and then when they aren’t climbing they are often descending and using the retarder, it is quite tough country,” he added.

The toughest run is the Queens Pinch Run which covers 75km out and back from Mudgee and this is operated twice a day in the morning and afternoon picking up students and bringing them in to school and returning them home in the afternoon.

“The drivers love the front engine Ivecos because they are easy to drive and perform so well both on gravel and sealed roads,” Jeff added.

“ THE DRIVERS LOVE THE FRONT ENGINE IVECOS BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY TO DRIVE AND PERFORM SO WELL BOTH ON GRAVEL AND SEALED ROADS”

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While basically the same chassis are used in all eight of the Ogdens Iveco front engine buses, the breed has improved over the eight years and been refined with Jeff Neil praising the latest incarnation from Express.

“Express extended the chassis forward and gave more room around the cockpit and entrance stairs which are wider and easier to climb,” said Jeff.

“The first versions were equipped with an automated manual transmission but the new ones use an Allison full automatic, which is a much nicer and easier to drive and the drivers really like them,” he added.

“The overall fit and finish is terrific and really impressive so we are very happy with them.”

Ogdens operate a mixed fleet of 94 buses with Hino RJ and Iveco Delta conventional buses along with the 11 Iveco front engine school buses and a brace of smaller Fuso Rosas and Toyota HiLuxs.

‘We have to be versatile and flexible to cope with all of the varying terrain and conditions,” said Jeff Neill.

While primarily specialising in school bus runs around the Central West, Ogdens also

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operates a number of normal bus routes around Wellington and Dubbo and also between Dubbo and Naromine and also Wellington and Dubbo.

Along with those Ogdens also operates two TrainLink contracts for the NSW government from Lithgow to Coonabarabran and Baradine. The company operates three depots in Wellington, Dubbo and Mudgee with the bus operation HQ centred in Wellington.

All up the company employs around 154 people, which is a long way from the humble start for the company back in 1980.

Back then Eddy and Fay Ogden were running Kimbols Kitchen bakery in Wellington running out great bread, pies and cakes. Eddy saw an opportunity in the bus transport business and in particular school runs and bought a single bus to start a bus service. The success of the first one led to the purchase of another and slowly the bus operations grew alongside the original bakery operation.

Strong management enabled Ogdens Coachlines to grow and acquisition further boosted the growth of the business. In

2000 Ogdens bought Mudgee Bus Service and then acquired Frasers Coaches in 2007 before adding Condobolin Bus Service and the Gilgandra based Gary Selem Buses in recent times. The Ogdens sold the basking business when they purchased the Mudgee Bus operation to concentrate on the transport business.

As well as the bus business there is also an agriculture operation with a 100,000-acre farm near Euabalong in the Central West.

In a short drive on some gravel roads near Wellington the front engine Iveco handled the rough unsealed services with ease and despite the power plant being buried underneath the front of the passenger compartment the interior was quiet and extremely civilised. It is certainly a long way from the old front engine Bedford school buses this writer experienced as a kid labouring up the hills of the Mid North Coast back in the 1970s. The evolution of the country school bus has really taken some big leap forwards and as far as we are concerned this front engine Iveco can go to the top of the class!

Interview

As you will read elsewhere in this issue Scania has launched a new CBU (completely built up) two axle coach to the Australian market from its factory in China. Not just the chassis, the entire bus, body and all. C&B editor Peter Barnwell headed north to Port Douglas for the launch of the new Touring and had the chance to sit down with the man who runs Scania’s manufacturing operation in Suzhou near Shanghai, Jesper Eriksson.

For some, question marks over quality of Chinese built vehicles still remain, so the editor quizzed Eriksson about how Scania will deliver vehicles of a comparable quality to its other models. Here’s what he found out.

CEO of Scania’s Chinese manufacturing operation Jesper Eriksson

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Scania has had links with Chinese bus manufacturer Higer for a long time, but in

C&B: Higer isn’t the largest bus manufacturer in China so why did

2016 it further cemented the relationship

Scania choose it as a business partner ?

with its own, new purpose built Scania

Eriksson: No but Higer is still quite a large

factory, separate, but right next door to the Higer plant in Suzhuo.

According to the man who runs that operation, Jesper Eriksson, it’s not a joint

manufacturer of buses, they produce

25,000 buses a year and Scania made

a connection years ago in the early 2000s, back when the whole Chinese automotive

door still in a position to work with them.

We had a parts, and a production area

in its large factory but that changed when we built the whole new factory next to Higer outside the main building.

C&B: What was the purpose of doing that?

Was it to tap into the Chinese market, or was it to gain more cost-effective

venture as such but the two parties enjoy a

scene was gaining momentum.

synergy that makes business sense.

C&B: What prompted the decision to build

Asia and other countries in the regions?

a dedicated Scania factory?

JE: I think it’s a mixture, we’ve come to a

The Scania Suzhuo plant is the sole, global production source for the new Scania Touring model and is overseen

by Eriksson and his team. He gave us an insight into Scania’s China operation at the launch of the new Touring model.

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JE: We were attracted to its large

manufacturing facility and other features of Higer and had been building vehicles

within its plant until summer 2016 when we

relocated outside the Higer facility, but next

production of your buses for South east

point where the relationship is extremely

good between the companies. Obviously we like the products, that we get from

Higer, the quality, the build and everything is fantastic.

