Expresso Princesa dos Campos, a passenger and parcel transport company in the Brazilian state of Paraná, has carried out an important renovation of its fleet, incorporating 30 new Volvo buses, of which 14 correspond to the Volvo B450R+ and 16 to the Volvo B340R+ to operate in its intercity routes.
According to Gilson Barreto, CEO of the Ponta Grossa-based company, the choice of the brand's models is mainly based on vehicle safety. “The buses are state-of-the-art, inexpensive, and have a high level of availability,” he says. In Princesa dos Campos, more than 80% of the buses are Volvo and with the new units, the company consolidates a fleet of 267 vehicles with an average age of six years; where the new acquisition was through Banco Volvo.
The company executive highlights the association with Volvo. “We have been clients since the brand arrived in Brazil, in 1979. A proximity that facilitates the relationship between the technical staff of Princesa dos Campos and Volvo. We are always attentive to the latest technologies offered by the automaker. Data makes it easy. The bank is very fair. What we agree on, they comply with”, emphasizes Barreto.
The new Princesa dos Campos models are equipped with the latest generation of the brand's Active Safety System (SSA), which Volvo presented in 2019 and which has added new features and advances since its launch. The SSA offers features such as Forward Collision Warning with Emergency Braking, including radar and camera that monitor both vehicles and obstacles ahead through audible and visual warnings, additionally includes Lane Departure Alert.
In Lane Departure Alert, a device automatically activates when the bus passes through lane lanes without turning on the turn signals. Another new detail that contributes to safety is the Windshield Warning Sign (a red bar of LED lights projected on the windshield warns the driver of the possible risk of impact with another vehicle). For its part, the Adaptive Autopilot maintains a distance previously defined by the driver in relation to the vehicle in front, maintaining a safety distance.
Finally, the Vibrating Seat warns the driver in case of changing lanes without activating the indicators. “Active safety helps our driver a lot to anticipate what is happening ahead. We have always worked correctly. The SSA system allows us to work on prevention”, reinforces Gilson Barreto.
The buses that Princesa dos Campos is launching belong to Volvo's new generation of road chassis, launched at the end of 2021. They are designed for long routes, using double-decker (double-deck) and low driver versions (the lowest driver's seat in the first level), for trips of 400 kilometers or more. “R+” models feature a new generation of I-Shift transmission and Volvo Intelligent Acceleration technology. Combined, these features guarantee up to 5% fuel savings, depending on the route.
The new package also includes an improved active safety system and new functions of the Volvo Bus Connect app. “These are even more modern products with better performance for the carrier's profitability. With always innovative technologies, the two models are the most advanced in road chassis”, says Paulo Arabian, commercial director of Volvo Buses.
Expresso Princesa dos Campos (EPC) has more than 87 years of history, a history of constant advances and innovations, from the transport of postal bags in the 1930s to the condition of national reference in the sector. Today, the company transports 5 million passengers and makes 1.5 million deliveries a year. With 1,100 employees, EPC's operations cover 100% of the states of Paraná, Santa Catarina, Rio Grande do Sul and São Paulo. It connects seven Brazilian states and the Federal District.