BUSTOCOACH EUROPEAN ON-LINE MAGAZINE - July-August 2013

BusToCoach

EUROPEAN ON-LINE MAGAZINE - July-August 2013

CONSUMTION CUT EUROPEAN MARKET - ASSTRA CONGRESS - IVECO BUS - VOLVO - UITP GENEVA: BUSES ON DISPLAY - SETRA: TEST DRIVE - FLASH NEWS

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ON-LINE MAGAZINE linked www.bustocoach.com - July-August 2013

UITPBuses exhibited in Geneva focus on sustainability: Euro VI and electrical drive.

BusToCoachEuropean on-line magazine

Editor in chiefMarino Ginanneschi

[email protected]

Managing editor and International relations

Elena [email protected]

Photos and videos Marco Degano

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AdministrationTransport Web di Marco Degano & C Snc

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FLASH NEWSSetra, Plaxton, Scania,

Omnibus, Isuzu, Mercedes.

EUROPEAN MARKET Negative sign in the first

quarter 2013.

IVECO BUSAlso some 15m long units among the intercity buses for Piedmont.

SETRA340 km onboard the S 515 HD confirm that the Euro VI reduces consumption.

VOLVOElectric buses in Gothenburg and articulated in Guatemala.

IN THE FOREGROUND

COLUMNS

CONFERENCES AND EXIBITIONS

ASSTRA 2013The lack of investment marks the

decline of the bus sector in

Italy.

DIRECT LINK

USED BUS ON LINEOn www.bustocoach.com

websiteis on line the directory

dedicated to Used.

If you want to sell or buy a bus, here’s the right way.

You can make your insertion or search vehicles for sale.

***You can access through

the site, selecting the USED directory or going directly to

the linkwww.bustocoach.com/en/content/announcements

A CABRIO FOR EVERYONE

Omnibus Trading B.V., a bus manufactu-rer from the Netherlands, introduced the

32 seats Sunrise-Cabrio, now available with D’Hollandia lift for the boarding of wheel-chairs. The first two PMR Cabrio vehicles, built on Iveco Daily 70C17 chassis, have re-

cently been delivered to Autocars Schidler in Metz. The Sunrise-Cabrio is equipped with electric retractable hard top roof: this way, this special minibus can be used throughout the year. The Sunrise-Cabrio is quiet and offers the highest standards in terms of comfort, on top of providing great visibility even when the roof is closed. Omnibus-Trading pro-vides also a convertible version of the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with 19 seats. •

IN DIYARBAKIR WITH ALLISON TRANSMISSIONTHE Private Public Buses company based in Diyarbakır

(Turkey) recently took delivery of 10 additional Isuzu buses equipped with Allison transmission. This supply fol-lowed the positive experience gained with the 23 Allison-equipped Isuzu Citibus buses operating for almost a year in Diyarbakır. The 9.5-meter bus is equipped with a 152kW (204hp) Euro5 engine and an Allison 2000 Series fully-automatic transmission. This Allison model offers six forward speeds and one reverse; it features helical gears for quieter operation, a torque converter and uninterrupted power shifts for comfortable and efficient operation. Adaptive shift strategy and an economy calibration contribute to lower fuel consumption. •

LOTS OF SETRA IN SWEDEN

S wedish trucks and buses manufacturer Scania AB has annuonced that they will

deliver 360 city buses to the Malaysian sta-te-owned company Syarikat Prasarana Nega-ra Berhad (Prasarana). According to Scania, the model is the Scania K 250 UB4x2 with a low-floor chassis and safety features such as handicap access capability for all passengers. The vehicles are equipped with a ramp for full wheelchair access and two docking slots with seatbelts for safe wheelchair anchorage. The body is made of aluminium to reduce weight and fuel consumption, as well as to extend vehicle life. •

SCANIA FOR MALAYSIA

THE Setra Bus and Coach unit, part of Stuttgart-based Da-

imler AG, delivered the first 4 buses of the 65 vehicles from Setra MultiClass 400 series commisioned in Sweden. This is the largest order which Setra has ever received from Sweden. The order has come about as the result of a tender which has been won by four bus operators from the province of Småland in southern Sweden. The two-axle S 416 UL and three-axle S 417 UL will be used on school and regular bus services in the Scandinavian country. Driven by Euro V engines featuring BlueTec technology, the buses are fitted with double doors at the rear point of entry, wheelchair lifts, monitoring cameras and a modern infotainment system. In Sweden, sales of new and used Setra vehicles as well as the Omniplus Service Centre come under the umbrella of EvoBus Sverige A.B., located in Vetlanda in southern Sweden. •

THE STAR SHINES ON BRAZIL

M ercedes-Benz do Brasil celebrates its two mil-lionth commercial vehicle locally produced.

Since the inauguration of its plant in São Bernardo do Campo 57 years ago, the company manufactu-red around 1.4 million trucks and 600,000 buses and bus chassis. Located in close proximity to São Paulo, the plant of São Bernardo do Campo is Da-

imler’s largest truck facility outside Germany. Between 2010 and 2013, Mercedes-Benz do Brasil invested approximately €540 million to increase production capacity, set up new engine assembly lines, and develop new products and pioneering technologies. Daimler Trucks sold around 15,820 units in Brazil during the first five months of the year, or over 50% more than the approximately 10,300 vehicles sold in the same period of 2012. In ad-dition, sales of complete buses and bus chassis rose by 46% in Brazil during this period, to around 4,520 units. Not only are Brazil’s truck and bus markets expected to grow this year; they will continue to expand over the medium-term, thanks, in part, to major sporting events such as the World Soccer Championship in 2014 and the Summer Olympics in 2016. •

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - July-August 2013 FLASH NEWS