Above: Jesper Eriksson (far left) and the rest of the Scania team got into the spirit of things. with the Hawaiian shirt theme at the launch of the Scania Touring in Port Douglas.

Scania’s production line in Suzhou China

C&B: Do you have quality control people inside the operation watching the production process and validating it?

JE: Yes. C&B: What about the nitty gritty, like metallurgy and testing the quality of the aluminium or steel and that sort of stuff?

JE: Metal tests, no we don’t do that. Higer has a lab and it does periodic tests on material and so on. My staff don’t look at it down to the molecules.

is a quality leg that focuses primarily on

quality within the production facility and

the processes. Then we also have a facility where we do what we call a BDM2A which is the standard way of checking quality as a final check of every vehicle.

So it’s a validation process and it has to

come up to Scania spec’ otherwise we make rectifications and that’s the Scania standard.

C&B: So, a difficult question, are Scania/ Higers as good as Scania buses built elsewhere in the world and are they

or whatever it is, and to say it’s exactly the same, but, let’s say it like this… the production philosophy we have at the Suzhuo plant is the same as any other Scania plant.

So we do the same processes, my guys in China think the same way as the people in Finland or in Poland where we also build buses. They concentrate on doing it right for me. All the workers at Suzhuo feel accountable and so it should be. If you have a deviation or have a problem

I can tell you my organisation has three

exactly the same?

legs. One is a business office, which is a

JE: I’d say they’re the same, it’s very

okay.” So that’s the mindset we’ve been

built in different parts of the world, a car

operating together.

small, commercial operation, looking after sales in the region and so on. Then there

difficult to say that you have something

you hold up your hand and say “this is not working on with Higer for the last ten years

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C&B: What’s the differential in pay rates between say a Swedish line worker and a Chinese line worker?

JE: It’s obviously less in China, that’s all I can say.

C&B: Percentage wise would it be like 50 per cent?

JE: I don’t know.

C&B: Was it a big driver for Scania to start manufacturing in China… the cost of labour or is it just more conveniently located for growing regions?

JE: That’s part of it. Of course the cost is

technology Higer doesn’t have the

C&B: So, can we describe this a joint

same access.

venture between Scania and Higer?

We are not competing in the Chinese

JE: It’s a strategic co-operation not

market and what we’ve seen overall is that

a joint venture.

when we went into China we thought it

C&B: What’s the difference?

was going to be quite good and believed we would potentially have quite a few bus sales and gain a foothold in the market.

We’ve seen over the years, with China’s development of high speed trains, they have specific needs in terms of buses,

the Chinese market is very, very difficult.

C&B: Is it also the same for other

important and we need to be profitable.

manufacturers there too?

China in the first place was to enter into

about 60-70,000 buses a year. Yutong

The main reason however for us going to the Chinese market.

JE: Yes. We have big players, Yutong builds makes big full size coaches, double-

C&B: As Scania?

deckers and all the rest?

JE: Yes.

C&B: And the other Chinese

JE: It’s about the money you put in. If

you’re a JV, you put in money in a JV. Both companies put in and then you have a

deciding vote if it’s 50/50, or if it is 51/49 or whatever, but we have a strategic co-

operation which is governed by a contract.

C&B: Right. How long’s the contract for?

JE: It’s still running in an ongoing basis.

C&B: Open ended?

JE: Yes. C&B: Okay. So as long as it’s profitable Scania will stay there?

JE: Yes.

C&B: So, how does Higer deal with

manufacturers?

C&B: And is it profitable?

that because it would be a competitor,

JE: Higer sells a range and there’s King

JE: Yes.

Long group, they have a large slice of the

C&B: In relation to the new Touring, the

segment where they don’t really have a

However Yutong is by far the biggest

including Australia, Southeast Asia, and

segment of the market. It’s not an issue as

manufacturers who have new inventions

JE: We always look at how we make the

wouldn’t it?.

JE: Both yes and no, our product is in a

market but those are the biggest players.

Suzhuo plant will supply various markets

product. So we are operating in a higher

competitor in China, there are other

the Middle East, is that the plan?

I see it, because with our chassis and our

that I’ve seen on the road in China.

Quality is the key for Scania at its Suzhou plant

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most out of the business, how Scania can

capable of dealing with high tech’ and

marketing operation?

a partner in Higer so there needs

advanced systems such as hybrid

JE: No, we can’t take each other’s

C&B: A synergy?.

vehicles, are they capable of dealing with

benefit from it in and also because we have to be something in it for them.

buses, high tech safety and autonomous

JE: Yes, there needs to be synergy.

all that?

So when we can find that we discuss

JE: Absolutely, I would say yes they are.

etc. The Touring for instance is already China.

products don’t seem to be fully resolved.

business, so what we agreed was

Higer will not go into Europe with their

product because we are there with the

Touring and by the same token we don’t go into major markets where Higer is

possibilities, different buses, different styles

C&B: China is a leader in battery technology, in lithium-ion batteries

really strong.

exported to more than 32 countries from

etc. but some of the other automotive

We try to work together. It’s a co-operation.

C&B: But it’s made in Sweden and also

It seems like they rush things. They

Poland isn’t it?

JE: No. It is only manufactured in Suzhuo C&B: What’s the capacity of the factory?

JE: 1,000 buses per year.

C&B: And what’s the current run rate?

look at what you European or Western manufacturers are doing and say “Oh, we can do that” and then they just crack it out. Is there a little bit of that going on?

