bustocoach european on-line magazine - march 2013

BusToCoach

EUROPEAN ON-LINE MAGAZINE - March 2013

EXQUI.CITY EUROPE MARKET 2012 - IRISBUS IN BELGIUM - SCANIA - VDL BUS & COACH - TRANSPOTEC - INDCAR MAGO2 - FLASH NEWS - HIGH TECH STORE

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ON-LINE MAGAZINE linked www.bustocoach.com - March 2013

VAN HOOL18-metre Exqui.City

trolleybuses for Parma.

INDCARConsolidates Italian presence and

renews the look of the Mago2.

BusToCoachEuropean on-line magazine

Editor in chiefMarino Ginanneschi

[email protected]

Managing editor and International relations

Elena [email protected]

Photos and videos Marco Degano

[email protected]

AdministrationTransport Web di Marco Degano & C Snc

I 20149 MilanoVia Silva 33

E-mail: [email protected]: www.bustocoach.com

Registration: Tribunale di Milano n. 140 del 16/03/2012

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EUROPE 2012Small recovery in spite of

heavy falls.

FLASH NEWS Alexander Dennis, Setra,

Mercedes, Volvo and VDL.

IRISUS IVECOBig hit for the Crossway

LE in Belgium.

HIGH TECH STORELabiotest, VDO, Sogefi,

Man and Allison.

VDL BUS & COACHGood results in

Belgium and in Poland.

SCANIAWins in Russia and begins

production in India.

DIRECT LINK

COLUMNS BUS MARKET

IN THE FOREGROUND

TRANSPOTECSome buses at the trucks

exhibit in Verona.

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

MARKET 2010 2011 2012 2012-2011D%

AUSTRIA 760 602 722 19.9%BELGIUM 1,019 716 701 -2.1%BULGARIA n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d.CYPRUS n.d. n.d. n.d. n.d.CZECH REPUBLIC 751 837 731 -12.7%DENMARK 659 475 506 6.5%ESTONIA 125 55 116 110.9%FINLAND 513 398 533 33.9%FRANCE 5,906 6,803 6,062 -10.9%GERMANY 5,219 5,042 5,139 1.9%GREECE 403 83 118 42.2%HUNGARY 272 152 51 -66.4%IRELAND 47 78 236 202.6%ITALY* 4,432 3,063 2,131 -30.4%LATVIA 137 189 92 -51.3%LITHUANIA 90 104 145 39.4%LUXEMBURG 174 197 159 -19.3%NETHERLANDS 684 640 779 21.7%POLAND 1,362 1,538 1,271 -17.4%PORTUGAL 491 331 223 -32.6%ROMANIA 344 139 1,463 952.5%SLOVAKIA 505 302 307 1.7%SLOVENIA 142 123 92 -25.2%SPAIN 2,428 2,679 1,642 -38.7%SWEDEN 1,672 1,617 1,629 0.7%UNITE KINGDOM 6,563 5,485 7,233 31.9%EUROPEAN UNION 34,698 31,648 32,081 1.4%ICELAND 25 31 69 122.6%NORWAY 1,482 1,345 1,231 -8.5%SWITZERLAND 531 669 509 -23.9%EFTA 2,038 2,045 1,809 -11.5%TOTAL EU+EFTA 36,736 33,693 33,890 0.6%

NEW BUS REGISTRATIONS IN EUROPE 2012 (Acea source)

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

SEGMENT 2009 2010 2011 2012 2012-2011D %

CITY BUS 610 1,105 681 342 -49.8%INTERCITY BUS 611 637 481 280 -41.8%COACH 500 673 655 497 -24.1%MINIBUS 756 702 720 620 -13.9%SCHOOL BUS 550 633 526 392 -25.5%TOTAL 3,027 3,750 3,063 2,131 -30.4%

Source: Elaboration Anfia based on the number of Certificates of Title issued by the Italian Ministry of Transport.

NEW BUS REGISTRATIONS IN ITALY 2012

European bus market 2012

Slight RECOVERY

In 2012 registrations grew by 1.4 percent in the 27 EU member states. Very good results from the UK, Ireland and

Romania. Sharp decline from Spain, Portugal and Italy

THE year 2012 ended with a + sign for the European bus market.

