ECLIPSING ITS previous high of 403 units, Scania set a year 2019 record bus and coach deliveries amount of 427 'new vehicles commissioned', the company reports.
Scania’s success spans its heavy-duty market offerings from city, school and charter buses to long-distance touring coaches, and across government and retail customers, it states.
“This very welcome sales success has been built on 35 years of unwavering commitment to our loyal Australian customers,” said Julian Gurney, director of Sales for Scania Buses and Engines.
“We are dedicated to ensuring our vehicles deliver maximum uptime for our customers throughout their lengthy working lives.
“While we have some of the longest-lived buses in operation anywhere in the world, as a result of government city bus operating requirements, Scania has been focused on ensuring our products live up to industry expectations and deliver day-after-day.
“In addition to the performance of our vehicles and our sales team, we must also mention the commitment of our technical teams around the country who ensure our buses continue to perform reliably across hundreds of thousands, and sometimes millions of kilometres,” he explained.
“Many of these technicians are employed by Scania’s company-owned branches in nine locations across Australia, but we also have experienced Scania technicians working for our network of independent authorised Scania dealers covering towns and cities throughout the country,” Gurney said.
POSITIVE CONTRIBUTUON
While the lion’s share of deliveries in 2019 were city and school buses, the all-new, fully imported Scania Touring school and charter coach with the 360hp Euro 6 engine launched 12 months ago, made a positive contribution to sales, the Gurney says.
“The Scania Touring is a Scania from bumper-to-bumper and this ‘one-stop’ concept has been readily adopted by customers across Australia,” he said.
“It is also good to see that close to one third of all city bus deliveries were powered by Scania Euro 6-compliant engines, underscoring the shift towards a more sustainable transport solution for Australian cities,” he added.
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“Even more encouraging to see is the size of the carry-over orders we have to take us deep into 2020.
“The rollout of new buses replacing older vehicles with heavier carbon footprints is in line with community expectations and desires, and shows that both retail and government procurement is targeted towards cleaning up urban air quality.
“By transitioning older buses into retirement as an industry we are making a meaningful contribution to reducing our environmental impact where most people live and work,” Gurney said.
REDUCED EMISSIONS
“Scania is also very proud to have delivered our very first hybrid bus to McHarry’s Buslines of Geelong, Victoria, in 2019.
“This is sure to be just the first of many. Not only does our Scania hybrid bus reduce exhaust emissions significantly, but it will also provide a substantial reduction in diesel consumption, thereby reducing operating costs,” he explained.
Scania says it will continue to pursue alternative and renewable fuel options for the Australian bus market in 2020 and beyond, in line with its parent company’s rollout of electrified chassis options, as well as non-diesel fuel-powered internal combustion engine offerings.
“We have a range of alternatives available across our product portfolio that will both reduce operating costs and the consequent carbon footprint and, as the industry moves towards a greener business model, Scania is ready and able to help drive this shift,” Gurney said.
Photography: courtesy Scania Australia / Fabian Cotter