JE: To be honest, I don’t know. I am not sure about the details on autonomous

JE: Last year we built a total of 520 buses,

driving technology that’s not something

year we’re looking at the same, we have

and they produce thousands a year.

When we go into new markets we always have a discussion to see is this the right

thing for the co-operation, will it work for both companies? Then if we say ‘Okay, let’s go’ then we’ll go.

C&B: On a personal note, how long have you been with Scania?

JE: I started in 2013.

C&B: And are you an engineer,

getting close to two vehicles a day. This

we do yet. Electric buses China can do

more capacity if we need it.

C&B: So you’ll be doing electric buses

C&B: You don’t work seven days?

in the Suzhou factory?

JE: No, It’s only five days. So it is actually

JE: We don’t do in it our factory but

and we do around 500 so we’re at around

C&B Is there a possibility that in some markets Higer products would

C&B: Thanks Jesper, good luck in Suzhou.

C&B: So, in your opinion, are the Chinese

be sold alongside Scania in a joint

JE: Thank you, its been my pleasure.

two per day, because max capacity is four, 50 per cent utilisation of the factory.

Higer does make some electric buses.

a money man…?

JE: A money man, business administrator.

C&B: So do you like cars and automotive, buses and mechanical stuff?

JE: I like it more than pills which my previous employer made….

We’re not sure if the driver’s seat is ADR compliant at this stage!

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Case Study

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In a massive undertaking Transport for NSW has closed down the Epping to Chatswood rail line to turn it into not just a driverless metro line but also to blend it with the new North West metro to Rouse Hill. The seven-month shutdown created a need to replace the trains with buses – a lot of buses – 120 to be precise. C&B takes a look at how they pulled the fleet together.

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T

he vivid pink slash across the front of the fleet of Volvo–Volgren buses ensures the fleet that has been gathered to cover for a major Sydney rail line while it is converted for driverless Metro operation service stands out.

The task of covering for the high volume and popular rail line which services the crowded Macquarie university precinct, Macquarie shopping centre and the tech focussed office precinct of North Ryde along with a growing residential enclave would be no easy task and the NSW government has organised a fleet of 120 buses to cover for the trains while Sydney Metro is built. On the face of it, this may seem like a rail project – in fact, it’s been described as the largest rail project in Australia – but when works began in earnest at the end of September, buses started playing an integral part.

The final major stage of the Sydney Metro Northwest project involves upgrades to a section of rail in the city’s northwest. The line between Epping and Chatswood has

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been closed and buses will replace those trains for more than half a year.

Transport for New South Wales required more than 120 brand new vehicles to make certain Sydney commuters could get to where they needed to go. The contract was won by a joint venture formed between two bus operators: Transdev and CDC and as a result CDC New South Wales was obligated to provide half of the required fleet.

The task of putting together the 60 odd buses for CDC’s part of the 120 bus contract fell to its group engineering manager in New South Wales, Michael Saradetch who said while it was a major task it was always going to be manageable.

“There were times when our resources were stretched, but we planned for those critical times when it had to be all hands on deck,” Saradetch, said.

Saradetch said that it was a matter of assembling the right partners to ensure it could be brought to fruition on time.

“With something like this we had a set deadline which could not be moved so we

had to remove any unknowns as much as possible,” Saradetch explained.

“We made sure that we had very thorough planning and the right people throughout the supply chain so that there were really no major surprises that occurred during the build and delivery phases.”

This meant CDC had the right people working internally but also a chassis manufacturer it could rely on in Volvo along with body manufacturer Volgren.

“In a project such as this, you have effectively unmoveable deadlines. In my experience, you have to remove the unknowns – as many as you can,” Michael explains.

“An unknown would be trying out an entirely different chassis or body, for example. I didn’t want to embark on a product where there were too many firstof-a-kinds.”

Saradetch said that this was why they chose the Volvo B7-Volgren Optimus combination.

“The key thing we looked for in the purchase was a track record for on time

“ WE MADE SURE THAT WE HAD VERY THOROUGH PLANNING AND THE RIGHT PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE SUPPLY CHAIN SO THAT THERE WERE REALLY NO MAJOR SURPRISES THAT OCCURRED DURING THE BUILD AND DELIVERY PHASES”

delivery and the other factor was previous experience of product uptime, which is effectively a measure of reliability.”

Volvo Bus Australia, general manager, Lauren Downs said that reliability comes from decades of experience in the Australian market but also from its current level of operations.

“Volvo has the largest dedicated major accounts team in the industry and that was integral to the delivery of this project,” said Downes.

“Very early on and long before any of the chassis arrived we held a number of contract planning meetings to ensure we were ready to handle the load,” she added.

Downs said the value of constant communication involving all three major partners was something that wouldn’t have been necessary during a less intensive fleet delivery contract but was vital in this project and Michael Saradetch emphasised the need for thorough planning. while Volgren CEO Peter Dale said detailed organisation was essential, given the

unusually large number of buses to be built in a short time.

“We had to rethink traditional processes for delivery. CDC, Volvo, and Volgren worked together to utilise all of their facilities and resources across two states, ensuring there was a pipeline full of buses,” Dale said.

The manufacturing took place at Volgren’s manufacturing facility and headquarters in the Melbourne suburb of Dandenong.

Both CDC Sydney and Volvo had dedicated teams working with Volgren in Victoria.

