Scania is enjoying a bumper year for bus sales, delivering a record 53 buses in June and taking a significant
Scania is enjoying a bumper year for bus sales, delivering a record 53 buses in June and taking a significant number of new orders for both bus and coach chassis.
A substantial order for new chassis powered by Euro 5 with EEV (enhanced environmentally-friendly vehicle) emissions standard engines for a Sydney operator was also confirmed, with delivery expected by the end of 2009.
Scania National Manager of Bus and Coach, Trevor O’Brien, says attendance at the BusVic Expo in Melbourne boosted orders.
The company is capitalising on strong interest in its latest Euro 5 with EEV engine offering, he says.
“The offer of this extremely low emission and high efficiency engine package is very appealing to transport operators across Australia,” says O’Brien.
Scania’s pre-delivery inspectors will process one chassis every working day for the rest of 2009 – from the New South Wales branch alone – in order to keep up with demand, O’Brien says.
“This is a very satisfactory situation and it underlines the strength of the road-based public transport industry in Australia,” he says. “Patronage rates are up and operators are replacing older stock with new, clean vehicles, which is a double win for the community.”
O’Brien says the market is running consistently at 150 deliveries per month – 50 percent higher than the delivery rate in 2008.
Scania displayed its new STA Metrobus project N Series articulated bus, with a full-length low floor, at the BusVic Expo this month. The vehicle attracted much positive interest alongside an IRIZAR Century with a Scania K 380 chassis and a new McHarry’s low floor K 270 UB 4×2 bus.
Scania also took orders for new K 270 IB school buses.
“Our aim is to exceed our previous record for deliveries in a single year, during 2009,” O’Brien says. “We are on track to achieve this thanks to our new Euro 5 with EEV engine technology.”