In just two years, BLK Auto has become a key part of the Queensland bus and coach industry. With recent changes to its management team, it’s now eyeing national expansion as part of the company’s new strategic direction
It’s been a whirlwind couple of years for BLK Auto. After taking over the mantle as the Australian distributor of Chinese-made Bonluck buses in January 2021 from industry veterans Rodd Hood and Athol McKinnon, BLK has worked on making a name for itself in the Australian bus industry.
Just two years down the track, BLK is ready to solidify its direction and expand its product range to both highlight the best of its zero-emissions bus and coach technology and add to its extensive range of diesel models.
This vision began in early 2023 when Sean Smith took over the day-to-day running of BLK Auto as general manager following the departure of Jason Pecotic from the business.
“Our aim over the next 12 months for the business is to take the BLK Auto name and provide operators with both choice and certainty,” Smith told ABC.
“We want to firm up relationships with trade partners nationally to provision both the sale and ongoing support of our vehicle range. This will come by expanding our ties with some European chassis manufacturers who place our bodies on their chassis while also ensuring the correct resources are in place when required from an aftersales and parts perspective.
“In addition, we’ll continue to work with Australian body builders who want to place their bodies on our chassis.”
This ideal for BLK Auto’s growth is based on experience producing vehicles. BLK’s factory is no newcomer to technology, having built zero-emissions buses and coaches for many years.
Smith says BLK’s choices of new products is led by conversations the brand is having with customers currently. By listening to what’s important to them, BLK will ensure it brings buses and coaches to market that are well built and fit-for-purpose from both an operator’s and a driver’s perspective.
For its zero-emissions range of vehicle, it’s placing equal importance in benefits for workshop staff into its designs. As an overall brand, it’s also emphasising its partnerships and ensuring the Australian industry has no confusion about BLK’s future direction.
“It’s all about building relationships and we’re placing a high level of importance on this,” Smith says.
“Previously it confused people that we had two names where some knew us as BLK Auto while others knew us as Bonluck, with the two not being linked together for the industry.
“We’ve now removed the Bonluck name and logos and gone back to BLK Auto. It’s short, sweet and simple. It’ll allow us to move forward with a single image and brand.”
Up until this point, the past two years for BLK have been about securing sales via a combination of both prior relationships and word of mouth.
Its strategy moving forward will now ensure that its customers’ experience is one that is transparent, seamless and commercially attractive for both parties.
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As BLK continues to bring new product to market and expand its operations, it’ll be done in a way that has no haste to it, with proper planning pivotal for BLK.
The BLK management team’s vision involves growing sustainably so that BLK Auto bus sales increase at a steady rate.
“Our theory moving forward is to grow the business by 10 per cent year on year for the next five years to get it to a point of critical mass where we can maintain the level of deliveries and support it properly,” Smith says.
A vital part of this strategy revolves around BLK’s growing range of zero-emissions buses and coaches. Its factory was behind the first fully-electric vehicles to be imported into Australia back in 2008.
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BLK products continually come from a factory that’s been producing zero-emissions vehicles for more than 15 years. It may be a young company, but its partners and experience have a level of maturity that places the BLK brand in a positive position.
Smith says BLK is also expanding its already-successful parts operation. BLK has committed to stocking more than just BLK bus parts – it also carries an extensive range of parts for most bus makes used in Australia.
“Providing support for bus operators is a very important focus for the team at BLK,” Smith says.
While companies like BLK can harness the technology to transition the nation’s fleet to zero-emissions vehicles, Smith says a lot of operators either don’t have the infrastructure required for this change or haven’t been given a concrete commercially viable path by governments around Australia.
“As much as politicians and government officials want to talk about zero-emissions, there still needs to be a high level of government participation in getting there,” Smith says.
“Some operators I have spoken to have said they would bypass electric buses altogether and wait for hydrogen fuel-cell models. We take notice of all of this in the industry.”
Currently, BLK has a range of zero-emissions buses and coaches in both electric and fuel-cell options in development. These include its new seven-metre on-demand shuttle battery electric bus, its eight-metre minibus in both diesel and electric models and its 12.5m electric and fuel-cell electric low-floor buses and coaches.
Smith says BLK’s new models are designed and engineered in Australia for local conditions. When fully tested, BLK is intending on introducing these new models to its range, joining BLK’s current 12.5m three-axle electric coaches operating in Australia.
The new models will be introduced ahead of next year’s National Bus and Coach Show in Brisbane.
As it has shown in the past two years, there’s plenty of time for BLK to continue growing as an Australian bus and coach brand in the lead-up to these releases.
“The projects won’t all hit the ground at the same time as we still have a diverse range of diesel models that we need to continue providing to our customers,” Smith says.
“By staggering the introduction of our new range, we’ll grow the business in such a way that it’s both sensible and based on market feedback.”