Volvo deployed a full-time quality and delivery coordinator based in Melbourne, who worked closely with Volgren, CDC, CMV Group (Volvo’s dealer in Melbourne) and the Volvo major accounts team in Sydney.

“The coordinator was dedicated to the fleet delivery contract and along with other key staff members acted as the main communicator between the stakeholders and worked closely with CDC’s engineer to carry out inspections,” Downes added.

The inspection process took place almost

the moment a bus came off the line and was as much about minimising congestion as it was about quality assurance as well as giving CDC a chance to see the Volgren team in action.

“We had the opportunity to observe Volgren’s commitment on two fronts, their efforts towards defect minimisation with buses pretty much coming out close to perfect as well as its application of lean principles along the production line,” said Saradetch.

The contract involved delivery of an average of four buses per week and at some stages times CDC was accepting a bus a day. Volgren increased its output to 2.5 buses per day and needed to significantly increase resourcing at the Dandenong factory to meet the demand.

The careful planning, the frequent communication and strict adherence to procedure paid off.

Well before the 30 September deadline the 62 Volvo-Volgren buses were delivered on time and on-budget making up 50

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per cent of the overall fleet. They were delivered ahead of schedule to the project’s custom-built temporary depot.

The buses, together with the Transdev fleet, are operating the Station Link project as replacements for trains until the line between Epping and Chatswood has been converted. The Station Link service is designed as a high-frequency, turn-up-andgo service that will ensure the Macquarie Park and University precinct remains functional and operational for seven months while the three train stations on the line are rebuit.

Tony Ralph, general manager of the joint venture said that the successful delivery of the fleet was crucial to the project.

Transport for NSW has also been been working hard with local businesses, residents and Macquarie University to help keep customers moving in the area.

“Customers travelling in and around the Macquarie Park precinct have access to Station Link buses that connect them to stations between Epping and Chatswood every six minutes during the peak – that’s more than 110 services per hour in the busiest parts of the day,” said Transport for NSW’s Marg Prendergast Once the train line is converted and back up and running the new buses will be redeployed to other parts of NSW, although

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most will not stay in Sydney.

“Most of the buses will go to the Hunter Valley and the Blue Mountains and they’ll be replacements for the oldest buses within those fleets. It will give the communities that we serve in those regions significantly improved access to wheelchair-accessible and environmentally-friendly buses,” said Saradetech Lauren Downs said it wasn’t really until after the project concluded that she sat down and reflected on the sheer size of the project and what had have achieved in such a limited time.

“Sixty-vehicles in 140 days, that’s definitely a phenomenal effort by all involved,” said Lauren.

The success or failure of the project will not really ne known until the trains start running again in April 2019. However the timing , straddling the Christmas holidays as it does, was implemented for very good reason. The affect of school holidays and the quieter business conditions in January will help the bus operation cope for close to two months over December and January while University holidays will further ease the burden through to early March.

The new North West Metro is expected to open around the end of April 2019 so until then it is Station Link buses for Sydney commuters.

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Industry

The risk and chance of buses being damaged on our increasingly busy roads is an ever present reality for bus and coach operators.

So if they are damaged how or who do we get to fix them? C&B dropped into the very impressive Wales Bus Repairs in the Western Sydney suburb of Smithfield to find out why they have quickly become the dominant player in the local bus repair market.

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D

espite being ambitious and a little bit entrepreneurial, it is a pretty safe bet that Barry Wales had no concept how big his vehicle repair business would become when he took the plunge and started his own business back in 1984.

Today Wales is one of the biggest heavy commercial vehicle accident repair operations in the country specialising in trucks and more recently, in the past five years buses, fairly claiming to now be the biggest specialist bus repairer in Australia.

From those early days when Wales was a small smash repair operation with around four employees it has grown to employ more than 100 across both its truck and bus operations.

Initially Barry Wales repaired cars and light commercials but having worked as a driver for a major baker he branched out after asking his former employer if there was any truck repair work. It soon became apparent that they were very good at it and it was a specialist niche that was removed from the cut and thrust of the car repair industry. As a result the company grew and Barry’s son Darren, who had an accounting background, joined the operation in the late 1980s, working on the shop floor, not in the office, getting hands on experience and learning the business inside and out.

Darren eventually took over the reins of Wales from his Dad about 15 years ago and by then it was well established as one of the best truck crash repair operations in the business.

The leap from truck repairer to bus repairer was made tentatively when Darren’s general manager, Rob Lanham suggested there were some real opportunities in the bus and coach sector, which would allow the company to exploit its expertise and systems from the truck business and apply them to bus repair.

“Rob had experience with the bus industry and was convinced a niche market like this had a lot of potential and he really pushed me towards it, he had worked at another bus repair business and it really was his idea,” said Darren Wales “It was a big leap but we took it carefully, there was some trepidation because the set up cost was enormous and we had to rent another factory, but the move has certainly paid off,” he said.

With an array of high cost equipment needed it was a big commitment with spray booths big enough to fit buses costing around a quarter of a million dollars each and the latest chassis

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alignment equipment carrying equally big price tags.

Five years on Wales has moved from the original rented factory into its own 20,000sq metre, five acre operation just down the road from its truck facility. They spent more on new spray booths, computer work flow systems and the latest in technology to ensure the most streamlined operation in the bus repair business.

