Australia’s bus and coach deliveries is starting to pick up speed, with May’s deliveries numbers seeing the industry go from strength to strength. A quiet March was replaced by a productive April that saw 141 deliveries. Now, 160 deliveries have been recorded in May, surpassing the May 2024 number of 154 to highlight a productive industry.
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The chassis sector held no surprises, with Volvo being far and away the leader with 78 deliveries made in May. Yutong recorded the 20 heavy bus deliveries and a further 10 in the light bus category to finish with 30, while Scania finished third with 17 units. King Long (nine) held off I-Bus’ eight light bus deliveries, while BLK (five) and BCI (four) both remained consistent. The power may have been with the top few suppliers, but the likes of MAN (three), Mercedes-Benz (two, marking the final Mercedes-Benz deliveries in Australia) and Challenger (two) still ensured a variety of brands were reflected in the deliveries data. The final two units were shared between Custom Denning and ARCC, the latter returning to the rankings with a hydrogen fuel-cell bus sale to CDC Victoria.
It was Volgren who once again dominated the bodybuilder market as it more than doubled its competitors with the 62 deliveries. Yutong’s combination of 20 heavy bus and 10 light saw it take home second comfortably, while Irizar (14) snatched third. BCI and King Long couldn’t be split with the nine deliveries each, while I-Bus (eight light bus deliveries) and Scania Higer (seven) close behind. BLK had the five deliveries, while the final 16 units were split across seven different brands.
A high overall deliveries number in May meant McConnell was able to shine in the seating market, recording an astonishing 72 deliveries for the month. It was streets ahead of the competition, which was led by an ever impressive Sege with the 30 deliveries. Yutong’s 22 deliveries saw it confirm third spot ahead of StyleRide with the 14 units. King Long (nine) and APM (eight) both nearly broke double digits, while BusTech Group (two) and Fainsa (two) rounded out the market with Marcopolo’s solitary delivery.
The closest market in our deliveries breakdown once again provided us with a thrilling finish, as Coachair rose to top spot in the HVAC market in May with the 35 deliveries. It grabbed first place from April’s leader in Cling-Yutong (30), while Thermo King rounded out a tight top three with 26 units. Hispacold (16) and Valeo (14) both remained consistent, while Songz (nine), King Long (nine) and Konvekta (seven) all continued churning deliveries out. MCC and Denso couldn’t be split with five deliveries apiece, while Spheros (three) and Husky (one) maintained their presence in the market.
As State of Origin kicked off in late May, a reversal of the opening game’s result occurred in the state based bus deliveries battle as Queensland snatched the win off NSW with 51 deliveries compared to the latter’s 41. They formed an impressive top two, combining for nearly 60 per cent of the market’s May deliveries. Victoria was next with the 35 deliveries, while WA had the 20. The ACT remained consistent with its bus roll-out as it welcomed seven new buses in May, while South Australia (five) and Tasmania (one) both saw new buses being delivered.
The diesel and zero-emissions vehicle battle continues to skew the way of the former, with 146 of the 160 May deliveries being diesel. In that space, Volvo (73), Yutong (22) and Scania (15) were the heavy hitters, with the latter also recording a further two diesel hybrid deliveries in May. There were 13 electric bus deliveries in May, shared between Yutong (eight) and Volvo (five), while ARCC recorded the first hydrogen fuel-cell delivery of 2025 with its lone May unit in Victoria.
Click here for comprehensive bus and coach delivery information for May. Please note all data is as supplied from manufacturers, at their discretion.
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