This is the picture emerging from the latest survey on registrations of buses over 3.5 tonnes in the European Union conducted by ACEA, the European Automobile Manufac-turers’ Association. The increase is modest: + 1.4 percent in the 27 EU member states. But it is newsworthy nonetheless if one considers the current economic crisis. Additionally, it is worth noting because it marks a trend rever-sal compared to 2011. But also because the bus segment was the only one with a positive

sign in 2012, a very difficult year, to say the least, for heavy duty vehicles. Registration of trucks over 16 tonnes of weight, for exam-ple, decreased by 21.7 percent while those for trucks over 3.5 tonnes fell by 22.8. The minus sign did not even spare commercial vehicles over 3.5 tonnes (-24.3 percent).Regarding the bus segment, the units registe-red in 2012 in the 27 EU countries amoun-ted to 32,081 compared to 31,648 in 2011, marking, as it has already been mentioned, a recovery equal to 1.4 percent. However, thi-ngs are a little less encouraging if one looks

at results in the EU-15 zone alone instead, for in this case,the percen-tage turns into a negati-ve 1.4 percent.The European markets of reference continue to be France (6,062 regi-stered buses), Germany (5,139) and the UK (7,233). In these three markets, however, the best performance came from United Kingdom, with an increase of 31.9 percent. France is in ne-

gative territory (-10.9 per-cent) while Germany, with a 1.9 positive percentage figure, simply recovers what it had lost in 2011.The highest percentage peaks were recorded in Romania where the bus market jumped by an im-pressive 952.5 percentage points (1,463 registered buses compared to 139 in 2011), in Ireland (236 buses, +202.6 percent) and in Estonia (+110.9 percent). After the hea-vy losses suffered in the past years Greece reco-vers some grounds (+42.2 percent). Other Mediter-ranean countries continue to withdraw: headed by Spain with -38.7 percent, followed by Portugal (-32.6) and Italy (-30.4). It should be noted that data for Italy are based on estimates provided by An-fia (Italian Association of the Automotive Industry), depicting the recurrence of a heavy contraction (2011 ended at -18.5%) where the weakest link is constituted by line buses: registrations of city and intercity buses have vir-tually halved.The bus sector in Italy, also according to An-fia, remains firmly in the hands of Irisbus with a market share of 43.6 per-centage points. At consi-derable distance there is Evobus with a share of 27.1 percent. All other players have market sha-res below 5 percent: Man stands at 4.9, King Long grasps 3.9, Temsa 3.6, Sca-nia 2.9 and VDL 2.3. •

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - March 2013

NORTH AMERICA LIKES THE SETRA S 417

AN exclusive Setra S 417 from the TopClass range was on show at the 2013 UMA Expo, the motor show

held by the United Motorcoach Association (Orlando, Flori-da, 20-23 January). The US variant of the European TopClass 400 was presented at the stand of Motor Coach Industries In-ternational Inc. (MCI), Setra’s partner fors sales and service in North America and Canada. Manufactured in Neu-Ulm, Germany, it’s a the three-axle coach which provides the hi-

ghest level of comfort with its space-saving 2+1 face-to-face seats, rear kitchen, glass roof and leather steering wheel. The OM 471 engine fulfils the criteria of the American EPA 10. The TopClass S 417 is successful in North America for ten years. By the end of 2012, 1026 units had been sold in the USA, Canada and Mexico. •

VOLVO HYBRIDS IN CANADA

Volvo Group signed the single largest order for hybrid vehicles to date. Volvo Buses’

North American subsidiary, Nova Bus, has recei-ved an order for 475 hybrid buses from Quebec in Canada. The buses are scheduled for delivery beginning of 2014. The order also encompasses an option for approximately 1,200 vehicles. The customer, ATUQ, is a consortium consisting of the province’s nine transit authorities. Compared with conventional diesel-powered buses, the Nova LFS HEV offers approximately 30% lower fuel consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. •