“We have an enormous amount of knowledge in the organisation which we have gained from almost four decades repairing trucks, because there are similar workflows and challenges and we have replicated our truck operation as much as possible, designing the workshop

flow, scheduling software and computer systems,” said Darren.

Walking through the vast bus repair facility it is clear that it is an extremely ordered and well managed operation. There is activity but it is calm and thorough and despite the workshop being full of buses in various states of repair, it is not crowded or untidy.

“The most important thing we bring to this operation is our experience and knowledge because we have a dedicated repair background and as a result we have the right people, facilities and equipment to do the job properly every time,” he added.

Wales is quick to point out that things like the latest Josam chassis alignment system from Sweden delivers a massive

advantage, which he believes no one else in the bus repair business in Australia has.

As well as the Josam rig there are three enormous 22 metre,drive through spray booths, with sliding and elevating work platforms for optimum performance and safety. In addition there is a separate composite and fibreglass booth.

“Buses are similar to trucks but are different in that bus bodies are often unique and quite customised which means that we often have to use our skills to fabricate parts to replace the damaged ones because there is no such thing as a spare,” he said.

Despite this the operation has an

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impressive and extensive spare parts warehouse as part of the facility not only carrying a range of parts for common body types but also now operating as a parts back up for a number of bus distributors Australia wide.

“We work closely with all the manufacturers and they respect us because they know that we set the benchmark in standards for facilities, equipment and experience with the bus repair industry,” he added.

“Its not just the high tech bodies and chassis, it’s the composite materials, electronics and safety systems and the individual fabrication that has to be right.”

Clearly the reputation Wales has built for

its bus repair operation in just five years is impressive, with the company winning repair work from all the major government and private bus fleets as well as recently winning a contact as one of a small number of suppliers chosen to retrofit the Sydney bus fleet with seat belts.

“That is a big job with around 2000 buses being retro fitted with seat belts and we have won a share of that contract which indicates Transport for NSW has faith in us,” Darren added.

Currently Wales truck operations is still about 70 per cent of the business and buses at 30 per cent while there are about 65 personnel working in truck and 35 employed down the road at the bus facility.

“At the moment we are doing about 70 bus repairs a month and about 150 truck repairs a month, but I believe the bus operation can eventually equal the truck side,” said Darren.

Wales credits the success of the bus operation in a relatively short period of time to the staff and in particular his lieutenants Rob Lanham, the manager of the bus division, Sam Trevato and the workshop manager, Luke Davis.

“Those guys bring so much experience and knowledge to the business. I think Sam has about 50 years in the industry, Luke about 30 years and Rob about the same so between them there is more than a century of know how and expertise.”

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“It’s the same with our tradesmen and technicians, we have a very loyal staff and we acknowledge that loyalty,” he said.

“We have a number of tradesmen and staff who have been with us more than a decade, some 15 years, a few for 25 years and even a couple who have been here 30 years,” he adds.

Training is also a part of the Wales ethos with the company employing two apprentices every year and many stay on for years after finishing their time with the company.

Asked what is the biggest challenge ahead for Wales, Darren says that finding enough skilled staff to meet the growing demand for bus and truck repairs is the

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most pressing challenge.

“We train people and retain them but the growth means we are always looking for more to meet that demand,” he added.

Despite having been retired for close to 15 years Darren’s Dad still pops in at least once a week.

“Dad is a wealth of knowledge and even though he lets me run the business I still run big decisions past him out of respect, but also because he is a great sounding board and he has supported me in everything I have done, I consider him my best mate,” said Darren.

The expertise and quality Wales has demonstrated hasn’t gone unnoticed with

the company winning a number of major awards in recent times including the MTA Green Stamp award for sustainability, the 2018 Western Sydney business award and Paint and Panel Magazine’s Best Large Repairer award to name a few.

“We have worked hard to have the best bus repair operation and the awards are proof of that,” said Darren.

More proof is in the growing number of bus fleets sending their damaged vehicles to Wales to be fixed and the loyal clients that keep coming back. Clearly, to borrow a slogan used by a major bank back in the day, the customers realise, ‘You can bank on the Wales!”

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New product

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Pressure on city bus operators to move more people more efficiently has seen British bus maker ADL come up with a new 131 passenger double decker design for Edinburgh’s main bus operator. We take a look at the new 13.4 metre ADL Envio400XLB.

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I

ncreasing crowding of cities around the world is seeing the venerable double decker bus being increasingly embraced by operators around the globe,who need to maximise passenger capacity with the minimum footprint. This has been seen here in Australia, most recently with the new MAN double deckers deployed on the B Line operation in Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Along with those Malaysian bodied MAN double deckers various local body builders have been pushing the concept, most notably Bustech.

It has signalled a return to the double decker concept after it was abandoned down under in the late 1970s and early 1980s. However in the UK it never went

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away and now the double decker concept is powering ahead in overdrive with British bus maker Alexander Dennis winning a major contract to build 42 new high capacity131-passenger, tri-axle double deckers for the Scottish city of Edinburgh.

ADL unveiled the new 13.4m Enviro400XLB tri-axle double-decker based on Volvo’s tri-axle B8L chassis recently, which was developed in close collaboration with its customer, Edinburgh bus operator Lothian and Volvo.

The Enviro400XLB is the first UK bus to be mounted on Volvo’s recently launched tri-axle B8L chassis and is powered by a 350hp Euro 6 D8K engine coupled to a ZF EcoLife transmission.

