Bustech
Encyclopedia
Bustech is an Australia
n bus bodywork company
, established in 1998 on the Gold Coast, Queensland
. It is owned by the Transit Australia Group
, where buses are produced for its sister companies, Surfside Buslines and Sunbus, as well as other major Australian customers. Originally, Bustech worked out of a factory in Ernest
, but in October 2004 they moved into a new $10 million factory at West Burleigh, capable of producing up to 250 new buses per year.
During 2007, Bustech developed a prototype for a new 43-seater midi bus model. This was Bustech's first attempt at an integral bus and eventually led to production of the model as the MDi during 2008, with initial deliveries going to sister company Sunbus.
In December 2009, Bustech passed a major milestone producing their 1000th bus.
July 2011, saw the unveiling of Bustech's new flagship model, the CDi. It is a 96-seater double deck, low-floor citybus integral. It featured at the 2011 BAV Conference in Melbourne, alongside an updated XDi.
Both the MDi and XDi were also available with Caterpillar
C7 engines however as they ceased production of highway engines the vehicles can be specified only with the Cummins.
Previously, Bustech have produced low-floor city buses, school buses and coaches, but were unnamed. These have now been superseded by the above four models. Previous chassis built on include: Mercedes-Benz O405NH, Mercedes-Benz O400, Scania L94UB and Hino RG230.
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n bus bodywork company
Bus manufacturing
Bus manufacturing is a specific sector of the automotive industry, which carries out the manufacturing of buses and coaches.-History:Bus manufacturing had its earliest origins in carriage building. Other bus manufacturers had their origins in truck manufacturing...
, established in 1998 on the Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
. It is owned by the Transit Australia Group
Transit Australia Group
The Transit Australia Group is a transport services company based on the Gold Coast in Queensland, Australia. Transit Australia trades under the products, Surfside Buslines and Gold Coast Tourist Shuttle on the Gold Coast, and Sunbus in the Queensland regions of Sunshine Coast, Townsville,...
, where buses are produced for its sister companies, Surfside Buslines and Sunbus, as well as other major Australian customers. Originally, Bustech worked out of a factory in Ernest
Ernest
The name Ernest is derived from the Germanic word ernst, parallel to the English word earnest, approximately meaning honest and trustworthy.Ernest may refer to:-People:*Ernest, Margrave of Austria...
, but in October 2004 they moved into a new $10 million factory at West Burleigh, capable of producing up to 250 new buses per year.
During 2007, Bustech developed a prototype for a new 43-seater midi bus model. This was Bustech's first attempt at an integral bus and eventually led to production of the model as the MDi during 2008, with initial deliveries going to sister company Sunbus.
In December 2009, Bustech passed a major milestone producing their 1000th bus.
July 2011, saw the unveiling of Bustech's new flagship model, the CDi. It is a 96-seater double deck, low-floor citybus integral. It featured at the 2011 BAV Conference in Melbourne, alongside an updated XDi.
Models
Currently, Bustech produces five bus models.- VST: 12.5m low-floor citybus body - built on a variety of chassis, including Volvo B12BLEVolvo B12BLEThe Volvo B12BLE is a low-entry city and suburban bus chassis launched in 2001 with an engine mounted on the rear overhang. It replaced the Volvo B10BLE and is used as a base for single deck buses in Europe and Australia....
and B7RLEVolvo B7RLEVolvo B7RLE is a low-floor single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom in 2003 to supplement the B7L single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE...
, Mercedes-Benz O500LEMercedes-Benz OC500LEThe Mercedes-Benz OC 500 LE is a modular, heavy-duty, twin-axle bus chassis produced by Mercedes-Benz/EvoBus Ibérica S.A. in Sámano, Spain. It was designed as a platform for low-entry city, suburban, and intercity buses weighing a maximum of 18,000 kg. It has much in common with the chassis...
