Volvo Unveils Hybrid Bus in Goteborg

Tuesday, April 28th, 2009

Volvo Hybrid Buses hit the streets first in Goteborg, providing a first as far as the Volvo brand is concerned outside that of private transportation means. The Göteborgs Spårvägar transit company is participating in a field test with the hybrid bus that provides major fuel savings as a result of electric drive and shutting off the diesel engine at bus stops.

Environmental issues are high on the agenda among politicians in Göteborg and this applies to a great extent within traffic policy. There are distinct environmental demands the entire way from the politicians in the traffic committee, through the officials at the city’s Traffic Office and those responsible for procurement at the Västtrafik county public services agency to the operators, including Göteborgs Spårvägar.

Hybrid solutions for heavy vehicles have existed for many years, but they have been too expensive and reduced emissions too little, as a result of which they did not achieve market penetration. The Volvo Group’s new hybrid technology changes this. The company has developed a technology that is common for buses, trucks and construction equipment. In this manner, the Group secures large component volumes and subsequently lower costs.

Volvo’s hybrid technology contributes to a quieter and cleaner city environment. Fuel consumption, and consequently the emission of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, is reduced by up to 30% depending on where the bus is operating in traffic. The emission of nitrous oxides and particles declines by 40-50% compared with a conventional diesel bus.

In the near future, Volvo Buses will also start field tests with the first of six hybrid double-decker buses in London.

(Source) Press

Tags: city environment, diesel bus, double decker buses, environmental demands, fuel consumption, gas carbon dioxide, greenhouse gas, hybrid bus, hybrid buses, hybrid solutions, hybrid technology, market penetration, nitrous oxides, traffic committee, traffic office, volvo brand, volvo buses, volvo group

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260 Volvo Buses Ordered By India

Friday, March 27th, 2009

In a move to perhaps help address the growing number of public commuters, Bangalore, BMTC has reportedly made a purchase order for 260 Volvo Buses in India. Bangalore, BMTC, already operates more than 300 Volvo buses in Bangalore and these buses have radically changed the view of what it is like to travel with city buses in India. For example, the buses are air-conditioned and feature low floors for fast and easy boarding and exiting.

“Surveys show that 60% of the passengers in these buses previously traveled in their own car or by motorcycle,” related Akash Passey, Managing Director of Volvo Buses in India. “For many Indian cities, the goal is to have more people use mass transit and, consequently, this requires new, modern buses.”

Volvo Buses has also received orders for 120 Volvo 9400 inter-city coaches to the State of Karnataka, in which Bangalore in the capital and to the State of Maharasthra, in which Mumbai is the capital. The orders are from customers already operating Volvo coaches and who have favorable experiences of them.

(Source) Press

Tags: buses volvo, city buses, commuters, india bangalore, indian cities, inter city coaches, maharasthra, mass transit, Motorcycle, own car, state of karnataka, volvo buses

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