HYBRIDS BY ALEXANDER

Mercedes Benz Integro intercity coach has a new generation of engines compliant

with the Euro VI emissions standard. Consi-derably lower fuel consumption and further reduced exhaust emissions are the result. The Euro-VI-compliant Blue Efficiency Power engines of the Integro are vertically installed

in-line six-cylinder engines. The new, particularly compact Mer-cedes Benz OM 936 series with 7.7 l displacement is used in the two-axle vehicles (299 or 354 hp). The equally new OM 470 with 10.7 l displacement is used in the three-axle vehicles (360 or 394 hp. Both engines boast common-rail injection. The new engines are characterised by high torque at extremely low engine speeds, a spontaneous response and a very smooth running per-formance. They also excel with a very favourable weight. The fuel consumption of two-axle vehicles is 2-5 % lower than that of predecessors whilst it is up to 2 % lower for three-axle vehicles. The consumption of AdBlue and engine oil is also considerably

lower. Mercedes Benz also offers the Integro with the eight-speed GO 250-8 PowerShift bus transmission as an alternative to the six-speed manual transmission and the ZF EcoLife automatic transmission with torque converter. •

EURO VI ON THE INTEGRO

THE British bus and coach manufac-turer Alexander Dennis has con-

firmed that it has orders for 125 ‘Arrive-and-Go’ hybrid vehicles in the production pipeline. All of the buses – worth around £40m – are Enviro400 double decks. They will go into service in Manchester, Yorkshire and London, with operators such as Stagecoach, London United, London General and Metroline. The Arrive- and-Go technology is capable of shutting the diesel engine down when vehicle speed drops below four mph - and re-starting it when it rises above seven mph. A series of test vehicles have been in operation in Manchester, London and Birmingham for many months and have demonstrated a further six per cent improvement on the 30% and 35% fuel and CO2 savings made with previous generation hybrids. •

NEW MAP FOR NORTHERN EU

VDL Bus&Coach expands towards Nord Europe and on 1 February

2013 launches the VDL Bus & Coach Nordic AB. The new organisation is responsible for sa-les and service of all VDL Bus & Coach pro-ducts in Sweden, Finland and Norway by way of the subsidiaries VDL Bus & Coach Sweden, VDL Bus & Coach Finland and VDL Bus & Coach Norway. VDL Bus & Coach Nordic AB have been formed in close collaboration with High Coast Holding AB (HCHAB) in order to strengthen VDL’s position in Scandinavia. At the beginning of the year, HCHAB acqui-red VDL Bus Sweden AB and VDL Bus Finland Oy Ab from A Björks AB. The names of these subsidiaries will be changed into VDL Bus & Coach Sweden and VDL Bus & Coach Finland. VDL Bus & Coach Norge AS, a subsidiary of VDL Bus & Coach bv, will cease to exist and be replaced by VDL Bus & Coach Norway AS, a subsidiary of VDL Bus & Coach Nordic AB. VDL Bus & Coach bv holds a minority interest in VDL Bus & Coach Nordic so as to ensure that Scandinavian customers will be provided with the necessary service.•

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - March 2013 FLASH NEWS


Iveco Crossway LE for Belgium

MajorWIN

THE Crossway LE by Iveco is once again at the centre of the Euro-

pean scene. After the contract won last sum-mer in Germany for the supply of over 150 units to DB Fuhrpark Service GmbH, the intercity bus by Iveco wins another impor-tant tender issued in Belgium for a total of 160 buses.The Crossway Low Entry with Euro VI engine won the race.The veh ic le s will be delivered to De Lijn, the Belgian Flemish public transport operator that al-ready counts on a fleet of more than 2,300 buses, transporting about 500 million pas-sengers per year across more than 225 million kilometres.The 160 Crossway LE will be equipped with Euro VI Cursor 9 engine with HI-eSCR (High Efficiency SCR) system patented by

