BREAKING: Award-winning European bus manufacturer Ebusco is to ultimately produce zero-emission buses here in Australia, for Australia and New Zealand, by partnering with Bustech and Precision Buses – now part of the Australian Bus Corporation (ABC) - the companies have jointly announced.
Ebusco, a Dutch pioneer in electric vehicle technology and smart mobility solutions, is launching this regional partnership with the ABC – the largest Australian-owned bus group in Australasia, it states, for the “…future of zero-emission buses in Australasia”.
Simon Pearce, newly appointed strategic director of Asia Pacific for Ebusco explained: “The Australian Bus Corporation and Ebusco initially met at the [2019] BIC conference in Canberra, Australia. After an initial discussion between Dan Marks (director/owner of Precision Buses and Bustech), Peter Bijvelds (CEO Ebusco)and Michel Maanen (CCO and COO Ebusco) each party felt that they could offer the other a unique skillset in addressing the needs of the Australasian market”.
“Ebusco has extensive experience in developing zero-emission European-quality buses using European parts, with an F35-inspired carbon fibre design.
“Ebusco has delivered over 150 electric buses into fleets in Europe with a further (at this moment known) 245 electric buses to be delivered in the next 12 months,” he said.
According to the company, uniquely, Ebusco has a, “…deep understanding of bus operations enabling [it] to support operators in the deployment of zero-emission buses in markets having regard to TCO (Total Cost of Ownership).”
It adds that Australian Bus Corporation, through Precision Buses and Bustech, provides unrivalled design, engineering and manufacturing capability and capacity in Australia, which is comprehensively supported by: a localised supply chain throughout Australia; spare parts warehousing; and a service, after-sales and support network.
Christian Reynolds, group managing director of Australian Bus Corporation, said: “Our collaboration with Ebusco supports our broader strategy of collaborating with technology partners who wish to expand into Australasia and localise their production to provide economic benefit to the Australian market and create Australian jobs, whilst leveraging territory-specific engineering know-how and capability.”
“Sovereign capability in Australia has never been more important and the Ebusco team has embraced that with their plans to expand into Australia by partnering with us,” Reynolds explained.
THE UPSHOT
The partnership between Ebusco and the Australian Bus Corporation will ultimately result in the Ebusco 2.2 electric bus and the next-generation, carbon-based Ebusco 3.0 being manufactured in Australia in a purpose-built high-tech facility, the companies confirm.
Australian Bus Corporation and Ebusco recognise buses are only one part of the broader ecosystem that is required in Australia to activate the rapid deployment of zero-emission buses, they state.
To that end, they are both working with other technology and infrastructure partners to support multiple operations across Australia, they say.
“We believe the Ebusco 3.0 will be a game-changer and will significantly lower the ‘total cost of ownership’ model in an extremely competitive environment, delivering significant benefits to customers,” stated Ebusco Australia’s Pearce.
“The collaboration with Ebusco is an exciting development for both parties, combining Ebusco’s experience in Europe with Australian Bus Corporation’s commitment to smart engineering, which will support electric bus advancement for both companies,” Reynolds added.
A TALE OF TWO TYPES
Ebusco supplies two types of buses at present: the Ebusco 2.2 and the Ebusco 3.0.
“The Ebusco 3.0 – a very innovative composite lightweight e-bus – is a great opportunity to demonstrate how next generation electric vehicles can provide new transport solutions,” Pearce explained.
“Here in Australia we have the ideal location to demonstrate the potential of this very innovative technology,” he continued.
“In growing cities it’s more and more important to [embrace] technology as it transitions from traditional industries into the environmentally friendly digital economy.”
ABOUT EBUSCO
Ebusco is dedicated to the development, marketing and sale of fully electric city and regional buses, mainly for the European market, the company explains. Originally a Dutch company based in Deurne, The Netherlands, Ebusco is a pioneer and a forerunner in the development of electric buses and charging systems and is now able to offer an electric bus that is cheaper than a diesel bus, it states.
The European Union has set stringent objectives for reducing CO2 emissions in the very near future, Ebusco states. The Netherlands is the most progressive EU state in this regard, it adds. In 2016 the Dutch government signed an agreement with all public transport providers stipulating that no new diesel buses may be sold from 2025 and that from 2030 no diesel buses will be allowed to operate, it confirms.
EBUSCO AUSTRALIA
Michel van Maanen, CCO and COO of Ebusco, said: “Since the company’s creation in 2012 we have gained extensive experience by supplying more than 150 buses to 15 European cities, and in 2020 more than 200 new Ebusco buses will start operating in Europe.
“We see the Australian market, combined with local partnerships, as a logical next step for Ebusco in contributing to a more liveable environment and introducing new technology in combination with the creation of ‘future jobs’.
“With the appointment of Simon, who is a real ambassador of this sustainable philosophy, we are sure to find the right local partnerships with all stakeholders to realise this goal.
“The cooperation with Australian Bus Corporation is an important example of this.
“The goal of Ebusco is to make clean, silent and emission-free public transport available to everyone.
“Due to the successes it has achieved, Ebusco is growing fast. At present Ebusco employs over 150 people.”
ABOUT ABC
Australian Bus Corporation (ABC) is the largest Australian-owned bus designer and manufacturer in Australasia, it states – comprising Bustech, which is based in Burleigh Heads, Queensland, and Precision Buses, which is based in Edinburgh Parks, South Australia.
The group also has a joint venture in Tasmania supplying its integrated chassis and body variant, the Xdi, to Metro Tasmania.
Combined, the group employs over 250 people.
Supplying nearly 300 buses per year around Australia, Australian Bus Corporation has the capacity and capability to scale by volume and bus variant, including single and double-decker buses and articulated, and by driveline, it states.
Australian Bus Corporation prides itself in creating economic benefit in Australia by focusing on localised supply chains, which can benefit from supplying to the group across multiple sites and intrastate, it adds.
Photography: courtesy Ebusco + Australian Bus Corp.