“Lothian is a long-standing Volvo customer and wanted to continue this relationship,” said an ADL spokesperson.

“The Volvo B8L chassis offers a great platform for a three-axle vehicle with a proven engine that is much used in UK coaches and buses and therefore can be maintained easily,” they added.

“Working with Volvo is in line with ADL’s policy of working with strong partners who offer the best solution in a given area.”

In total, 42 of the high-capacity Euro VI buses will enter service in Edinburgh from January with the buses manufactured at ADL’s Falkirk facility in Scotland.

With Lothian’s services in the Scottish capital seeing consistent growth it

“ CUSTOMER COLLABORATION IS AT THE HEART OF WHAT WE DO AT ADL AND WE ARE PROUD TO WORK WITH LOTHIAN TO MEET THEIR EXACTING REQUIREMENTS” collaborated with Alexander Dennis to develop the new vehicle which can carry 100 seated passengers as well as 31 standees. A single wheelchair position is specified beside three tip-up seats.

The Enviro400XLB is also equipped with two sets of passenger entry doors – one forward of the front axle and another in the middle to speed-up loading and reduce dwell times at bus stops. ADL says that the second door can be removed to tailor the vehicle for private hire operations.

The specification of each bus includes high-backed seating, WiFi, USB charging points, mood lighting and audio-visual stop announcements.

The Enviro40XLB shares its body

structure with ADL’s two-axle Enviro400 while the ADL tri-axle Enviro500 has a different body structure and remains the company’s main three-axle double-decker product for international markets.

An ADL explained that this is because the Enviro500 is designed to be airconditioned and its body structure takes this into account, making room for all the required ducting etc. for a high-power air-conditioning system while the 400 in the more temperate climes of the UK does not require air con. This makes the structure more complex and expensive than an Enviro400, with features not required for the UK market, like the air con.

The decision to use the Enviro400 body

structure was also made for ease of maintenance and repairs.

ADL CEO, Colin Robertson handed over the first bus to Lothian managing director, Richard Hall on the 8th November in a ceremony at the ADL’s Falkirk plant.

Scottish cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity Michael Matheson was on hand along with representatives of Scottish Enterprise, Transport Scotland and CPT Scotland.

“Customer collaboration is at the heart of what we do at ADL and we are proud to work with Lothian to meet their exacting requirements as they are renowned as a leader in delivering an outstanding customer experience,” said Colin Robertson.

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“As a company headquartered in Scotland, building buses again for our capital Edinburgh is a great source of pride for the employees at our Falkirk factory and we look forward to further developing our relationship with Lothian,” said Robertson.

Volvo Bus UK, MD Nick Page said the Volvo B8L is already a well-proven chassis in demanding environments in a number of cities in Asia Pacific.

“I am delighted and proud that longstanding customer Lothian has once again worked with Volvo Bus to bring further innovation to the streets of Edinburgh in the form of a high specification, high capacity double-decker bus,” said Page.

“The main point about the 131 passenger double deckers is that they will help reduce road congestion and with it further improve air quality both of which are key to driving the quality of life in Scotland’s capital city,” Page added.

Lothian MD, Richard Hall, said that buses are the lifeblood of Edinburgh and Lothians, are integral to the local economy, transporting more than 350,000 customers every day.

“We are delighted to work with other businesses who share our passion for innovation with a commitment to deliver a high quality, reliable and unique product for our operations in Scotland, which could be utilised in the wider UK market,” said Hall.

“We look forward to continuing to build on our strong relationships with both Alexander Dennis and Volvo and are excited about the future of public transport in our country.”

Scottish cabinet secretary for transport, infrastructure and connectivity, Michael Matheson, said he was pleased that Lothian has continues to invest in its bus fleet in partnership with ADL. “The 42 brand new Euro VI vehicles will help improve air quality in Edinburgh and provide modern amenities, making an attractive offer to customers” said secretary Mathieson.

The new 131 passenger double deckers are yet another success story for ADL, which already enjoys an outstanding reputation as the world’s largest doubledecker bus manufacturer.

“Taking the bus is a more sustainable form of travel than taking the car, and I welcome ADL’s new Volvo double deckers which supports the Scottish Government’s ambitions to encourage sustainable and lower carbon transportation across Scotland,” the minister added.

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“ WE ARE DELIGHTED TO WORK WITH OTHER BUSINESSES WHO SHARE OUR PASSION FOR INNOVATION WITH A COMMITMENT TO DELIVER A HIGH QUALITY, RELIABLE AND UNIQUE PRODUCT FOR OUR OPERATIONS IN SCOTLAND”

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Company Car

Like many of our working class suburbs which have become more and more gentrified over the years Land Rover’s Discovery has become more and more a boulevard cruiser and this is very apparent with the latest sixth generation version, however while it is at home outside a flash hotel, we found its also just as capable getting you to a remote campsite in the middle of nowhere.

F

rom the start we would like to make a declaration that we are huge fans of the Land Rover Discovery, always have been. We were lucky enough to be on the media launch for the first two generations of what is the bridge between the traditional workhorse Land Rover Defender and the luxury Range Rover and have always loved the fact that the Disco is as much at home on a rough dirt track as it is on the drive of a luxury hotel.

We had the pleasure of being given a week in the latest Discover recently and it is still an impressive bit of kit even though we feel it has lost some of its connection with the bush and looks like it is more comfortable in the city these days.