, Scania K230UBScania K-seriesScania K-series is a series of bus with longitudinally, straight-up mounted Euro IV engine at the rear. For the 5- and 6-cylinder engines Scania is using exhaust gas recirculation system to fulfill the legal Euro IV emission standard...
and MAN 18.310 HOCL-NL. - SBV/SBM: School/Charter bus body - built on a variety of chassis, including MAN 18.280, Mercedes-Benz OH1830L, Volvo B7RVolvo B7RThe Volvo B7R is a coach chassis available with a range of bodies. It is promoted as a rear engined lightweight coach chassis. It is primarily intended for tourist and long-distance duties...
, Scania K94IBScania K94The Scania K94 is a rear-engined bus built by Scania of Sweden.It could be built as a coach or intercity bus , but one example of the low-entry citybus version was produced in 2000.In Hong Kong, the K94UB has been fitted with a Volgren 12m double-deck bodywork and is currently in operation with...
. Previously known as the Graduate. SBM stands for School Bus MAN whilst SBV stands for School Bus Volvo. - MDi: 10.5m, 43 seater low floor citybus integral - available with Cummins ISC 8.3-litre engine and ZF Axles RL85A / A132
- XDi: 12.5m, 53-seater (49 when specified with centre-door) low floor citybus integral - Available with Cummins ISC 8.3-litre or Cummins ISL 9-litre engines and ZF Axles RL85A / A132
- CDi: 12.5m, 96-seater low floor double deck citybus integral - Available with Cummins ISL 9-litre engines. TransLinkTransLink (South East Queensland)The TransLink Transit Authority is the authority introduced by the Queensland Government in June 2003 as a section of Queensland Transport to coordinate and integrate rail, bus and ferry services. TransLink works with Airtrain, Brisbane Transport, Brisbane Ferries, QR Citytrain and 17 other...
(operating as Surfside Buslines) and Forest Coach LinesForest coach linesForest Coach Lines is a company that operates bus services in the northern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Network:Metropolitan Bus Service Contract Region 14*194: St Ives – City...
are currently trialing these buses.
Both the MDi and XDi were also available with Caterpillar
Caterpillar Inc.
Caterpillar Inc. , also known as "CAT", designs, manufactures, markets and sells machinery and engines and sells financial products and insurance to customers via a worldwide dealer network. Caterpillar is the world's largest manufacturer of construction and mining equipment, diesel and natural gas...
C7 engines however as they ceased production of highway engines the vehicles can be specified only with the Cummins.
Previously, Bustech have produced low-floor city buses, school buses and coaches, but were unnamed. These have now been superseded by the above four models. Previous chassis built on include: Mercedes-Benz O405NH, Mercedes-Benz O400, Scania L94UB and Hino RG230.
Major customers
- Transit Australia Group: Surfside Buslines and SunbusSunbusSunbus may refer to the following Bus companies operated by Transit Australia Group*Sunbus Townsville - The bus company operating Public Transport in Townsville, Queensland under Regional Queensland's QConnect Integrated Public Transport system...
- Veolia Transport: NSWVeolia Transport NSWVeolia Transport NSW is a division of the global Veolia company that operates the Metro Light Rail, the Metro Monorail and commuter bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-Metro Transport:...
and Brisbane - Busways
- Logan City Bus Service
- Busabout Group: BusaboutBusaboutBusabout is a company that operates bus services in the western suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It has a depot at Hoxton Park and provides services in the Liverpool area. The company was previously known as Neville's Bus Service which commenced operations in 1947...
Hoxton Park, Busabout Wagga Wagga and Hawkesbury Valley Bus Service - Pulitano Group: Westside Bus Company and Park Ridge Transit
- Buslines Group (previously John A. Gilbert)
- Metrolink Bus Lines (Oliveri’s)
- BusLinkBusLinkCrowthers is a family-owned bus company that operates charter coach services, and until the end of 2008, operated local bus services in the southern suburbs of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.-History of service:...