In the fast lane of Australia’s bus and coach industry, going it alone is old news. These days, it’s all about teaming up, thinking big and building smarter.
When manufacturers join forces, designs get sleeker, tech gets smarter and buses become more than just people movers; they become experiences on wheels.
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One standout example of this collaborative spirit is the BCI Cruiser.
For decades, Bus and Coach International (BCI) has been supplying top-of-the range buses and coaches that combine the best chassis and body combinations.
Now, the company is offering its customers the opportunity to have their Cruiser set up on either a Volvo or Scania chassis, depending on which of these European manufacturers the operator prefers.
With BCI’s design and body-building expertise, coupled with the proven chassis engineering from either Volvo or Scania, the Cruiser sets a new standard for reliability, comfort and efficiency on Australian roads.
Planting the seeds of a relationship at the end of 2022, Scania Australia public relations manager Alexander Corne told ABC the company was drawn to BCI’s “positive, can-do attitude”.
“We chose to partner with BCI because we were looking for a reliable and quality-focused partner with which to expand our footprint in the school bus and charter market and to provide additional volume alongside our existing chassis and fully imported products,” Corne says.
“Scania is always happy to work with partners who have credibility and market presence, as well as high quality products that will deliver the uptime Scania customers have come to expect.”
For Volvo, the selling point came when a customer requested a bespoke solution that BCI was able to fulfill. Combined with the B8R Volvo platform, they created the “perfect solution”.
“It was evident from that point forward that the two teams worked together seamlessly,” Volvo Bus APAC director of product and industry bus Mark Fryer told ABC.
“Both BCI and Volvo engineering teams spent many months developing a compliant and operationally correct vehicle for the customer. This included the Volvo engineering team visiting BCI in China to see the buses in production and engaging with the customer throughout the process.
“It was a very good example of a collaboration between OEM and external body builder, and something that we wanted to continue moving forward.”
The BCI Cruiser body had previously been sold with its own or external brands of chassis. With successful collaborative efforts already under its belt, when BCI wanted to revamp the Cruiser offering to customers, bringing European OEMs into the conversation was a no-brainer.
“A lot of operators are looking for innovative solutions that exceed what is currently offered on the market,” BCI Australia sales development manager Armando Baylon told ABC.
“One of the main attractive factors when an operator is considering the purchase of a BCI Cruiser with a Volvo or Scania chassis is the technology and safety that it guarantees.
“European OEMs are often engineering designs that are ahead of the game and, coupled with the body and aftersales support from BCI in Australia, it’s incredibly appealing.
“The combination of the innovative body with a really prestigious chassis under it is a winner.”
When operators are deciding between manufacturers for its next purchase, most are very careful to choose a supplier that has a strong network for aftersales. Particularly in areas like Western Australia, ensuring vehicles can be repaired remotely and with good staff is a major consideration when splashing the big bucks.
“Operators will be very careful to decide which manufacturer will really support them when things go the other way around,” Baylon says.
“They need to not only consider the vehicle’s bells and whistles, but who will continue to work with them after the sale to keep updating and servicing the bus.”
In the first 18 months since launching the collaborative model, over 150 units have been built, with operator interest on the rise.
A major selling point of the Cruiser has been the model’s flexibility and adaptability, each manufacturer willing to make changes to the model to better suit the needs of its customers.
While the BCI Cruiser was originally conceived to serve as a long distance or luxury coach solution, operators across the country are opting to dedicate the buses to other applications.
In Western Australia, operator Go West Tours has a long-standing relationship with BCI that has led to the purchase of over 100 BCI vehicles. Now, the operator has turned its head to the Cruiser model.
“Go West approached us and asked if it would be possible to create a bus to be used in mine sites that would combine the international chassis with BCI solutions,” Baylon says.
“We worked closely together to create a tailored solution to suit their needs, bringing together the expertise from our engineers with their hands-on driver and passenger experience.
“Some of Go West’s ideas were so creative that we ended up implementing them in the base model.”
Starting with an initial test of three units, Go West soon ordered another 10, and have expressed interest in the possibility of more.
“With every delivery, we keep making the buses better. We take on customer feedback, make changes and ensure customers are receiving the best product,” Baylon says.
Over in Queensland, operator Murrays Coaches is taking full advantage of BCI’s flexibility, fitting out the Cruiser models for express work, local charter and mining.
With over 160 of the older Cruiser models and 32 of the newer models in its fleet, BCI Queensland state manager Andrew Dosa told ABC Murrays is more than happy with its purchases.
“We’ve been working with Murrays for 16 years now and have an incredible relationship with them,” Dosa says.
“We know what they expect from us and we always find a way to deliver what they are thinking up.”
Initially attracted to the body of the Cruiser, the larger door entry area and the ample luggage capacity, there were only small changes that the operator wanted to make to elevate the design.
Sourcing the toilet from a European supplier, Murrays placed the amenity further back than normal, allowing room for larger seats and spacing that can recline comfortably. The operator also opted to import European camera mirrors and was one of the first to start using the technology in Australia.
“The feedback we have received from them has been overwhelmingly positive,” Dosa says.
“They love the wow factor of how the body looks. Everyone really loves the way it’s presented.”
The Cruisers are currently in service across New South Wales, Canberra, Victoria and Queensland, with the Brisbane, Chinchilla and Toowoomba buses already clocking up plenty of kilometres.
While Murrays opted for a variety of applications for its BCI buses, Popes Bus Lines in Victoria saw the Cruiser body as the perfect school bus.
Taking delivery of four Scania/BCI 57 seat Cruisers, it was once again the flexibility that drew the operator to the BCI team.
In Victoria, operators have always had choice when it came to manufacturers, historically being a very competitive market.
“A lot of Victorian operators have high standards and expectations,” BIC Victoria sales executive Paul Kennedy told ABC.
“They know exactly what they want, and they wouldn’t go with a manufacturer if they weren’t certain these expectations could be met.”
Kennedy says Popes was no exception, having a clean-cut idea of exactly how the Cruiser should be.
“They wanted choice over the seating, air-conditioning and even air bag protection,” Kennedy says.
“We were able to design and accommodate these in conjunction with the customer and our factory. The communication between all involved was exceptional.”
The quality of the base specifications of the Cruiser model goes above and beyond standards, with the vehicles specifically designed for Australian roads and conditions.
Kennedy says it is quite “rare” for operators to have this much of a hand in the design.
“Customers are genuinely listened to in the initial stages, and we work very closely with them, the OEMs and our own engineers to see what we can improve and how we can make it the best product for them,” Kennedy says.
“It’s a testament to not only BCI’s relationship with customers, but our relationships with Volvo and Scania.”
Scania’s Alexander Corne says the combination of the Scania chassis and drive train and the BCI body makes for a successful product that delivers reliability, durability and high uptime for customers.
“We have seen only a positive impact from the relationship we have built with BCI, which has been beneficial to us at Scania and our customers,” Corne says.
“We believe the relationship has been advantageous for BCI as well, as they have ambitious goals for this market.”
Volvo’s Mark Fryer says Volvo and BCI are always working to improve products and will continue to do so with the feedback from customers and the industry.
“Market feedback has been very positive, which we are not surprised about at all,” Fryer says.
“It’s a great new product for certain sectors of the bus industry.
“We are currently working on something new at the moment and will continue to create new models based on the industry requirements.”
BCI is committed to producing BCI/Volvo and BCI/Scania configurations of its popular bus body style into the future.
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