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New air-conditioners under development with Denso

Following the successful release of its latest electric HVAC unit, DENSO is looking to continue innovating for the local bus market

With global expertise at its fingertips, 2024 has seen DENSO expand locally as a trusted Australian air-conditioning supplier for buses and coaches. While the wider DENSO group has been selling HVAC systems since 1949 and is the second largest tier one supplier to the automotive industry, locally the brand has spent 51 years developing its products in Australia. 

This history paid off in 2024, with DENSO securing partnerships that allowed it to evolve throughout the year.

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“While DENSO is much larger than just the bus industry, locally we have grown significantly in the bus sector,” DENSO business development manager Robert Smart told ABC. 

“We’ve signed on a couple of major operators which has laid the groundwork for plenty of growth into the future.”

These wins come off the back of the release of its new Generation 2 electric LD9E model, which was debuted at September’s National Bus and Coach Show in Brisbane. Having only just been made available to the local market, Smart is expecting the model to catapult DENSO to even greater heights in 2025.

“We’re expecting the model to have significant sales due to the power consumption savings it provides for batteries, which is key for electric bus technology,” Smart says.

“This model has the lowest battery consumption of any electric air-conditioner in the market, so it provides great benefits for operators.”

While the company had a variety of models and products on display at its show stand, from the brand-new second generation LD9E air-conditioner to its Electrostatic Air Cleaner, its 15SF Movincool, ES80 Compressor and its front box heat/cool unit, the electric nature of DENSO’s range is proving to be a winner for the local industry.

Alongside the second generation LD9E is its Volvo-specific electric air-conditioner model that is adorning models from Australia’s most popular chassis supplier. Commitments from people at the show to make the switch to electric means DENSO is prepared for this influx with its range that now suits all chassis and body variants. 

“We specialise in electric air-conditioners, and we see that currently there is no competitor for the LD9E model,” Smart says.

“We received an overwhelmingly positive response from all who visited the show and saw the model for the first time.

“We received plenty of positive feedback from operators who want to switch to our new A/C unit and gain substantial savings in energy consumption.” 

What to look forward to in 2025

Off the back of the unveiling of the second generation LD9E model, DENSO is expecting the product to take off in 2025 and keep plenty of electric buses cool around Australia. From there, more evolution is hot on its heels.

“We’ve got new air-conditioners under development for double-deck and articulated electric and diesel buses,” Smart says.

Backing these models is DENSO’s growing national service and spare parts dealer network. While the company strives to embody its global expertise and vast reach, it’ll continue providing innovation and support within the Australian bus and coach industry.

“The goal for DENSO globally is to continue working towards zero-emissions operations in the space, so we’ll continue focusing towards that goal and keep innovating.” 

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