FPT Industrial for the catalytic reduction fun-ctioning without the use of EGR (exhaust gas recirculation), to contain both emissions and the total cost of ownership.Deliveries will begin in early 2014 and the vehicles will be operational throughout the

entire Flanders’ in-terurban network.Manufactured at the Iveco’s plant in VysokeMyto in the Czech Repu-blic, the Crossway Low Entry is avai-lable in three len-gths (10.6, 12 and 12.80 metres) and is suitable for use both in the subur-ban and intercity transport service environments.The vehicle has two ent rances equipped with

double doors (1,200 mm), one at the front and one in the middle and features an all-flat floor in between. It is also equipped with two spaces for wheelchair users. •

Iveco wins an order in Belgium for the supply of 160 Crossway LE with Euro VI engine. The vehicles will be

delivered to Belgian Flemish public transport operator De Lijn

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

Scania expands in India and in Russia

Good BUSINESS

IN Russia the Swedish manufacturer will deliver the largest Scania buses order

ever received in Europe. In fact there are 709 chassis in the order book. They are all going to Russian manufacturer Gaz Group who will provide the bodywork based on three different models.The vehicles have been purchased by Russian company Mostransavto, one of the largest public transport operators in the Moscow re-gion. The value of the order exceeds 6 billion rubles, corresponding to about 200 million dollars. Deliveries will be completed by the end of 2013. Just in time for the XXII Winter Olympic Games and XI Winter Paralympic Games scheduled for the 7-23 of February 2014 in Sochi, the Russian city overlooking the Black Sea. This is where the vehicles will be initially deployed into service for the tran-

sport of athletes in the Olympic Village and of visitors to Game venues. After the Olym-pics, the new buses will be moved to Moscow where they will be part of the Mostransavto fleet renewal.All of the 709 buses will be manufactured on Scania chassis and components with Euro 4 and 5 engines and Opticruise gearboxes. The bodywork, just like the interior layout, are developed by Gaz in collaboration with Scania Russia.The supply consists of 282 vehicles of the Golaz-5251 ‘Voyage’ series (including 150 buses specifically equipped for the transport of passengers with reduced mobility), 370 extra-large Golaz-6228 buses (including 77 with arrangements for wheelchairs) and 57 Golaz-52911 ‘Cruise’ coaches.The vehicles will be equipped with climate

control system, seats with foldi-ng tables on the back, luggage racks with rea-ding lights and ventilation units, navigator, elec-tronic passenger address system

Scania wins a major order in Russia for 709 chassis modules with bodywork by local manufacturer Gaz Group. Also, production for the Indian market begins in Bangalore


in two languages (Russian and English), Wi-Fi, interior monitoring video cameras.At the same time Scania is also celebrating its debut in the Indian market. The official launch took place in Mumbai on February 1 during Busworld India, the trade fair dedicated to the bus industry in India. For the occasion the Swedish manufacturer showcased Metrolink, its complete new range of buses and coaches for intercity and tourist services. The Scania Metrolink for the Indian market will be manu-factured at Scania’s industrial facility in Ban-galore. Scania’s presence in the Indian market began in 2007 through a partnership agreement with Larsen & Toubro (L&T) for the sale of

trucks to the mining industry. In 2011, Scania founded its own company in order to boost its presence in additional segments of the In-dian commercial vehicles market. At the end of 2012, a range of vehicles for heavy road transport was launched. In 2012 Scania started the construction of an industrial facility about 40 km east of Bangalore, the capital of the state of Karnataka. This is where operations for the final assembly of truck and bus chassis take place, including bodywork and fitting of complete vehicles. The facility also houses the head office of Scania’s commercial operations in India, in addition to a service workshop and a spare parts warehouse. •

METROLINK

Orders for VDL Bus & Coach

From Poland to Belgium

VDL Bus&Coach was chosen for the supply of 68 buses in Belgium.

