After announcing their plans to fully electrify Bangkok’s public transportation bus fleet and inspecting the first pure electric bus – the BYD K9 – assembled in Thailand, the country’s Ministry of Transport, along with the Bangkok Mass Transit Authority (BMTA) held a ceremony to mark the beginning of the electric bus trial operation at Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport.
Daimler Buses last year increased its earnings by nine percent to € 214 million (PY € 197 million) despite the massive market decline in Brazil. These earnings include expenses from the restructuring of the Daimler Group’s dealer network as well as income that resulted from the sale of the investment in New MCI Holdings Inc. in the US. Return on sales increased to 5.2% (PY 4.7%). Daimler Buses is thus benchmark in the bus business. Overall, Daimler Buses sold 28,100 buses and chassis (PY 33,200) and thus maintained its undisputed market leadership in its core markets in the segment for buses with a maximum permissible gross laden weight over eight tons. The complete bus business in Western Europe developed particularly well. This enabled the business division to buffer the decline of the Brazilian bus market, which plummeted by 40% last year.
Following the 2013 launch of Volvo’s Dynamic Steering system on trucks, it has now been developed and launched for bus and coach applications with both rigid and independent front suspension. It is immediately available for all Volvo chassis and complete coach applications, though not yet on the line vehicles – it will be offered on the 7900, 8700 and 8900 city and intercity vehicles later this year. This includes the 7900H Hybrid.
All buses are fitted with Euro VI diesel engines. The production of these buses means a year’s work at the VDL plant in Roeselare for 100 factory workers and will cost De Lijn an investment of 27 million euro.
The sixth edition of Busworld Turkey is, like all the previous editions, being organised by Busworld International and its partner, HKF Trade Fairs. The exhibition will be held for four days, from 14 to 17 April in halls 9, 10 and 11 of the Istanbul Expo Center, close to the main Ataturk International Airport in Istanbul.