That is not to say that the Disco has lost

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any of its off road capabilities, it just looks to nice and flashy and most buyers would be reluctant to risk it in serious off road conditions. Sitting on its low profile ‘tarmac hugging’ tyres on those big alloy rims – which have to be a large diameter to fit over the massive brake package the Land over engineers have fitted to enable the big SUV to stop on a sixpence – it all seems a bit vulnrable and easily damaged. Like everything life is a compromise.

This is after all a luxury vehicle that is capable of carrying seven in absolute luxury on rough roads and smooth with great aplomb and a fair turn of speed and acceleration.

Some people love the shape of the sixth generation Disco, just as many, it seems, hate it. It is a very different shape to all of the previous generations and many believe

the epoch was the previous fifth gen model with its beautifully elegant square shape.

However things evolve and change, nothing stays still and change is after all the only constant. Another declaration, we prefer the gen 5 styling but we feel sure the new shape will grow on people and a few years down the track most will love it.

Under the bonnet is a two-litre fourcylinder turbo charged Ingenium diesel engine in the TD4 SE that we had on test although there is a choice of three power plants. The TD4 we tested had a strong 132kW of power and 430Nm of torque enough to push a largish and heavy (it tips the scales at around two-tonnes) SUV like the Discovery to 100km/h in around 10.5 secs, and a claimed fuel economy of 6.3 litre/100km average, although the best we

achieved in the week with the Disco was around 7.4 litre/ per 100km. The engine was mated to the smooth as silk and extremely well managed ZF eight-speed auto, one of the best, if not the best auto around at the moment. Of course the auto puts the power out to all four wheels enhancing the Disco’s already impeccable manners.

While we were reticent to put the Disco on dirt, when we did the reality struck home that this is one hell of a vehicle and still has unbelievable performance on the dirt while also being a pleasure to drive on tarmac.

While there is a desire not to get the beautiful paintwork and alloy wheels dirty or subject them to stone chips one of the secrets is the adjustable air bag suspension which allows the driver to lift ground clearance at the twist of a knob.

This means that if you do encounter some particularly gnarly conditions you can pump the ride height up and amble over the top of it, with caution of course.

The Disco feels at home on sandy, muddy, gravel or rutted roads and as we said when the rubber hits the tarmac it has road holding beyond belief.

The Discovery can boast maximum ground clearance of 283 mm, an extraordinary 500mm of wheel articulation while also delivering a 900mm wading depth, that is more than 200mm better than the gen 5 Disco.

All of the Discovery models, save for the less-frills, entry-level S model come with Land Rover’s always-excellent air suspension, a system developed and honed on the upper level Range Rovers.

It is an excellent system indeed.

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The Discovery bristles with electronic aids that help a driver cope with just about every off road obstacle and condition short of a sheer cliff face.

There is a range of pre-programmed terrain settings that can be dialled in to cope with gravel, snow, sand, mud and ruts as well as rock crawling and of course highway or street driving. There is hill descent control, gradient release control and roll stability control, more control in fact than an episode of Get Smart.

Enhancing that is the already mentioned air suspension, which can also raise the vehicle up to 7.5cm over difficult conditions.

Heading down a steep and slippery slope holds no fear for a Discovery driver with the electronics in the Hill Descent Control taking over and masterfully controlling the speed of the vehicle in even the most marginal conditions.

Land Rover, like its sibling Jaguar, has adopted the rotary gearshift selector knob to select gears. We aren’t fans of the system, we find it a little slow and fiddly and for us a little unnatural. It works fine and our opposition is purely personal preference, who knows, you might even get used to it over time.

The Discovery’s Touch infotainment system works well enough but there are plenty of systems around that are slicker and more advanced these days, then again some designers are too smart for their own good and forget that the they are designing a system that needs to be controlled while driving down a highway at around 100km/h.

Still the Disco works well and the sound system is very good indeed. Like anything,

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once you live with a system for a while you will master it and familiarity will make it easier and instinctive to use.

The system is based around a large touchscreen controlling most functions and systems with a conventional instrument binnacle ahead of the driver, for speed, revs, fuel, temp and other vitals. Its easy to ready and aesthetically pleasing.

In fact the entire interior is aesthetically pleasing and beautifully finished in a dreadfully British way.

Comfort levels are high with marvellous electrically controlled seats up front and a multiple split rear seat (the middle seat if you have chosen the seven seater). The very rear seven seat option is surprisingly comfortable and easily copes with adults. All the seats are controlled by electric switches that raise and lower the second and third row of seats.

Access to the rear is very good indeed thanks to large rear door and very good architecture. Similarly a sliding rail system gives great and easy access of the third row of seats. Down the back there are even cupholders and USB outlets for the aft passengers, although with seven seats in play there is very little room left for luggage, you can’t have everything I suppose.

If you aren’t using the rear seats they fold flat for an enormous luggage/cargo space, which can be further enhanced with the second row folding down as well.

One feature we loved was the Active key wristband which allows a driver to lock the vehicle key fob in inside while going for a swim or surf and then come back and open it up by touching the wristband to the D on the Discovery badge on the tailgate. Clever

idea and it came in handy for us down at the beach.

Finally safety is an aspect Land Rover engineers have paid plenty of attention to in the latest Disco. There is a full suite of electronic safety aids built in with autonomous emergency braking including pedestrian detection, blind spot monitoring and warning, closing vehicle speed sensing, lane departure warning and lane keep assist and a high def surround camera system.

