The new Volvo BZL Electric chassis may already be proving itself on the roads around Australia, but a recent launch proved particularly special for the Queensland-based manufacturer.
Volvo’s recently launched BZL Electric chassis has gotten off to a hot start in Australia.
The zero-emission model has already been launched in Western Australia and Victoria as part of renewable transport trials. Yet the recent rollout of the transformative Volvo bus into the south-east Queensland region is a special moment in the manufacturer’s electric journey.
“Being a south-east Queensland based company and having the bulk of our 1,300 employees here, it’s fabulous to showcase our BZL Electric bus in the region for the first time,” Volvo Bus Australia general manager Mitch Peden told ABC. “It’s particularly exciting that we get to introduce our electric model into the south-east Queensland area.”
When Volvo launched the BZL Electric last year, the manufacturer had a range of deals lined up with operators around Australia. But Volvo doesn’t talk up its deals – it instead prefers to see the buses delivered and rolling on roads.
The BZL Electric deliveries started in Western Australia, where the Public Transport Authority (PTA), a Volvo partner and customer, received the first units.
With the buses running strongly for months in WA, Volvo then took the BZL Electric to Victoria, where it is now running in both the Latrobe Valley and Seymour as part of the state’s first electric bus trials.
While the demo models also spread into Sydney on operator trials, Peden was keenly waiting for the day the BZL Electric would land in Queensland.
That wait was over in January, when Queensland operator Transdev announced the first of 17 Volvo electric buses it had on order was to be in service in February.
“We’re ready to go and can’t wait for the first BZL Electric to run in Queensland,” Peden says.
“It’s great to see the chassis in Queensland and see them coming together and getting finished before being sent off to pre-delivery.
“The first bus will go out to Cleveland, with good numbers set to hit the roads.”
Volvo’s historic Queensland deal starts with Transdev after negotiations allowed Volvo to prove it is the ideal partner and local electric bus supplier to the region.
After the manufacturer showed its BZL Electric chassis to the operator, Volvo was soon able to move forward with local companies such as Volgren to build and prepare the first electric buses to hit the state’s public transport network.
As the newest instalment of Volvo’s bus catalogue, Peden says the BZL Electric is packed with the latest safety technology.
With a fully comprehensive suite of training for customers and a comforting warranty, Volvo is providing quality assurance and troubleshooting well after the buses are delivered.
When Queensland transport minister Mark Bailey paid a visit to see Volvo and Volgren’s combined works, Peden says he saw a product and safety protocols that vindicates the state government’s decision to go to scale with Volvo’s BZL Electric.
“We put a lot of work into ensuring our supply chain has no exposure to child slave labour or deep-sea mining,” Peden says.
“We’re confident that we prove our sustainability credentials, which is very important over time when it comes to the government procurement of electric buses.”
Aside from these safety and sustainability innovations, Peden says the design of the BZL Electric separates the electric chassis from its local competitors.
Volvo’s zero-emissions vehicle differs in numerous ways, starting with the location of its batteries. Instead of packing the batteries into the base of the bus, Volvo has its batteries on the roof. Although this adds weight to the roof, Peden says Volvo has ensured its ABS braking systems and electronic stability control neutralise the weight, creating benefits in other areas of the bus.
This design change means Volvo’s chassis can support double decker bus bodies and provide a flat floor that massively increases passenger accessibility. It also adds to safety by allowing Volvo to reinforce the rear of the bus and add air tanks to prevent rear-end collisions from causing extensive damage or seriously injuring passengers. Instead of being packed with electric motors or batteries, the rear of the bus in the BZL Electric is instead safer and easier to repair. It may not be something that passengers notice when hopping onboard, but it’s a clever touch that will please many operators.
The technological innovations don’t stop there.
Peden says Volvo is in the midst of showing operator partners the miniscule technology that makes its BZL Electric above and beyond in the electric bus game.
In the chassis’ battery, self-propagation cell technology means that a thermal event in one cell won’t spread into other areas of the battery, limiting battery fire risks.
“This cell technology is important and goes beyond the safety protocols required by both Australia and the European Union,” Peden says. “The battery protection may add a little bit of weight to our chassis, but it’s already one of the lightest in the market and we deem the incremental safety gain worthwhile.
“In other electric batteries, there are usually a couple of defensive lines in the cells. Our electric bus batteries have nine defensive lines of safety layers that is chemically designed to protect the vehicle.”
Volvo’s unique hazardous voltage isolation loop (HVIL) is also present in the battery to constantly measure high voltage cables and immediately detect resistance changes.
If changes are detected, the HVIL loop will shut down the electrical system and prevent any serious events from occurring.
Peden says this intricate chemical technology present in Volvo’s batteries gives customers and passengers comfort that the manufacturer is above the minimum standard of electric bus safety.
He says Volvo will continue to educate operators on the tiny details that make the BZL Electric unique in the local market.
With more electric models set to land on south-east Queensland roads, Volvo is also increasing its production of the BZL Electric chassis to ensure the state is prepared for the looming 2032 Olympic Games.
While the Olympic challenge forms part of the future strategy, Peden says for now he is keeping his vision short term and focusing his attention on building legitimacy by delivering the first electric buses in Queensland while also continually developing Volvo’s diesel range.
“We’re very keen on showcasing this first batch of BZL electric buses on Queensland roads,” Peden says. “We’re also certainly mindful of the next iteration of electric buses coming too, such as high floor school and mining vehicles.
“We’ll also continue enhancing our traditional diesel business that is very stable and well received in the market.
“We know we need to be an ambidextrous organisation while transitioning to new technologies – it’s both an opportunity and a burden.”