The vehicles are intended for the renewal of the bus fleet of passenger transport com-pany De Lijn, the autonomous government company for city and regional transport in Flanders.The order consists of 27 Citea SLF buses and 41 MidCity minibuses. All vehicles will be equipped with Euro 6 engines. The MidCi-ty will be delivered by April 2014 while the Citeas by the end of July 2014. The vehicles

will contribute to passenger service along several transport routes in Flanders.The Citea SLF-120/310 is a low-floor city bus with a length of 12 metres and is equip-ped with a Euro 6 FPT Cursor 9 engine. It is a vehicle that, thanks to its innovati-ve lightweight construction, provides fuel economy and consequently a reduction in air pollutant emissions. The low floor con-struction makes it easy to enter the bus while the absence of steps and internal obstacles facilitate passengers’ mobility onboard the

vehicle. Also, the use of cantilever seats of-fer more legroom for passengers in addi-tion to making the in-teriors easy to clean.The Citeas for De Lijn can accommoda-te a maximum of 105 passengers, of which 25 are seated and 80 standing.The MidCity, on the other hand, is a very compact vehi-cle (measuring 6.9 metres only) and is

VDL Bus&Coach will supply 68 Citea and MidCity buses to Belgian passenger transport company De Lijn. It also

delivered the first 14-metre VDL Futura to Polanddeveloped by VDL Bus&Coach exclusively for public transport. It makes for an ideal solution for transport in the narrow streets of old city centres. It is characterised by a multifunctional area with a low floor, ideal for use as standing room or for wheelchair passengers. The MidCity commissioned in Bel-gium will be built on a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter with Euro VI engine and will have a capacity of 13 seats (including 2 folding seats) plus 9 standing spaces. De Lijn will use the 41 MidCity for dial-a-ride pu-blic transport service.From Belgium to Poland, where VDL Bus&Coach Polska delive-red a bus of the Futura range to Daltrans of Bąków (Southern Poland), a company that organises transport for travel agencies, schools, industries and private individuals. This is the first 14-metre size VDL Futura to be sold in the Polish market. It’s a13.9 metres long FHD2-139/460 with a configuration of 57+1+1 seats. It is fitted with a DAF MX engine of 340 horsepower.Xenon lights and a rearview camera are among the additional safety features.

Comfort equipment include a kitchen, seve-ral refrigerators and luxury Vogel Conturo furniture.«We are very proud of this delivery», said Bolesław Piekorz, managing director of VDL Bus & Coach Polska. «Not only because it is the first 14-metre VDL Futura in Poland, but also because we are convinced that with this Futura we are making a positive contribution to Daltrans’ operating profit.» •


Lab io t e s t p r o po s e s Air’Suite® for the eli-

mination of odours and bacteria. It is an integra-ted solution for odorous conditioning and biocide treatment of air in indoor environments: from cine-ma, to restaurants to public transport vehicles.The system consists of: a unit for the management, control and real time monitoring of environmental parameters, a dispenser and sensors for capturing and transmitting parameters values.

According to laboratory results certified by CNR (National Research Centre) in Rome, the system neutralises up to 99.9 percent of bacteria.Air’Suite® can be applied on existing systems, it is easy to install, it is minimally invasive and requires simple mainte-nance only. •

A ccessing the functions of the digital tachograph

from a smartphone. This is the comfort provided by the new DTCO® SmartLink by VDO (a trademark of the Continental Corporation) and by the VDO Driver ap-plication. It is as simple as connecting the DTCO® Smar-tLink on the front interface of the tachograph and to connect it to a smartphone via Bluetooth. Once the VDO Driver App is launched, the driver can use the smartphone to perform all necessary tasks on the tachograph and to view driving and rest/break times.DTCO® SmartLink is compatible with all DTCO® tacho-graphs version 1.3 onwards. With the 2.0 (or later) version there is also the VDO Counter functionality for calculating driving and rest times. All VDO Apps run on smartphones with Android. Soon the Apps for iPhone will also be availa-ble. •

ODOURS ELIMINATION

DTCO CONNECTIVITY

TRANSMISSIONS

Sogefi Pro, the Sogefi Group brand dedicated

to filters specifically deve-loped for light commercial vehicles, trucks and buses, debuts on the aftermarket market. The Sogefi Group is European third largest, and South America’s num-ber one, producer of filter elements and complete modules for original equipment, OES and independent aftermarket.The Sogefi Pro range includes hydraulic filters, diesel filters, oil, air and urea filters, and also cooling systems and cabin air filters. The range includes over 500 products covering more than 90 percent of European trucks and buses.It was presented for the first time last September at Auto-mechanika in Frankfurt and it will replace all other brands of filters for heavy duty vehicles previously available in the market, such as Purflux, Fram, CoopersFiaam and Tecnocar. •