D rury Coaches added to their fleet a further new Plaxton Panther. It’s is a

12.8m variant based on the Euro V Volvo B9R platform, with 380bhp and I-Shift au-tomated transmission. The vehicle is cli-mate controlled and equipped with 53 Gala recliners, trimmed in moquette with leather piping and headrests and adjustable footre-sts. It has a centre mounted washroom and

full drinks facilities. Special features include CCTV and all age seatbelts, now a standard feature on the Gala seats in Panther. •

PLAXTON HOME GAME

The bus market in Turkey is booming. Both production and sales are soaring for the first quarter of the year. And so does

export.The vehicles manufac-tured between January and April amount to 17,272 compared to 11,986 in the first quar-

ter of 2012. The incre-ase is about 44%. All kinds of vehicles expe-rienced at least some growth.Domestic sales grew

by 26% (from 3,927 to 4,954) with a remarka-ble progress of the bus segment. However the most outstanding re-sults come from export figures with 13,422 vehicles sold in the first four months of 2013, that is 88% more than for the same period of 2012. The result is due to minibuses, whi-ch rose from 5,603 to 11,941 (+113%) and to midibuses (+52%), while buses suffer a decline by -13.4%.

EUROPEAN REGISTATIONS JANUARY-APRIL 2013 (Acea source)

MARKET Jan-Apr2013

Jan-Apr2012

%Change

AUSTRIA 157 271 -42.1%BELGIUM 236 298 -20.8%BULGARIA n.d. n.d. n.d.CYPRUS n.d. n.d. n.d.CZECH REPUBLIC 272 261 4.2%DENMARK 100 157 -36.3%ESTONIA 35 50 -30.0%FINLAND 107 137 -21.9%FRANCE 1,694 1,465 15.6%GERMANY 1,583 1,633 -3.1%GREECE 15 54 -72.2%HUNGARY 110 16 587.5%IRELAND 49 129 -62.0%ITALY* 860 903 -4.8%LATVIA 49 11 345.5%LITHUANIA 57 39 42.6%LUXEMBURG 74 89 -16.9%NETHERLANDS 193 123 56.9%POLAND 399 516 -22.7%PORTUGAL 101 139 -27.3%ROMANIA 439 217 102.3%SLOVAKIA 56 88 -36.4%SLOVENIA 62 41 51.2%SPAIN 559 609 -8.2%SWEDEN 177 259 -31.7%UNITE KINGDOM 2,320 2,866 -19.1%EUROPEAN UNION 9,704 10,371 -6.4%ICELAND 19 21 -9.5%NORWAY 195 365 -46.6%SWITZERLAND 139 156 -10.9%EFTA 353 542 -34.9%TOTAL EU+EFTA 10,057 10,913 -7.8%

*) Anfia estimate, based on data of the Italian Ministry of Transport.

TURKEY REGISTRATIONS JANUARY-APRIL 2013 (TSKB source)

BUSES TYPE

Production Domestic Sales Export2013 2012 2013 2012 2013 2012

MINIBUS 12,544 8,726 2,056 2,455 11,941 5,603MIDIBUS 1,704 1,088 1,198 954 356 234BUS 3,024 2,172 1,700 518 1,125 1,299TOTAL 17,272 11,986 4,954 3,927 13,422 7,136

European bus market

Still DOWN

Registrations of new buses over 3.5 tonnes in the European Union are still negative for the month of April. The first

quarter of 2013 ends with a contraction of 6.4%

FOR the third consecutive month of 2013, new bus registrations in the

EU market report a negative sign. According to data analysis by ACEA (European Automobile Manufacturers’ Association), April registration of vehicles over 3.5 tonnes in the European Union totalled 2,532 compared to 2,614 in April 2012. The decrease amounts to -3.1 percent. It is a down market however less steep than the one recorded in the past few months (-11.2 percent in February, -17.6 in March). In April bus re-gistrations increased in France (+27.7 percent),

Germany (+26.1 percent) and, even if only slightly, in Italy (+2 percent). Decreases are reported however in the United Kingdom (-18 percent) and Spain (-20.8 percent).Given the performance in recent months, ove-rall results for the first quarter of 2013 is nega-tive with a loss of 6.4 percent (9,704 compared to 10,371 buses registered in the same period of 2012). The picture gets even worse if one con-siders the EU-15 countries only where the per-centage rises to -9.9. Even more so for EFTA zone countries (Iceland, Norway, Switzerland)

where the figure goes down to -34.9 percent. All referen-ce markets slide down at le-ast a bit with the exception, once again, of France, where registered buses and coaches rose from 1,465 to 1,694, an increase of 15.6 percent. Ger-many limits its losses to -3.1 percent with 1,583 registered units since January compared to 1,633 units for the same time period of 2012 . The Ita-lian market declines by -4.8 percent (860 vehicles com-pared to 903), while Spain is down by -8.2 (559 units compared to 609 for the first quarter of 2012). For the UK the decline amounts to -19.1 percent (2,320 vehicles com-pared to 2,866), and in Swe-den to -31.7 (177 compared to 259) while in Austria the figure goes all the way down to -42.1 (157 compared to 271).The heaviest losses were re-corded in Greece (-72.2 per-cent), where in four months there have been only 15 new buses deployed, and only 49 in Ireland (-62 percent).Eastern European countries report a sharp countertrend, with Hungary recording a peak of 587.5 percent. It is a striking result for a market of small figures that, however, reported an increase from 16 to 110. Good results from Ro-mania too, with 439 new bus registrations compared to 217 for the first quarter of the pre-vious year (+102.3 percent). Among the Baltic Republics, Latvia reports outstanding re-sults with a progress of 345.5 percent for the 49 new regi-stered vehicles compared to the 11 registered during the same time period of 2012. •

