As one of the world’s leading bus and coach OEMs, Volvo Bus knows well and truly how to sell a bus to a customer. For decades, the heavy vehicle giant has been around the top of the table for bus and coach sales in numerous global locations.
While it’s well versed on how to design, manufacture and sell diesel buses and coaches, Volvo Bus is now acutely aware that the increasing industry trend towards zero-emissions models requires a different sales process.
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“We’re long-term business partners for our customers and we sell an entire systems package rather than just a bus,” Volvo Asia Pacific director of product, industry and electromobility Mark Fryer told ABC.
“We have a process that we follow when an operator orders a zero-emissions bus to determine what charging infrastructure they’ll need to accompany it.”
As Fryer speaks with ABC, he is attending a Volvo Bus Asia Pacific conference with the region’s sales leaders. The purpose of the three-day conference is to continually upskill the Volvo team on best practice when selling Volvo’s BZL electric buses.
The current process involves discussing the deeper points of infrastructure with the customer, including the charger and kilowatts of power needed to successfully operate the vehicle. From there, a division in Volvo Bus’ Sweden head office runs these requirements through a system of chargers and infrastructure types to find the most compatible option.
Included in this list is a wide range of major charging brands that are compared to the customer’s needs to find the best infrastructure opportunities available for operators.
“There’s no point us selling a customer a bus if it isn’t accompanied by a compatible piece of infrastructure,” Fryer says.
“Selling a zero-emissions bus involves a total package and it needs to be that way moving forward. Selling the bus is the easy part – we’re now equally focused on the infrastructure required to fulfil an efficient operating strategy for these vehicles.”
While Australia may not be as advanced in its zero-emissions bus transition as other nations, particularly in Europe, there are still key points that Volvo’s head office in Sweden is working on. Volvo Bus Corporation product director of city Frederick Björn says that electric bus infrastructure now extends beyond simply finding a charger that can power a bus.
“There’s so much more than simply charging a vehicle – there’s additional functionalities that we’re now looking into,” Björn told ABC.
“These aren’t clearly regulated yet, but we want to make sure that infrastructure communicates with the bus to ensure there’s full functionality and customers get the most out of their assets.”
Volvo has recently introduced interoperability testing to its buses and infrastructure options to support customers with the testing and selecting of the right chargers. Fryer says it’s all about balancing the vehicle and charger needs with the latest technology involved, including traffic optimisation capabilities and depot sizes.
“When we used to solely sell diesel buses we’d ask how many seats, but now with electric buses we’re asking customers to select the chargers they like, the range they want and the way it’ll be maintained,” Fryer says.
“Our team in Sweden runs simulations on the vehicle model chosen to determine how much energy will be used based on the customer’s route typography and weather. This means we can confidently determine which charger would work well for that route alongside the bus.
“Although we don’t sell chargers, we ultimately want to work alongside our customers to ensure they are purchasing a holistic electric bus system that meets their needs – and we have the flexibility to do just that.”
In Australia, the main type of charging Volvo Bus is offering BZL Electric customers is plug-in. Globally, pantograph rapid charging has become popular, saving ground space in depots while charging a series of buses quickly. While this technology is yet to become widespread in Australia due to smaller zero-emissions bus fleet sizes, Fryer and Björn are both excited at what pantograph charging could bring for local operators.
“I could easily see pantograph charging being the way forward in Australia – in Europe already it’s been popular as it allows buses to be charged in separate depots,” Björn says.
“In Australia, where vehicles are sometimes parked outdoors, you wouldn’t want to have charging pillars and cables lying around, so it would be easier to bring in a pantograph to keep charging effectively and safely.”
Fryer says Volvo has spoken to some operators about the potential for pantograph charging in the future for depots that are very cramped for space. He thinks that the Volvo head office simulations will be critical to showing customers the benefits of the technology.
“We’re still learning and evolving, but we now have experience in different markets, conditions and sized depots,” Fryer says.
“We’re lucky to have this expertise available to help Australian operators get the best solution. We know we have good people in positions to get the right solutions.”
Having already made a start on its total solution package for the industry, both Fryer and Björn want to continue being involved in conversations with the sector. Instead of being a trusted seller, Volvo is intent on being a constant partner for operators.
“When you start the zero-emissions journey as an operator, we want to be there for the long journey of establishing infrastructure,” Fryer says. “We know that it’s a two-way street.”
“It’s no longer a one-person job – it’s an exciting time where people have to be armed with a lot more tools and information to help others,” Björn says.
“By continuing to build partnerships, we want to be a helpful guide for all customers when it comes to undergoing bus and coach transformation.”
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