The Disco also comes with park assist, adaptive cruise, sign recognition, a driver condition monitor, auto high beam dipping and intelligent speed limiting.

The Discovery is an impressive package and we enjoyed our all too short time with the machine. Its road manners, its luxury interior, comfort, ride and handling and the well integrated technology. It is also a good package size and although it is big and roomy the exterior design makes it feel smaller and more compact.

Prices for the latest Disco start from what we believe is a good value $79,950 with a range of options and levels to choose from, too numerous to mention here in fact.

Over the years Land Rover Discos and Range Rovers haven’t enjoyed the best of reputations but we hear the reliability has improved out of sight with the company’s Indian owners, the Tata company, investing heavily in design and engineering and it shows.

We loved the Disco and we feel certain you will too if you’re after a luxury, impeccable handling and economical big SUV. It ticked all the boxes and comes up trumps in our eyes.

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064 Money Matters

PAUL CLITHEROE SUPER SHINES BUT CONTRIBUTIONS FADE AND DON’T PANIC IN A SHAREMARKET DIP

US Federal Reserve (the equivalent of our

T

he end of the year can be a cash squeeze. But it’s also a good opportunity to take stock, and budget permitting, grow your super.

Figures from research group

SuperRatings show Australians have

Reserve Bank) has not just raised rates but very long term investment. There is usually ample time for your fund

to recover any lost ground.

Past returns are never a guide for the

future, but $100,000 invested in the median balanced fund 10 years ago could be worth

tightened up their voluntary super

anywhere from $156,000 to $213,150

Maybe the sharemarket highs of 2017/18

fund performed. It goes to show that

contributions over the last 12 months.

today depending on how your particular

have seen us take a breather from actively

compounding returns really can work magic

growing our super, but the average

over time regardless of short term lows.

2017/18 was just $1,054. That’s 10 percent

break to get to know your super. If you

voluntary contribution over the course of

It’s not a bad idea to use the summer

less than the previous year.

can, add a bit extra to your super savings –

pullback in recent weeks, when a major

rolls around.

Super funds have seen a short term

market sell-off impacted fund returns. In

the first two weeks of October alone, the Aussie sharemarket fell 4.8%. Just how

much your super balance felt the squeeze

depends on how your nest egg is invested: The greater the exposure to shares, the

more your super savings will feel the hit.

The thing is, the vast majority of

Australians have their super in a balanced

style of fund, where your money is spread

across a large range of asset classes. The result according to SuperRatings is that

$100,000 of super invested in a balanced option would only have dipped by 2.7%

following that 4.8% sharemarket fall. This

reflects the benefits of a diverse portfolio.

The bigger picture is that our super has

generally enjoyed a good run in recent

years. Balanced funds have delivered a

median return of 9.7% over the year ended 30 September 2018, with 5-year gains of 8.3%. Not a bad result at all.

Good times should never be taken for

granted when investing, and while market

dips are likely to impact your super balance, superannuation is, for many Australians, a

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you’ll be glad you did when retirement MEANTIME THE AUSTRALIAN

SHAREMARKE T HAS TAKEN A DIP IN THE PAST FEW WEEKS BUT I T PAYS TO KEEP THINGS IN PER SPECTIVE. Australian shares have experienced a run

has also made it clear that more rate hikes could be on the cards.

That matters to sharemarkets because

for many years, US companies have paid

near-zero interest rates. Many have taken

advantage of cheap loans to increase their

debt levels, and just as higher lending rates force households to tighten their belts, the same can be said of companies.

The thing is, sharemarkets react, and

some would say overreact, to different pieces of news all the time. Unlike the

property market, where it takes weeks,

even months, to sell a home, shares can

be easily – and very quickly – traded online.

That’s not a bad thing, but it does mean

that when investors become rattled, it can be very tempting to bail out of the market in a hurry – even though it can mean copping a capital loss.

On the plus side, the Australian economy

is continuing to grow, interest rates are still

of volatility since mid-October, when we

very low, and sharemarket investors can

been wiped off the value of the Australian

friendly dividends.

saw headlines warning that $50 billion had Securities Exchange (ASX).

These sorts of reports are always

still pick up some very healthy and tax-

Sure we’ve had a rough end to the year

so far, and shares could fall further over the

unsettling. I don’t enjoy watching the value

short term. But the trend for global – and

anyone else does. But let’s look at the

will help to support good earnings growth

of my share portfolio fall any more than

local – economic growth is upwards. This

bigger picture.

among Australian companies.

Australian Securities Exchange (ASX) is $1.9

markets go through short term lows gives

which tracks the nation’s 200 biggest listed

healthy long term gains. If you’re invested

to 5,834 in mid-November is significant, it

temporary dip is no reason to switch plans

The total value of stocks listed on the

Resisting the urge to panic sell when

trillion. So while a fall in the ASX 200 Index,

you a far better chance of pocketing

companies, from 6,172 at the start of October

according to your long term goals, a

doesn’t mean the sky is falling in.

mid-stream.

However, it does help to understand

what’s going on.

First up, interest rates are moving higher

in the US. It’s a sign that the US economy is in good shape – so much so that the

Paul Clitheroe is a founding director of financial planning firm ipac, chairman of the Australian Government Financial Literacy Board and chief commentator for Money magazine.

Visit: paulsmoney.com.au for more information.