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - July-August 2013

MARKET GROWTH OUTSIDE THE EURO ZONE

REGISTRATIONS OF FUNDED BUSES IN ITALY (ASSTRA source)Buses and investments in Italy

A Sector in DECLINE

The downfall of vehicles and investments in the Italian bus transport sector continues. This is the picture emerging from a study by Asstra presented at the 10th National Congress

THE bus sector crisis shows no signs of recovery, in fact 2012 was

marked by a record low due to a sharp decre-ase in production, registrations, investments and resources. Italy thus recedes even further in European rankings, starting with the average age of bus fleets. These are the findings from a statistical survey of member companies con-ducted by Asstra (Transport Association) and presented at the 10th National Congress held in Bologna May 13-15.The picture pertaining the past decade highli-ghts the difficulties of an industry undermi-ned by a structural crisis. Such difficulties are linked in large part to the progressive re-duction of public resources for the renewal of vehicle fleets «and to an industrial system that

has never been in a position to self-finance its own investments», point out Asstra.Funding cuts have been a constant feature for the past 18 years. The 2.3 billion Euro allocated for the 1997-2001 four-year period shifted to 1.2 billion for the 2002-2006 pe-riod, to 278 million for 2007-2011 and to 110 million for 2012-2015.Domestic production of buses has thus reached unsustainable levels with just 489 vehicles pro-duced in 2012. A decline of 40.6 percent com-pared to the 823 buses manufactured in 2011. And if one looks backwards, the gap grows even further with peaks above 80 percent.Registrations of new vehicles also fell by ne-gative 30.4 percentage points in 2012 (2,131 units compared to 3,063 in 2011) marking a decline of more than 60 percent over the ten years period.The situation is even worse for the segment of financeable buses: they are reduced to 622 in 2012 compared to 1,161 in 2011 (-46.4 per-cent) and 3,567 in 2001 (-82.6 percent). City buses are the most effected with -49.7 percen-tage loss in 2011 (-41.8 for intercity buses).According to these numbers Italy struggles keep up with other reference markets in the European Union. Compared to France, Ger-many, the UK and Spain, Italy is the second

last, followed only by the Iberian peninsula, where last year there were only 1,872 regi-stered buses. Italy is also the country with the lowest number of new buses introduced in the market in the last five years: 335 regi-stered vehicles in relation to the population compared to 356 in the United Kingdom, 370 in Spain, 374 in Germany and 525 in France.Such a considerable decline in the production and registration of buses has had an effect not only on the ageing of fleets but also on the quality of service provided to passengers, on the financial burden of transport companies since older vehicles consume more fuel and have more expensive maintenance costs and, last but not least, because of their environ-mental impact. Suffice it to say that a bus with

Euro I engine generates Pm10 pollutant emis-sions levels that are about 80 percent higher than a bus powered by a Euro VI engine.The Italian bus fleet is therefore increasingly obsolete: in 2012 the average age of vehicles currently in service reached the threshold of 11.57 years (11.19 for city buses and 11.95 for intercity buses). It amounts to an increase of over half a point in just twelve months, two points over five years. And for the seventh consecutive year, the gap from the 7 years European average (Germany 5.4, Spain 6.1, Sweden 6.2, France 7.5) continues to increase progressively .Out of the 99,537 buses in service in 2012 (about 900 less than in 2011), 59 percent have exceeded 10 years of life. The majority of the-


FUNDED BUSES TOTAL

FUNDED BUSES TYPE

• CITYBUS • INTERCITY

BUS PUBLIC FUNDING (Mln Euro)

2,8382,485

2,1521,925

1,220

1,731

1,161

622

1,149

611

609

776

637

1,094

680

481342

280

2,314

1,210

278 110

Italians travel increa-singly less. The eco-nomic crisis is to be blamed for weighting down on consum-ption, production and employment. And con-sequently on mobility. This is why for four consecutive years (2008-2012), com-mutes on an average weekday decreased from 128 million to 97.5, down by 23.9 percent in four years. This figure emerges from the Report on mobility in Italy con-ducted by Isfort (Insti-tute for Transport Tra-ining and Research) in collaboration with the Hermes Research Centre and Asstra and Anav transport asso-ciations.

During the worse year hit by the crisis, 2012, all modes of tran-sport on city roads experienced a down-turn: the car (-16.2 percent), cycles and motorcycles (-38.9), public transport (-6.6). The only positive note for public transport is the recovery of its market share from 13.5 to 15.1 percent while the car, still by far the most used

mean of transport, de-clines at 84.9 percent compared to 86.5 in 2011. On intercity roads, however, the private vehicle incre-ases its share by 1.7 percent while public transport declines by 1.8.The recovery of public over private transport is not limited to 2012. This trend has been in effect for the last five years with an increase

of 8.2 percent on city transport for travels by bus, tram, metro and suburban rail compa-red to 19.3 percenta-ge points recession for the car.«Let us have no illu-sions», warns Carlo Carminucci, scienti-fic director of Isfort, «The positive trend in the use of public tran-sport in recent years was led by the crisis rather than by a con-scious change in the habits of public tran-sport use. Precisely for this reason, howe-ver, the current situa-tion of economic and social crisis is, para-doxically, a formidable opportunity to radically change mobility in our country».

