In multiple areas, 2024 was a successful year for BLK Bus & Coach Sales. The bus and coach supplier had its best year yet of vehicle sales, with deliveries taking place right across the country.
With the sales side excelling throughout the year, BLK Auto has been able to put more focus into other key parts of the business to grow its overall product offering.
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“2024 has been positive for BLK Auto – there has been plenty to be proud of,” BLK Bus & Coach Sales sales and special projects manager David Jiear told ABC.
“Through this, we have established ourselves as the leader in supplying the parts needs to customers in both Australia and New Zealand.”
This parts focus has expanded beyond just BLK Auto bus and coach parts, with the brand also providing parts for other brands to suit Chinese-built vehicles imported into Australia and New Zealand.
After looking at its vast vehicle range, BLK Auto has streamlined the vehicles it offers the Australian market, ensuring it has the right product range to meet the needs of its current and future clients.
“It allows us to be an important player in the Australian bus industry,” Jiear says.
“Our product range now includes the very best vehicles for a wide variety of applications and customers across the country.”
At the forefront of BLK Auto’s product range is its new-look President 10 coach that complements the existing successful President range. Having listened to customer feedback in adjusting the President 10 model, Jiear says the model has already proven to be an “outstanding success, particularly for the inbound markets that have experienced growth post COVID”.
In the low-floor sector, an expanded range has been well received in market, with multiple deliveries taking place. All of this hard work and dedication from the entire BLK Auto team has seen immediate growth while it adapts to ongoing challenges that the industry faces.
“The bus industry in Australia has been facing changes and, as such, BLK Auto has positively adjusted to all of these,” Jiear says.
“We have the right team and the right products – this is shown by our increase in sales not just for 2024, but also heading into 2025.”
BLK Auto’s streamlined product range was given the chance to excel in Brisbane at the National Bus and Coach Show, with the brand electing to showcase its present vehicles that have been “proven in service” alongside its latest additions to the fleet.
“It was an opportunity to show the diversity BLK offers – we aren’t your typical ‘off the shelf’, one size fits all manufacturer,” BLK Auto operations manager Kylie Bellamy told ABC.
“We build what the customer wants and the vehicles we had on display highlighted this.”
BLK Auto’s show range included its President 3 luxury three-axle battery electric coach that has been in service since 2022 after the build was the first battery electric coach in Australia. Sitting alongside the star of the show was BLK’s Citystar Combo body on a Volvo chassis, a BLK President 2 body on a MAN chassis and the BLK President 10 midi coach.
Moving into 2025, BLK Auto’s focus will be exactly what its extended name suggests – its bus and coach sales operations.
“Our President range of vehicles sets a high standard with the President 10, President 2 and President 3 luxury coaches excelling,” Jiear says.
“In addition to this, we continue to work with European chassis manufacturers to provide options to our customers. This will continue to expand in 2025 and is based on the premise of providing choice to our customers.”
Alongside growing its OEM partnerships across the board, BLK Auto will focus on a straightforward mission in 2025 – to ensure it continues having the best possible vehicles available to suit its customers’ needs.
“We’ll also continue significantly growing our parts offering while planning new models and upgrades,” Jiear says.
“There will be new models introduced to keep in line with the changing bus landscape in Australia, particularly relating to the zero-emissions bus transition.”
What to look forward to in 2025
Following such a strong year across the board, BLK Auto will solidify its forward-thinking reputation in the market when it brings several new developments to Australia in 2025 and beyond.
“BLK Auto is known for its innovative approach in the bus industry, and we won’t disappoint in 2025,” Jiear says.
These additions will include new models to strengthen its battery electric bus line-up, catering to the growing demand for eco-friendly transport options in Australia, while also using the latest technology to continue providing the best models it can to the market.
“These vehicles will be manufactured so that they’re fit for purpose, as we understand that every customer may have varying requirements due to geographic reasons, as well as their normal routes they undertake,” Jiear says.
“With the rise of smart technology, BLK Auto may also integrate our more connected features in our vehicles, allowing for better interaction with smartphones as well as improved navigation, communication and entertainment systems.
“The BLK Auto team is poised to play a significant role in shaping the future of the Australian bus industry by emphasising innovation, sustainability and customer centric solutions.”