busnews.com.au July 2019 ABC^11VIC HYBRID BUS FLEET WELCOMED
ALMOST THREE months after
CDC Victoria announced it would
be implementing 50 new Volvo-
chassis, Volgren-bodied hybrid
buses into its fleet, the company
held an official function to
commemorate the move,
recently.
Located at its Wyndham
depot in the Western Suburbs of
Melbourne, Victoria, the first 30 of
the 50 – the single largest order of
hybrid buses in Australia to date –
wereonshowinfrontofindustry
andpoliticaldignitaries,before
peoplewerewelcomedonboard
fourandtakenforaquickspinto
experiencethenew,‘cleanerand
quieter’technology.
Inattendancewereguestof
honourtheVictorianMinister
forPublicTransportandState
memberforWilliamstown,
TheHon.MelissaHorne;local
memberforTarneit,MsSarah
Connolly;andCouncillorWalter
VillagonzalofromtheWyndham
CityCouncil.
Withbusoperatorsfacing
anincreasingresponsibilityto
providecleanandsustainable
transportsolutions,hybridbuses- atleastintheshorterterm
andatleastinAustralia,given
distancestocoverandpower
neededforair-conditioning
temperaturestobeoptimally
regulatedinoursummers–are
increasinglybeingseenasthe
mostlogicalsolutionbymany
industryexperts.
Improvedpublictransportthat
catersforabetterenvironment,
drivenbycleaneremissionsand
reducednoisepollution,ultimately
leadstoimprovedpublichealth
andsavesasignificantamountof
energy,accordingtoVolvo.
CDCVictoria–asubsidiaryof
ComfortDelGro–isinthefirst
yearofitsseven-yearcontract.
CEONicholasYap,speakingat
thelaunchfunction,said:“The
orderof 50 hybridbusesunder
ourMelbournebuscontracts
meansthatroughly 1 in 4 ofour
metropolitanbusfleetwillbea
hybridbymid-2022.
“Come2022,thefleetof 50 hybrid
buseswillserviceover 90 suburbs
acrossMelbourne.”THELINKS
Explainingthecommonlink
betweenthebusentitiesinvolved,
Yapsaid:“On 1 November,1999,
oursistercompany,SBSTransit,
registeredinSingaporethefirstlow-Above: The
first 30 hybrid
buses were on
show at the
CDC Victoria
depot in
Wyndham.sustainable transport network.
“We are proud to work alongside
Transport for NSW to achieve the vision
to deliver a more sustainable public
transport solution and look forward to
welcoming our first customers on-board
for a quieter and greener commute.”
Feuerherdt added that as a leading
global transport company, Transit
Systems is committed to exploring a
range of new technologies.
“Public transport works best as a
dynamic network – connecting people
from A to B via the most convenient
method for them. Be it electric,
hydrogen, on-demand or traditional
bus services, we’ll continue to invest in
new technologies and ideas to ensure
we are delivering the most convenient,
reliable and cost-effective services to
commuters,” he said.THE SPECS
The total battery capacity on the vehicle
is 328kW. The Gemilang-bodied, BYD
electric chassis buses use around
80kW per hour; however, the vehicle
also regenerates approximately30–40 per cent of its battery capacity
through braking, depending on traffic
conditions.
With ViriCity installed, Transit Systems
can remotely see real-time data and
historical data to assist in all aspects of
the electric bus operation.
The electric buses all feature next
stop systems, which provide audio and
visual route and location information
for customers, Transit Systems confirms.
The next stop systems will be fitted and
progressively rolled out to all new buses
in the Transit Systems Region 6 fleet.floor Volvo Super Olympian double-
decker bus that had a Volgren body.
“This led to a further order of 50
such buses. Two decades on and we
gather here to celebrate the launch
of 50 Volvo hybrid buses all with a
Volgren body.
“I believe that aside from a shared
vision, the fact that the three parties
had a long history of working
together, helped with the trust
that was necessary to deliver this
project,” Yap stated.THE BIGGER PICTURE
All 50 new hybrid buses are to be in
service on CDC routes in Wyndham,
Oakleigh and Sunshine by 2022,
CDC Victoria says.
The new Volvo-Volgren-built
buses will be progressively rolled
out during the next three years.
It’s claimed the buses will
reduce fuel consumption and
the impact on the environment,
while delivering a quieter and
smoother ride.