BUS TRANSPORT IS CATCHING UP

se vehicles (over 86 percent) is powered by diesel fuel while the remaining 10.85 percent runs on CNG. Only 1.9 percent have an elec-tric drive system, while the rest of the share is made of hybrid buses (0.48 percent) and LPG (0.24).In terms of emissions, 52 percent of fleets still run on pollutant engines within Euro 0, I and II parameters. Euro III vehicles make up for 26 percent while Euro IV, V and VI are only 22 percent (2011 data).In this context, an injection of resources and interventions over time is needed. «At the present time», explains Asstra, «the funding

situation indica-tes a remaining availability close to zero, compa-red to a strate-gic objective for the revival of the Local Public Transport sector requiring at least an investment of about 3,400 new

buses a year for the next ten years».With the introduction of 3,400 vehicles a year over a decade, the average vehicle age would be greatly reduced and equated to the 7 years European standard. The financial investment that Asstra estimated is necessary to achieve this goal amounts to more than 7.5 billion Eu-ros. Therefore what is needed is a multi-year plan of public funding to support companies in their fleet renewal efforts. «A plan to be organised according to the logic of economic performance (standard costs) and to be paid for annually together with the funding for the kilometers of service», suggests Asstra. «This way companies will be able to adopt an indu-strial logic reasoning and entities that manage tenders can require minimum standards for vehicle fleets in use».In order to promote a policy of investment expansion Asstra suggests a series of me-asures including the promotion of leasing contracts, the definition of a tax purpose to supplement funding for the renewal of fleets, the creation of a guarantee fund for access to grants and the coordination of Funds Bei, de-velopment funds and other structural funds.•

AGE OF BUS FLEET

Anni 2011 2012

0-3 10,187 9,407>3-5 8,763 7,455>5-8 15,225 14,589>8-10 9,783 9,641Total <=10 43,958 41,092Total >10 56,480 58,445

COMPONENTS ON LINEOn www.bustocoach.com website

is on line the directory dedicated to accessories, components and services in Europe

You can search for suppliers by product category (air conditioning, ticketing, on board electronic, spare parts,

seats, etc.) and access to the product sheets

You can access through the site, selecting the COMPONENTS directory or going directly to the linkwww.bustocoach.com/en/content/components-europe


Iveco Bus supply in Piedmont

New Buses in SERVICE

IVECO Bus vehicles have re-cently been delivered in

Piedmont. The supply consists of 36 buses for companies Ati-Trasporti Interurbani based in Saluzzo (Cuneo) and Seag located in Vil-lafranca Piemonte in the province of Turin.The supply includes 34 units of the 12-metre Crossway intercity bus range and two Arway in the longer 15-metre version.The Crossways fit up to 49 passengers and are equipped with EEV emission stan-dard FPT Industrial Cursor 8 engine with 330 hp and four-speed automatic transmis-

sion with integrated retarder.The Arway have a capacity of 63 passenger seats and are powered by the FPT Industrial Cursor 10 engine with 380 hp (Euro 5), also equipped with a four-speed automatic tran-smission.Both models feature EBS (Electronic Braking

System) and ESP (Electronic Stability Program) safety sy-stems, and are equip-ped with a wheelchair platform as well as a dedicated area in the passenger cabin.The vehicles make use of the BIP system (Piedmont integrated ticketing system) whi-ch, in addition to elec-

tronic ticketing through contactless microchip smart-card technology, also includes a satelli-te monitoring system of public transport vehi-cles as well as onboard surveillance.This Iveco Bus delivery is part of a bigger commission of over 50 vehicles purchased by the Buscompany consortium of which Ati and Seag are part together with companies Fogliati, TM and Linea Verde Giachino. •

Transport companies Ati and Seag take delivery of a batch of 36 Iveco Bus vehicles. The buses belong to the 12-metre

Crossway and the 15-metre Arway ranges

Orders and projects for Volvo Buses

SWEDISHTechnology

ELECTRIC Volvo buses in Gothenburg

(Sweden) in 2015. This is the aim of project ElectriCity that, in addition to the electric vehicles, it involves the trial run of new bus-stop solutions, traffic-routing management systems, security concepts, energy supply and innovative business models.The buses will be entirely powered by elec-tricity from renewable sources and will be part of the public transport system of the city of Gothenburg.The vehicles will be extremely efficient in terms of fuel consum-ption. Also, they will be silent and com-pletely emission-free. Passengers will have access to new technologies and at least one of the stops will be located indoors.The initiative was launched by Volvo Group, in cooperation with the Swedish Energy Agency, Region Västra Götaland, the city of Gothenburg, Göteborg Energi, Västtrafik, Johanneberg Science Park and Lindholmen Science Park.

Transmetro, public transport company of Guatemala City, also bet on Volvo technolo-gy with an order of 28 articulated buses for its BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) transport system.Volvo Bus Latin America was commissioned the order as part of the fleet renewal plan for the southern axis of the city transport system in the capital of Guatemala. The buses are the 20-metre B340M model with a capaci-

ty for 180 passengers. They are powered by Euro5 diesel engine and are equipped with disc brakes with ABS/EBS, electronic trac-tion suspension control, retarder and automated gearbox. The vehicles are scheduled to be de-livered in July 2013. •

Volvo electric buses powered by renewable energy sources are expected to start service in Gothenburg in 2015. 28 Volvo B340M articulated buses ordered in Guatemala


LAST May, in Switzerland, it was Geneva’s turn to host the 60th

UITP World Congress and Mobility & City Transport Exhibition, the international event that every two years puts together and evalu-ates ideas and proposals for public transport from around the world (in 2011 it took place in Dubai, UAE).As expected, the figures capturing the event in Geneva are significant: 2,097 participants from 78 countries flocked to 21 sessions to discuss all kind of knowledge about public transport by road and rail; 25,867 visitors and 326 exhibitors.It should be noted, however, that in the face of the virtually unchanged number of exhibitors compared to the previous editions (353 in 1995 in Paris and 315 in 2009 in Vienna), the atten-dance of bus manufacturers has been gradual-ly shrinking, consisting of only fifteen brand names, and in most cases each had only one vehicle on display. Everything else pertained components and public transport management systems in all of its forms.The recurrent theme of the vehicles on display was solutions for sustainable mobility from an environmental perspective. Therefore: Euro VI engines, electric and hybrid buses, and some noteworthy innovations.