A llison Transmission, the world’s largest manu-

facturer of fully-automatic transmissions for medium and heavy-duty commercial vehicles, has been selected by the Turkish bus manu-facturer TCV to supply its automatic transmission. It

will feature 24 Karat full low-floor, CNG-fuelled, 12-meter buses to Otobüs in Istanbul. Allison Transmission is alre-ady known in the Turkish public transport sector for midi bus applications and this delivery signifies the company’s entrance into the full-size 12-meter bus market in Turkey. The Turkish designed TCV Karat is powered by a MAN CNG engine (206 kW) combined with an Allison T310R ful-ly automatic transmission. The Allison automatic perfectly complements the MAN gas engine, since it multiplies torque through the transmission while smoothly transferring power to the wheels and delivering excellent performance even at low engine speed. An Allison integral retarder provides additional braking, significantly improving vehicle service brake life. •

AFTERMARKETMAN TeleMatics application won the iF

Communication Design Award 2013 in the ‘Mobile Application’ category. The prize was awarded February 22 in Monaco, Bavaria, in occasion of the ‘Munich Creative Business Week’. The award is assigned in recognition of products with a design that facilitates the transmission of information.

Man developed the Te-leMatics App for iPhone and iPad with the intent of providing transport companies with relevant data they need to manage entire fleets efficiently, quickly and in a compact manner.

The application provides the location of vehicles in real time, in addition to mobile access to technical data as well as drivers’ behavior. It is a useful tool also in terms of reducing fuel consumption. In fact, for every vehicle, it is possible to retrieve consumption data, idling time, use of Retarder and Tempomat as well as information on running at optimal speed condi-tions and the consequent use of engine braking. With an up-to-date picture of the technical condition of all vehicles and of drivers’ driving style, also accessible away from the office, the

manager can make infor-med evaluations both in terms of maintenance and driving training.The Man TeleMatics App also allows for the creation of specific re-ports that highlight the efficiency of running vehicles. It also provides

communication features between the driver and the client by sending e-mails through the application.The iPhone app version also integrates the phone fun-ction, allowing to make direct calls to the driver’s mobile phone number. The Man TeleMatics applica-tion can be downloaded for free from the App Sto-re. •

BusToCoach on-line Magazine - March 2013 HIGH TECH STORE

AWARDED THE TELEMATICS APP

Transpotec Logitec 2013

Always Present

S urprisingly, buses have been featured at Transpotec Logitec in Verona, the exhibi-

tion of integrated logistics and transport, inau-gurated February 28 at the Verona Exhibition Centre. It’s an event dedicated to freight tran-sport and where Irisbus Iveco and Man Truck & Bus reserved a spot for their proposals in terms of passenger transport.A strategic move due in part to the favourable conditions offered by organisers of the event, but that can also possibly be interpreted as a potential anticipation of what will happen in Italy in the coming months. That is, a search for the spotlight through participation at events

that are somewhat related to the bus world, due to the cancellation of the annual International Bus Expo in Rimini, postponed to 2014 in or-der to turn it into biennial appointment.

Buses featured at exhibit dedicated to freight transport. Irisbus and Man seize the opportunity to highlight their

performance in the Italian market In Verona Irisbus exhibited three vehicles: a Magely PRO 12.8 sporting the colours of the Italian national football team, a Daily Tourys fitting 19-seat and a 12.3-metre Crealis Neo, part of a fleet of 7 vehicles purcha-sed by SITAC for BHNS servi-ces in Calais (France).For Irisbus the event was also an opportunity to highlight the good sales results in Italy in 2012: in the context of a market (vehicles weighing over 3.5 tons) whose overall results are down by 30.4%, Irisbus increased its share by 10 percentage points (from 33.3% in 2011 to 43.6%), despite a slight decrease in units sold (926 compared to the prior figure of 1,019).A similar atmosphere of satisfaction emerged at Man Truck & Bus, that also increased its market share from 3.1% (94 vehicles) in 2011 to 4.9% (104 vehicles) in 2012.If one considers only vehicles weighing over 8 tons (Man’s segment), the market share increased from 4.55% to 8.07%. At Man’s exhibit area one could see a 18.7-metre Lion’s

