Another productive year means Volvo is still firmly at the top of the Australian bus and coach industry. While it continues to remain entrenched as a leader in the sector, Volvo Bus Australia is still focused on remaining humbled and keeping its gaze forward.
“We continually focus on having safe, high quality products that deliver great long-term results on the road for our customers,” Volvo Bus Australia general manager Mitch Peden told ABC.
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“The highlight of 2024 was most certainly the National Bus and Coach Show in Brisbane – coming together with the industry yet again and being able to have valuable face-to-face conversations with our operator and government partners which helps us learn and focus on being the best business partners we can be.”
The Volvo space at the show was spectacular, with its collection of high-quality buses and coaches providing the perfect setting for meaningful networking. Peden says Volvo was able to get its entire Bus Australia team to the show to showcase its product range and support services on offer, including the newly released B13R on an Irizar body and its popular BZL Electric chassis on a Global Bus Ventures body in an industry-first.
Alongside the B13R and BZL Electric, the B8R completes a holy trinity of models that are allowing Volvo Bus Australia to prepare for another busy year in 2025.
“The show was an excellent opportunity for us to have our entire team there and have in-depth chats across the industry,” Peden says.
“Another highlight of the year was seeing our customers take delivery of their new B13Rs and seeing the model in operation across the country.”
These deliveries allowed Volvo to put its newest Australian model to the test in real-life applications, and the vehicle didn’t disappoint. While initial data from Volvo’s Swedish head office suggested the model had fuel savings of up to nine per cent, operational data in Australia of the B13R recorded fuel savings of up to 15 per cent measured against a Volvo B11 Euro 6, highlighting the efficiency gains that the model allows for.
“This data is from real-life operators, not demonstration vehicles, who run the bus each and every day – so we were immensely pleased with the result,” Peden says.
“The uptime we’re seeing on the B13R is excellent, and the feedback we’re getting from operators is exceeding expectations. We knew the model would work well, but we are pleasantly blown away by the results we are actually seeing.”
Outside of the exciting launch and success of the B13R, the BZL Electric, now having spent three years of real-life operations in Australia, is continuing to record wonderful results for operators around the country. With over 55 units now delivered, the positivity coming from states such as Victoria and Queensland for the electric bus model shows that Volvo’s flagship electric unit is now firmly entrenched in the market.
“The feedback is really positive for the BZL, particularly with regards to the quality of the product, the positive feedback from bus drivers and the in-market support and training that is greatly appreciated by our operator partners,” Peden says.
“We’ve found this has really helped operators, with our focus on battery safety systems also becoming more and more valuable.”
On top of this, Volvo Bus Australia’s constant dedication to cybersecurity and data safety since the BZL Electric’s local release in 2021 has paid off. While it may have just felt like a buzz word in the industry a few years ago, Peden says operators are now beginning to understand the importance of keeping data safe.
“It’s a full circle moment for us as organisations now really understand the importance of cybersecurity and respect the work we have put into that space for a long while,” Peden says.
The final pillar of Volvo Bus Australia’s product trio is the evergreen B8R, which still remains as the brand’s “bread and butter” product in Australasia. While nothing has changed with the popular model, operators continue to marvel at the overall value and uptime that it brings to bus and coach operations around Australia.
“The operators that run the B8R just get how good it is – we continue to sell plenty of Euro 6 B8R models,” Peden says.
“Until that full transition to zero-emissions transport occurs, the B8R is an excellent fuel-efficient solution.
“The B8R is a sturdy, safe and excellent product, and our customers keep coming back to it because of that.”
What to look forward to in 2025
“In 2025 we want to be the best transport solutions provider that we can be – and we want to continue to demonstrate to operators our commitment as long-term business partners,” Peden says.
“Across an expected asset life of more than 20 years, we will still be here supporting our customers and their operations. We have the largest aftersales team in the Australian bus industry, so we want to reiterate that long-term assurance to our customer base.”
Whether it be the BZL Electric, B8R or B13R, the aftersales support is Australia-wide. Volvo is also adding value to customers through the growing delivery of driver and product training sessions. With Volvo having recorded more than 150 training days in 2024, the number is only set to increase in 2025 as the major bus brand continues to focus on its operator network in the next year.
“This training is delivered at no additional charge to operators – we just want to help our customers use the buses in the best possible way to drive the highest level of product satisfaction and return on investment,” Peden says.
“We want to continue building our relationships and offer our support and insight into what our customers need and are looking for – in turn, we’ll be in a better position as a trusted partner.
“It’s been a successful year at Volvo, but we’re now firmly focused on 2025 and what we can do to further support the industry moving forward.”