UITP Congress in Geneva

A Line of Single BusesThe 60th edition of UITP World Congress & Exhibition featured

a taste of the various innovative solutions for sustainable mobility offered by international bus manufacturers

To start with, at the Iveco stand the passing of the baton took place between the Irisbus brand, with its stylised dolphin logo, and the new Iveco Bus brand name, which from now will be found on the grille to all models. This was also the occasion to launch Urbanway, the new citybus range (diesel, CNG and hybrid), characterised by a more aggressive aesthetic than the previous Citelis model and by comple-tely redesigned interiors aimed at passengers comfort and ergonomic features for the driver. More than anything, this was the also the oc-casion to showcase the new engines Tector 7 and Cursor 9, Euro VI compliant thanks to the Hi-eSCR system patented by FPT Industrial for the reduction of NOx emissions without the use of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation). A 12-metre version Urbanway with 360 hp en-gine (265 kW) and a capacity of up to 102 passengers could be seen on display.Euro VI engines were also featured on the new Citaro bus by Mercedes (the 12.1-metre ver-sion on display won ‘Bus of the Year 2013’ award), already in production since the end of last year, thus ahead of all its competitors . The complete renewal of the Citaro Euro VI range is underway and by next autumn it will comprise as many as 18 different model va-

EURO VI READY

IVECO BUS - Urbanway

Fuel Cell

MERCEDES - Citaro C2

SCANIA

riants. Also, by the end of 2013 900 Euro VI Citaro will be delivered out of a total of 1,700 Daimler buses equipped with the new engines (Mercedes and Setra). Compared to their pre-decessors, they offer a significant decrease in fuel consumption: the 12.1-metre Citaro is 8.5 percent more efficient while fuel saving for the articulated model amount to more than 6 per-cent. Also thanks to the recuperation module that stores energy in double-layer capacitors (Supercaps) which can later be used during acceleration.In the open-air section dedicated to test drives there was also one of the five Mercedes Citaro FuelCELL Hybrid in service for PostBus Swi-tzeland Ltd in Brugg since late 2011.There was no real bus exhibited at the Sca-nia stand, just a cardboard model. This way Scania preferred to channel the attention in the display area (via static panels as well video) on its transport systems and technology solutions. From the dedicated lanes of Johannesburg in South Africa and in Cambridge (UK) to the BRT systems implemented in Chanzhou (Chi-na) and Bogota (Colombia), the aim was to emphasise the characteristics of the “Bus Sy-stem by Scania”: flexibility, rationality, effi-ciency and sustainability. In terms of traction systems, Scania distanced itself from hybrid drives (which it has been researching for about 20 years), since they are not considered co-st-effective and reliable in view of current energy storage systems.The preference is to rely on new Euro VI diesel engines and on the use of renewable fuels: ethanol, biodiesel, bio-gas and gas with which Scania has more than thirty years of experience. This is the reason for displaying its natural gas engine (compres-sed CNG or liquefied LNG), the 9.3-litre OC09 engine, five-cylinder, Euro VI compliant, 280 hp or 340 hp.The center-stage at the Man exhibit area was taken over by the entire length of the 18.75-me-tre Lion’s City GL, driven by the D20 engine with 360 horsepower and EGR, SCR, CRTec filter technologies to meet Euro VI emission standard. This unit is part of a batch of 50 buses that Man will deliver to the city of Lau-sanne later this year.Eco-friendly engines, ready to meet next year deadline, were also seen at the sand of Turki-sh manufacturer Otokar who showcased a 9.2-metre low-entry Vectio C with Man D0836

EURO VI READY

SOLARIS - Urbino 18

TEMSA - MD 9 LE OTOKAR - Vectio C

MAN - Lion’s City GL TAM DURABUS - Vive TL

LOH 73 Euro VI engine of 250 horsepower, combined with Voith automatic transmission and with a capacity of 25 seated passengers, 32 standing and one wheelchair. The other vehi-cle on display was a the 12-metre Kent C, a low-floor city bus fitting up to 110 passengers, also powered by a Man EuroV/EEV engine.Euro VI Cummins engines for the multipurpo-se 9.6-metre Lives TL intercity bus, by Slove-nian manufacturer TAM Durabus, were only announced as forthcoming. TAM Durabus is the company born from the ashes of historical company TVM, thanks to Chinese and Dutch investments. It offers a wide range of models, including diesel vehicles of 9 and 12.3 metres, electric buses of 12.3 metres and airport buses up to 14.7 metres.A Euro VI engine is also on the way for 9.5-metre MD 9 LE by Temsa which remains loyal to the Cummins brand but replaces the 4 cylinder ISB4.5 E5 of 207 hp with the 6-cylin-der ISB6.7 E6 of 250 hp, combined with Al-lison automatic transmission. The interior equipment of the vehicle on display featured two colours to differentiate between the Class I (green) and Class II (orange) variants. The first model can fit up to 30 seats + 4 folding seats and wheelchair, while the Class II model fits 33 seats and a total of 57 passengers.The articulated Urbino 18 by Solaris also im-plemented Euro VI engines by switching to the 10.8 litres DAF MX11 of 368 hp, on di-splay alongside the 12-metre long Urbino with electric drive (introduced in 2012) with 160 kW engine, 210 kW lithium-ion batteries and Konvekta air conditioning system with CO2 heat pump. It offers three different charging solutions. A plug-in connection which can be specified as a DC connection with external charging station or as an AC connection with an on-board charger. The second solution is in-ductive charging via a pick-up coil fitted under the vehicle. And finally, it is possible to opt for the use of a roof-mounted connection system for automatic recharging.VDL Bus & Coach featured a world premiere with the launch of the batteries and electric dri-ve version of the Citea SLF low-floor city bus with a length of 12 metres and a running range of 200 kilometres. In addition to the basic solu-tion with electric motors in the wheel hubs on the rear axle and relatively large battery pack, one can opt for less demanding batteries powe-