City GL with Euro VI natural gas engine, si-milar to the 6+6 vehicles just commissioned by the Transport Company of Verona (ATV).Finally, a little curiosity: the small Goliath by Esagono Energia. It’s a six-seater minibus measuring little less than 4 meters in length, electrically powered by batteries and with a running range of 117 km, a distance that is doubled with the use of the optional second battery pack with quick deployment. •


FOR over 15 years it’s been the flagship vehicle of Indcar, an

acronym for Industrial Carrocera Arbuciense. The Mago has continued to keep pace with the times by updating its mechanics, design and interior features, and by preserving the charm of its original aesthetic line, with an aerodynamic front, a very large first side window in the shape of a fingernail and the remaining side windows base raising towards the rear.

The latest recognition came from its native land, where the Mago was awarded the title of Midibus of the year 2013. This is the se-cond consecutive year (microbus Wing won in 2012) that Indcar collects an award that celebrates its commitment to innovation and design, also recognised by international markets, where the Catalan coachbuilder has a direct presence or relies on local dealers from France to the United Kingdom, from Belgium to Scandinavia. And starting last year it also strengthened its presence in Italy with the creation of Indcar Italy, headquarte-red in Modena, providing assistance service, changing parts and direct sales (especially of models build on Mercedes mechanics). Indcar Italy also provides support to the Iveco dea-lers network which is responsible for the sale of Indcar models built on Iveco mechanics.The latest restyling of the Mago2 was pre-sented just a few months ago, during the Fiaa fair in Madrid, last October. Concerning the exterior outlook an aluminium pattern with the model’s name was added at the base of the front side windows; the design of the gril-le on the front was changed, headlights can now be chosen between Bi-halogen, Bi-Xe-non or the more innovative Bi-Led. LED daytime running lights were also added, and

Always original and keeping pace with the times, the 8.9 metres midibus by Spanish coachbuilder continues to be

appreciated at home and by international markets

on request it is also possible to opt for LED turning lights, while all rear lights have also been replaced with LED technology.Interior changes improved the spaciousness of the five places at the rear, of the driver’s area and of the overhead compartments, while the aesthetics was enhanced by a new range of colours for roof coverings and for window frames.For the rest, the Mago2 confirms its cha-racteristics of a 8.9 metres long vehicle, stylish and comfortable, with a capacity of 29 passengers plus host/hostess seat, Vogel padded reclining seats, double glazed win-dows, Spheros air conditioning system, hea-ting coils and individual sets on the overhead

compartments where LED interior lights are also integrated.There is a single electrically controlled door for boarding the vehicle, and a security door at the back. Luggage can be accommodated on 4.5 cubic metres of space obtained from rear and lateral compartments.The Iveco CC100E22 chassis mechanics mounts a Tector engine of 218 horsepower, six-speed manual transmission, Ecas control-led air suspensions and braking system inclu-sive of Telma retarder.It must be said that the Mago2 is also availa-ble in the Cabrio and MX versions with the lateral double door to allow boarding access to up to three wheelchairs via a lift. •


Chassis Iveco CC100E22FP Lenght mm 8,855 Width mm 2,500 Height mm 3,160 Wheelbase mm 4,455 Front overhang mm 1,765 Rear overhang mm 2,630 Fuel tank litres 180 Luggage m3 4.5 Seats n. 29+1+1 Perm. GWV kg 10,000 Engine Iveco Tector Power kW (cv)/rpm 160 (218)/2,700 Torque Nm/rpm 650/1,200 Gearbox manual 6 speed

DIMENSIONS

The new Mago2 by Indcar

For Amazing TRAVELS

TESTS by Ustif, a control agency of the Italian Ministry of

Transport, are about to conclude before the Exqui.City AG300T TRL trolleybuses will be put into definitive service on the trolleybus network of the city of Parma (northern Italy)They are nine 18-metre trolleybuses commis-sioned by TEP (Tranvie Elettriche Parmensi) to Van Hool as part of the Trolley project fun-ded by the European Community.It is one of the first orders secured by the Belgian manufacturer for this new model, presented for the first time in 2011, first at the Uitp world congress in Dubai and then at Busworld Kortrijk.

