**SCOOP** Grendas Announces Hybrid Bus To Join Fleet!!!

[Member1100]

Grendas Bus Service has announced that a Hybrid Bus will join its fleet from mid next year. In conjunction with the Department Of Sustainability And Environment, Grendas will purchase a 12.5 metre route service bus which will be used on day to day route services.

Group General Manager Peter Ayres says that the bus will be built using a locally produced Iveco chassis which will be powered by a Cummins Hybrid Diesel/Electric motor, combined with a special Hybrid Allison Gearbox. It will, of course be built using a Volgren Low Floor Route bus body.

Ayres says the vehicle will be configured as a Smart Bus and will be used mainly on the Springvale Road 888/889 route. The bus will be a one off purchase in which Grendas will evaluate the potential fuel savings and emission reductions before deciding on future purchases. The Hybrid vehicle will join a fleet of the latest Mercedes 0500LE buses using Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR) technology, which uses Ad-Blue to reduce exhaust emissions and also offers impressive fuel savings.

Ayres says the Iveco Hybrid bus is expected to be in service from June 2009.

[Mercedes]

Excellent news the more greener buses ono our streets the better

[ABS]

Go Iveco and Volgren!

Aussie engineering at it's best.

[Windy]

Iveco isn't an Australian brand. International Harvester sort-of was, but not anymore. Cummins and Allison are US companies, so at the moment the only thing we can be really patriotic about would be the fact that it's a Volgren body!

[Connex]

is the body gonna be built in Dandenong? or in malaysia?

[Member1100]

is the body gonna be built in Dandenong? or in malaysia?

Good Question. I guess nobody will know until the bus is produced, but heres my tip. I reckon the bus will be built in Dandenong. The reason for my belief is that Iveco is also based in Dandenong, and I reckon having the bus built in Dandenong will give Grendas/Iveco an opportunity to use this as a two pronged promotional opportunity, one being the environmentally friendly vehicle, and two being the fact that it was built locally in Dandenong. No doubt this vehicle will garner some media attention when it does enter service, so I just think the "locally made" vibe will be an added bonus in promoting the vehicle as well as promoting its obvious environmental and fuel saving benefits.

But then, thats just my guess.

[yueses]

I would say your spot on Eratik... unless they will just build the bodies over in Malaysia, ship them here and then just say to the media "locally owned volgren..." etc.. not mention where it was actually built...

But I do hope its all done in Dandenong.. !!

[Member1100]

I would say your spot on Eratik... unless they will just build the bodies over in Malaysia, ship them here and then just say to the media "locally owned volgren..." etc.. not mention where it was actually built...

But I do hope its all done in Dandenong.. !!

And now that Ive said it, perhaps there is also a chance that a member of management at Volgren or Iveco didnt think of this, but read this forum, and have just seen my suggestion and decided "Wow what a great idea" and are currently preparing my bonus cheque to be sent in the mail.

Then again, maybe not.

[DiAmOnD T]

Grendas Bus Service has announced that a Hybrid Bus will join its fleet from mid next year. In conjunction with the Department Of Sustainability And Environment, Grendas will purchase a 12.5 metre route service bus which will be used on day to day route services.
Ayres says the Iveco Hybrid bus is expected to be in service from June 2009.

Do you have an accurate source for this, i couldn't find any reference on their website??

[DiAmOnD T]

Iveco isn't an Australian brand. International Harvester sort-of was, but not anymore. Cummins and Allison are US companies, so at the moment the only thing we can be really patriotic about would be the fact that it's a Volgren body!

The iveco metro chassis and the delta (possibly) are built in dandenong from both local and imported parts, it may not be wholey and souley australian but its more than other manufacturers that send the complete buggy over (denning would be the other aussie built job

The possibility of it having a maylasian body assembly is high, as the idea at volgren is build the customer buses here and build our buses over there so we dont fall behind and we can rectify any problems when they come back here

[Member1100]

Grendas Bus Service has announced that a Hybrid Bus will join its fleet from mid next year. In conjunction with the Department Of Sustainability And Environment, Grendas will purchase a 12.5 metre route service bus which will be used on day to day route services.
Ayres says the Iveco Hybrid bus is expected to be in service from June 2009.

Do you have an accurate source for this, i couldn't find any reference on their website??

No its not on the website. The announcement was made to staff at Grendas. Also if you bother to read my initial post, it clearly states that the announcement was made by Peter Ayres from Grendas. He is "the source".

[B7RLE]

Grendas Bus Service has announced that a Hybrid Bus will join its fleet from mid next year. In conjunction with the Department Of Sustainability And Environment, Grendas will purchase a 12.5 metre route service bus which will be used on day to day route services.
Ayres says the Iveco Hybrid bus is expected to be in service from June 2009.

Do you have an accurate source for this, i couldn't find any reference on their website??

Eratik is a well know in the Grenda corperation i would say thats how he found out

[Simes]

Would this chassi have anything to do with the Orion hybrids that appear to be so popular in the US? Here's the spec sheet, thing is Orion is owned by Daimler (not sure if it's Daimler Benz or just plan Daimler these days...)
http://www.orionbus.com/orion/0-867-584 ... 0-0-0.html

[Windy]

Not with Iveco's involvement. Iveco and Daimler-Benz are two different empires.

[Andrew]

The iveco metro chassis and the delta (possibly) are built in dandenong from both local and imported parts, it may not be wholey and souley australian but its more than other manufacturers that send the complete buggy over (denning would be the other aussie built job

Bustech now also have an Aus made range of low floor chassis as well.

[VQ]

Go Iveco and Volgren!

Aussie engineering at it's best.

Yeah, just like the Ventura Hybrid, which is made in NZ, with two electric motors and lots of batteries with a VW 5 cyl TDi motor in it, due soon, which will be interesting to work on.

But it's good that they are also getting in on it. Wonder what size motor it will be?