ELECTRIC RECHARGING

SOLARIS - Urbino 12 EL

VDL BUS & COACH - Citea EL

BOMBARDIER / RAMPINI - Alè EL Primove

red by periodical quick-charging methods such as induction, trolley or plug-in.Plug-in technology for charging at bus termi-nuses via a collector installed on the roof of the vehicle is the novelty offered by Volvo for the 7900 Hybrid bus. Measuring 12 metres in length it makes use of a series-hybrid system that consists of a small 5-litre diesel engine and an electric engine powered by lithium-ion batteries. It reduces fuel consumption by 75% compared to traditional diesel buses and has a ‘full electric” running range of 7 kilometres. The plug-in hybrid by Volvo will be subject to evaluation for a period of two years in Gothen-burg, Sweden, after which serial production is scheduled for the second half of 2015.To better manage bus driving, optimising con-sumption, safety and passenger comfort, Volvo introduced the I-Coaching unit, a small box lo-cated on the dashboard that monitors the main driving parameters (engine speed, braking and acceleration, vehicle speed and steering), provi-ding instant feedback when limits are exceeded.Among all the various charging systems, it is worth noting the Primove by Bombardier, a transit bus with in-route charging via inductive power units built into the route roadway, alre-ady in use in Mannheim (Germany) on Hess vehicles and in Bruges (Belgium) on Van Hool vehicles. The presentation at UITP in Geneva was done in combination with the Alè Electric by Italian company Rampini.Electric traction with batteries was also seen for the 12-metre long vehicles by Chinese manu-facturers BYD and Youngman. The first, cal-led ‘BYD ebus’ has two doors and a low-floor non-step passenger cabin (with two full height compartments on the front wheel hubs). Bat-teries are its proclaimed strength. They are are Iron-Phosphate batteries (built by BYD) with a capacity of 600 Ah delivering 324 kWh of power, rechargeable in 5 hours through the 80kW AC on-board system with a running ran-ge of 250 km in urban conditions and 10 years duration (4,000 recharging cycles). Movement is transmitted by two permanent-magnet bru-shless AC synchronous engines delivering 90 kW, mounted on the rear axle.The low-entry electric bus by Youngman had an interesting interior layout. In the lowered cabin section the seats are facing the corridor and are mounted on a high base to the side walls. The base also works as storage space for the four

ELECTRIC RECHARGING

VOLVO - 7900 Hybrid Plug-in

BYD - Ebus

EBUSCO - ElectricYOUNGMAN - Electric

battery packs of 35 kWh that power the electric engine with permanent magnets of 120 kW.In the open-air section dedicated to test drives it was possible to see another Chinese electric bus, the same exhibited last year at the IAA. It was a 11.5-metre low-entry city bus made by Zhuhai Guangtong Car, with electric system by Zhuhai Yintong New Power Tech and cu-stomised by Dutch company Ebusco that also takes care of its commercialisation in Europe.The multi-hybrid solution proposed by French company Safra could only be seen on paper at their stand. It takes the name of Businova, it measure 10.5 metres in length and it features very original looks (see article BusToCoach May 2013).There were also trolleybuses. In the fore-ground, Van Hool exhibited the 8.6 metres long Exqui.City with the Geneva design, of which 33 units have been ordered by TPG, the public transport company of the Swiss canton.Emphasising the possibilities offered by the Exqui.City multi-propulsion platform, in Gene-va the Belgian manufacturer also presented the 22.8-metre bi-articulated hybrid diesel-electric bus built for the city of Barcelona (TMB or-dered 3 units) and the 23.8-metre BRT hybrid bus for the French city of Metz (27 vehicles that will start service in October). After only two years since its launch, as many as 92 Exqui.City vehicles have already been sold. In addition to those already mentioned, they also include 9 18-metre trolleybuses for Par-ma (Italy), the 5 24-metre hybrids for Luxem-bourg and 15 24-metre hybrid CNG for Malmo (Scandinavia).At the Stadler Rail AG stand one could see the 18.7-metre trolleybus Vitovt Max Duo 43303A by Belkommunmash (Belarus), sporting roun-ded outlines and covering bands to mask the electrical equipment on the roof, equipped with a diesel generator for autonomous driving. The unusual internal layout consists of a raised dri-ver’s area that is two stairs above the corridor and completely isolated from the passenger area.There was also an 18.7-metre trolleybus by Swiss company Hess, both in the classic ver-sion and with the new rounded front look, also on display in the open-air section with the co-lours of the TOSA project (Trolleybus Optimi-sation Systeme Alimentation).The 61st edition of the UITP World Congress will take place in Milan in 2015. •

WITH THE TROLLEY ON THE ROOF

VAN HOOL - Exqui.City Geneva

Exqui.City Mettis

Exqui.City TMB

BELKOMMUNMASH / STADLER - Vitovt Max Duo

HESS - Trolleybus 02788

THERE could have been no better choice than the Comfort-

Class by Setra to inaugurate the road tests of Euro VI buses. Way ahead of all its competi-tors, it was already possible to admire it in the two and three-axle HD versions at the IAA in Hanover last September. With the approach-ing of the January 1st 2014 deadline, when Euro VI will become mandatory for all new vehicle registrations, rhetoric is no longer suf-ficient and it is necessary to shift to substan-tial results: hence the road test, precisely.