THE MOST Beautiful


Lenght mm 18,610 Width mm 2,550 Height mm 3.300 Wheelbase mm 6,600+6,710 Front overhang mm 1,900 Rear overhang mm 3,400 Turning circle mm 24,300 Fuel tank litres 200 Electric engine Skoda 240 kW Generator Kirsch/Iveco 110 kVA Supercapacitors Maxwell

DIMENSIONS

VAN HOOL - EXQUI.CITY AG300T TRL

To date, Van Hool’s production program counts 92 Exqui.City trolleybuses, heading not just to Parma, but also to Metz (France), Barcelona (Spain), Geneva (Switzerland) and Malmö (Sweden), mostly in the 24-me-tre bi-articulated version with diesel-electric (or fuel cell-electric) hybrid drive system.This very positive feedback from European markets is due to the inherent characteristi-cs of the Exqui.City, as it immediately esta-blished itself for the elegance of its flowing lines, which are highly aerodynamic, made of large side windows and wheel covers, and its prerogative to be a platform with multiple traction systems (trolley, hybrid diesel-elec-tric, hybrid fuel-cell, full electric) intended for high quality and high service capacity public transport systems, usually referred to by the acronyms BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) or BHNS (Bus A Haut Niveau de Service).Tep of Parma chose the 18.6-metre trolleybus version, operating with overhead wire sup-ply, with a Skoda electric motor with fixe-d-ratio gear reduction providing a nominal power of 240 kW, located on the left side of the first section and with transmission to the reversed ZF AV 132 second axle. Therefore the drive system is ‘Pull’ type, meaning that the second section is pulled rather than pu-shed, as it is usually the case for articulated trolleybuses.Of course there is also the auxiliary drive unit for driving in autonomous mode, lo-cated on the left side at the rear and consi-sting of an Iveco N40ENT 426 diesel engine supplying 118 kW, combined with a Kirsch PME 250/4 water-cooled generator with no-minal power of 100 kVA. To act as a buffer for the recovery of energy during braking, there are four of Maxwell supercapacitors modules located on the roof.Just like the central motor axle, also the other two axles are by ZF, with the front one with independent wheels while the pneuma-tic suspensions are electronically controlled by a Bosch system.The Wabco EBS braking system is electro-nically controlled and it is aided by an elec-tric motor functioning as breaker / genera-tor. The vehicle is also fitted with a stop brake, that is automatically activated when doors are opened.E is about onboard comf•

F our double doors that slide outwards and with pneumat-

ic activation give way to a full length low floor with a board-ing height of 330 mm from the ground. In correspondence of the first door, there is a manual ramp for wheelchair boarding.35 Fainsa seats with a backrest panel upholstered in fabric are arranged in a way to leave plen-ty of room for the mobility of the 133 passengers that may travel on this vehicle.The interior is very bright thanks to large side glazing glued to the coverings made of light coloured Linotex laminated panels.A roof mounted Hispacold cli-mate control system channels air through slits on the two ducts on the ceiling, next to the central LED lighting panels.Heating is provided by a water system with electric pre-heater and is distributed via ducts on

the ceiling and via floor heaters.The driver’s seat is raised by two stairs, it includes an Isri pneumatic suspension driver seat with 100 degrees adjusting capacity, and it is located towa-

rds the centre due to the tapered shape of the front of the vehi-cle. In the dashboard, an hori-zontal panel featuring a multi-function display in the centre, a push-button panel and control

panels for route indicator and AVM to the right. Overhead, there is a group of videos for the monitoring of doors, corri-dor, trolleys and rearview blind spot. •

Seats n. 35+1H+98+1 Internal heigh mm 2,300 Aisle heigh mm 350 Comfort Seats type Fainsa Driver seat Isri A.C. Hispacold Heater electric Glazing double

The Kingdom of Light

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bustocoach european on-line magazine - march 2013

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