EURO VI Cut down Fuel Consumption

Lenght mm 12,295 Width mm 2,550 Height with AC mm 3,770 Wheelbase mm 6,090 Front Overhang mm 2,890 Rear Overhang mm 3,315 Luggage m3 8.1 Turning Circle mm 21,500 Fuel Tank litres 475 AdBlue Tank litres 40 Test Weight kg 17,700

Routes km km/h km/litreMain Road 43.4 54.3 3.95Highway (up) 40.5 78.4 2.69Highway (down) 52.2 71.2 6.87Highway (plain) 206.3 95.2 5.51TOTAL 342.4 81.2 4.82

DIMENSIONS

Performance Index 0 9.78 10

FUEL COMSUMPTION

Up on the Highway Plain on the Highway

Main Road Down on the Highway TOTAL AVERAGE

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - July-August 2013 SETRA - ComfortClass S 515 HD

TEST2.69

3.95

6.87

4.825.51

km/li

tre

THE 4-star equipment for the S 515 HD in this

case consists of 44 Setra Voyage passenger seats (plus tour guide and driver), with excellent service sets, mounted on a base frame that raises at 145 millimetres from the aisle and which is itself at 1,350 mm from the ground. The vehicle is accessible via a central entrance with five 250 mm high steps and via a four-stairs entrance area in the front where the steps measure only 180 mm to ease the climb up. A toilet cabin and a multi-function kitchen are located to the sides of the central staircase. In the interior, the elegance of the cabin is combined with a pleasant sense of spaciousness, due to grea-ter standing headroom (2,060 mm) and to the continuous fabric ceiling spanning to the centre aisle (also good for soundproofing). Further-more, the design contour of the air ducts, to the side of the luggage

racks, opens outwards towards the side window thus increasing the panoramic view and allowing pas-sengers in window seats to get up more easily.The speakers are located in a track built into the air duct and are spa-

ced out according to service sets (air nozzles and LED reading li-ghts). The service sets have a mo-dular design and can be adjusted to suit any given seating arrange-ment.The aisle has a width of 360 mm

between armrests and features open overhead racks fitting almost 2 cubic feet of luggage. Good cli-mate is provided by an air condi-tioning system with 35 kW cooling power, automatic control and uni-formly distributed temperature. •

PASSEGGERI Seats n. 44+1 Internal Height mm 2,060 Aisle Height mm 1,350 Aisle Width mm 350 Entrances Width mm 580/560 Raks Volume m3 1.9 Comfort Type Seats Voyage Plus A.C automatic 35 kW Heater Convectors Roof Hatches 1 manual Glazing Double Audio/Video CMS, DVB-T Toilette Yes Kitchen Complete

Space and Comfort

THE TEST ROUTEPASSENGERS

In recent months the new ComfortClass 500 buses have not been placed on-hold. In fact, they already joined the fleets of major European transport operators (such as German companies Schäfer Reisen, Block Busreisen and Avanti Rei-sen and Italian company Di Fonzo), and they also undertook substantial performance tests by Setra itself. Such as, for example, the test that took place in Germany at the end of last October under the supervision of Dekra. In this case, the comparison between an S 415 GT-HD Euro V and an S 515 HD Euro VI resulted in the latter saving as much as 8.2% of fuel.It would seem implausible to hope for such a good outcome, and yet the tests carried out by BusToCo-ach also confirmed such positive results, although not exactly to the same extent. In March 2012, we tested an S 416 GT-HD/2 Euro V (two-axle, 13 meters long and with a test weight of 17,910 kg) on the exact same 342 kilometres route. Results showed that it outperformed all other vehicles (see table at end of this article) with an average consumption of one litre of diesel fuel every 4.57 km (21.88 litres per 100 kilometres), traveling at an avera-

Even the cockpit has more space, thanks to a front-

end extension and to the repo-sitioning of the tour guide seat to the right which also facili-tates the transit of passengers over the two steps that give access to the passenger area.Ergonomic criteria strongly de-termine the positioning of the dri-ver’s seat (adjustable and with air suspension) and of the suspended pedals, as well as the layout of control buttons and switch ele-ments on the instrument panel. The cockpit has been completely redesigned, focusing on the panel with the new high-resolution co-lour display and with four round dial instruments that indicate the vehicle speed, the engine speed, as well as current fuel and Ad-Blue levels.The display is operated via the “Stacks & Cards” system throu-gh buttons on the steering wheel, allowing efficient navigation between individual menu groups (such as route information or

current vehicle data) and its sub-menus (cards).The multifunction steering wheel also houses the buttons to control the Tempomat system, to activate the driver assistance systems and to operate the Coach Multimedia

System, inclusive of with navi-gation system, DVD player, Mp3 and AUX port.The driver’s area provides excel-lent direct visibility as well as rearview visibility through mul-tiple mirrors. •

AUTISTA Platform Height mm 890 Cockpit Width mm 900 Cockpit Depth mm 1,650 Cockpit Height mm 2,200 Adjustment Seat mm 220 Dotazioni Seat type Pneumatic Window Electric Sunshade Double, electric Blinds (left) Manual roller Fridge 63 litres

Cockpit all New

DRIVER

ge speed of 76.9 km/h.Well, the S 515 HD Euro VI (two-axle, 12.3 meters long and 17,700 kg of weight) that Bu-sToCoach took for a test drive performed much better: 4.82 km/litre, that is 20.75 litres per 100 kilometres. Compared to the GT-HD/2 Euro V, fuel saving corresponds to 5.16 percent, that in one year of service (at least 80 thousand kilome-tres) translate into more or less 900 litres less of fuel consumption and more than one thousand Euro in savings.In quantifying the average consumption we computed also the amount of AdBlue (4.7% of used fuel for the S 416 and 3.4% for the S 515 ) injected into the exhaust gas to redu-ce pollutant emissions. There are no doubts that the prota-gonist of this performance is the power train that combines the GO 250-8 automated tran-smission with the new Blue Efficiency Power OM 470 Mercedes engine with 428 horsepower (315 kW) and ma-ximum torque of 2,100 Nm at 1,100 rpm.The same can be claimed for the many measures that have been undertaken during the design phase in general.All elements of the bodywork have been optimised in func-tion of aerodynamics (includi-ng the driver’s window with integrated acoustic film and the improved sealing system on the doors) such that the ae-rodynamic drag has been redu-ced by 20%, bringing the Cx value to an industry record low of 0.33.For instance, the windscreen is substantially more rounded and it extends all the way down to the grille featuring the Setra logo. The wind-screen is equipped with the new Aquablade wi-per system with clipless wiper blade that has an integrated water channel to distribute the washer fluid directly from the upper side of brush. The shape of the rearview mirrors has also been im-proved, now being more round and integrated into a single body with the arms.Contributing to the decrease in fuel consum-ption there are also: a lowered bodyshell wei-

LIKE all ComfortClass vehicles in the

500 series, the S 515 HD is also equipped with the new generation BlueEfficiency Power engine by Mercedes. It is the OM 470 with 428 hp delivering 315 kW of pow-er at 1,800 rpm from a displace-ment of 10.7 litres. Maximum torque of 2,100 Nm is available at 1,100 rpm. It features common rail injection technology with pressure booster (X-Pulse) to limit fuel consumption and exhaust emis-sions. To meet Euro VI standard, in addition to BlueTec and SCR technology with AdBlue injection it combines exhaust gas recircula-tion and a closed particulate filter. It should be noted that the exhaust gas recirculation reduces nitrogen oxides generated during combus-tion, resulting in lower AdBlue consumption (in our case the re-duction amount was 3,4%). The particulate filter needs replacement for the first time at 360 thousand kilometres and thereafter only ev-ery 240 thousand kilometres. The entire exhaust gas aftertreatment

system (oxidising catalytic con-verter, particulate filter and SCR catalytic converter) is combined in a single housing.The S 515 HD that BusToCo-ach used for this test drive was equipped with the excellent fully

automated eight-speed GO 250-8 PS3 transmission, approved for a peak engine torque of 2,500 Nm. Integrated with the transmission it used the new Voith hydrodynamic retarder that produces a braking torque of up to 3,500 Nm. •

ght (200 kilograms less), the suspension system (that perfectly manages running stability) with the electronic lowering the vehicle body by 20 millimetres at a speed of 95 km/h or more (0.7% savings) and the optimisation of all ser-vice equipment, from the electronics network to the climate control system.In terms of safety the Setra S 515 HD does not omit anything. It is already in compliance with the Eu-ropean ECE R66/01201 Directive on guaranteeing ‘survival space’ in case the vehicle overturns (into for-ce starting 2017). The front structure meets the require-ment of the pendulum im-pact test (ECE R29) and the driver’s area is pro-tected by Front Collision Guard (FCG), the passive safety system by which the entire driver’s area slides backwards in the event of a severe frontal impact, for years fitted as stan-dard on Setra vehicles.In addition to the ESP (Electronic Stability Program) integrated into the functions of the electronic braking system, the Setra S 515 HD is equipped with Adaptive Cruise Control com-bined with ABA2 (Active Brake Assist) that reacts to stationary obstacles on the road by issuing an acoustic warning to the driver and subsequently by triggering an emergency stop. Further, it comes equipped with SPA lane assi-stance system that warns of any abnormal lane departures, ATAS for the continuous monitoring of the driver’s level of attention, the rain-light sensor on the windscreen, tire pressure moni-toring system (TPM) and automatic fire extin-guishing system in the engine compartment. •

Efficiency Power

MOTORE MERCEDES OM 470 Displacement cc 10,671Bore/Stroke 125/145Geometry vertical 6 in linePosition backPower 428 cv (315 kW)/1,800 rpm Torque Nm 2,100 a 1,100 rpm Injection Common rail with X-Pulse Compression Ratio 17.6:1Oil Tank litres 32Pollution Class Euro VI Gas Treatment Egr+Scr+FilterLife test vehicle km 14,340

TYRESContinental HSR2 295/80 R 22.5 152/148M

SUSPENSIONSFull pneumatic with level’s elec- tro-nic control (ENR). Front axle with in-dipendent wheels.BRAKESFull disc brakes. Electronically con-trolled EBS pneumatic system with ABS, ASR, Brake Assist (BAS) and Retarder.SAFETYESP, Font Collision Guard (FCG), Adaptive Cruise control (ART) with Active Brake Assist (ABA2), Lane Assistant (SPA), Tyre Pressure Mo-nitoring System (TPM), Engine fire detection. Rear view camera.

TRANSMISSIONThe tested vehicle has the automated Merce-des GO 250-8 PS3 PowerShift with eight speeds and the Voith integrated water retarder.Transmission Ratio 3.583Acceleration 0-100 km/h sec. 42.5rpm/min

Km/h

COACH: 2-AXLES COMPAREDModello km/h km/litre IndexSetra S 515 HD 81.2 4.82 9.78Temsa Safari HD 13 75.3 3.82 7.19Setra S 416 GT-HD/2 76.9 4.57 8.79Mercedes Tourismo RHD 78.1 4.05 7.91Irisbus Magelys Pro 12,8 78.4 4.01 7.86

GEARBOX

Nm

2,100

1,650

1,200

kW

315

300

270

240

210

1801,000 1,200 1,400 1,600 1,800

14.6 23 34.9 55.1 76.3 95.8 120.5 151.4

0 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150

rpm/min

1,8001,500

1,000

500

0

ENGINE

8a 7a 6a 5a 4a 3a 2a

1a

Documents

BUSTOCOACH EUROPEAN ON-LINE MAGAZINE - July-August 2013