Delhi to have electric buses on road · Delhi to have electric buses on road ..... 12 Hino-Isuzu...

www.buscoachindia.com

Vol-7, No.81, September-2016

Transit elevated bus tested in China

THE ONLY MAGAZINE DEDICATED TO BUS COACH INDUSTRY & COACH TOURISM

Trends shaping the Auto Industry

Delhi to have electric buses on roadKSRTC Launches first biodiesel bus

SEPTEMBER : 2016 BUS COACH INDIA 03

46 53 60

2312 20

SEPTEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA04

News & Events ................................................................................................................................................. ................................ 06Delhi to have electric buses on road .......................................................................................................................................... 1 2Hino-Isuzu venture boosting bus production by 30% ............................................................................................................. 20Marcopolo Sells 295 Buses to Ghana ...................................................................................................... ................................... 2 1Mercedes-Benz working on electric sprinter .................................................................................... ...................................... 22Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai: A Movement involving all stakeholders ......................................................................................... 23Tata Motors Delivers 241 New Buses to KSRTC ........................................................................................................................ 26VE Commercial Vehicles set to ride the school bus segment to boost sales .......................................... .......................... 27Continental an experienced partner in material handling at IMHX 2016 ........................................ .................................... 28Bridgestone launches Firestone tyre brands .......................................................................................................................... 30Allison Transmission Supports new fuel efficiency ........................................................................... .............. ....................... 3 1Transit elevated bus tested in China ............................................................................................................. ............................. 32GAZ Group consolidates its position on the Russian Bus Market ............................................ ................. ........................... 36Mahindra & Mahindra gear up for the world's most affordable electric SUV ...................... ..................... ....................... 39A Tourist Destination: Gwalior ................................................................................................................. .................................... 40KSRTC Launches first biodiesel bus ............................................................................................................................................ 46Sunshine School Bus latest product from Ashok Leyland .............................................................................. ....................... 52Knorr-Bremse to showcase groundbreaking solutions for commercial vehicles at IAA 2016 ................. .................... 53Harman's new security frameworks keep your vehicle safe from cyber attacks ........................................................... 58PV Sindhu's Victory Procession on BEST Double Decker Open Bus ............................................ ........................................ 59Trends shaping the Auto Industry .................................................................................................. ............................................. 6 1Apollo tyres to invest around Rs 1,700 cr in current fiscal in India .................................................. .......... ....................... 64

Vol-7, No-81, September-2016

Baldev Singh Bal

Nadeem Inamdar9881098036

Sahil AsherSahil Asher7718903525

(Mumbai)

401, 4th Floor, Suneja Tower-1,

District Centre, Janak Puri, New Delhi-110058

Phone No. 25557680/81, 45588720

Cell: 9971692030, 9211980064

Website: www.buscoachindia.com

Email: [email protected]

[email protected]

ybrid Technology has been introduced as an alternative fuel for automobiles worldwide Hto minimize the effect of green gases on

earth. Transporters and public transport operators testing hybrid technology in their bus fleet world over. Environmentalists and world organizations have been warning the world leaders about the threat of the global warming and its dangerous effects for the coming generations.

Hybrid technology was introduced to the market in 2010. The parallel hybrid concept with a co-optimized diesel engine fitted with AMT gear box and 120kw electrical machine was supported by electrification of steering servo, air compressor, climate control and a series of new functions were introduce such as electric take-off and idle shut down, in total the new concept lowered fuel consumption by 35% to 39 % in city traffic.

The introduction of highly efficient diesel electric hybrid bus was the first step towards electomobility. The new technology offers lower energy use, lower emission, less Noise and higher availability, simultaneously. The operation, maintenance and long term performance of the diesel electric hybrid buses in various operating environment, have met with varying degree of success. The success recipe is simple: a systems approach that target the vehicle lifecycle productivity by combining the effects of the energy saving from the technology, system design and assistance in operational behavior.

Electromobility has been gaining popularity world over. Recently the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority has signed with Tata Motors for supply of 25 hybrid; diesel electric Starbuses. The contract is the single largest order awarded for hybrid electric vehicle technology.

The plug-in hybrid buses and full electric buses are running on trial in the different part of the country. Recently a Chinese company: BYD's electric bus runs successfully on Delhi roads under DTC operation.

The JBM Group and Solaris Bus & Coach S. A have decided a joint venture is based in Delhi. They have showcased a full electric bus at the Auto Expo-2016.

Delhi today facing the challenge of having to provide an efficient road system to meet the high demand of traffic flow. With greater personal mobility, growing population and easy access to car ownership, the vehicle population in the India's capital has rocketed, thus sending the transport system into a gridlock. To cleanup the toxic air of the capital its is paramount to increase use of electrical buses in Delhi.

It is appreciable that Indian government has announced various incentive programmes to kick start electromobility in public transport and in beyond.


JK TYRE TO INVEST RS. 100 CR TO SET UP R&D CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE

Tyre major JK Tyre and Industries Ltd, part of the Rs.28,000-crore JK Organisation, will invest RS.100 crore to set up a new R&D centre of excellence.

It will initially have about 200 engineers and scientists and the number will double during the next one year. Raghupati Singhania, Chairman and Managing Director, JK Tyre and Industries, Ltd said that the company is combining all its R&D efforts across several locations under one roof.

“This will house the most modern and advanced equipment manned by highly experienced engineers and scientists with deep insight into material resource, designs, aesthetics and structures.” The company recently reached a historic milestone when it became the first Indian tyre company to roll out its 10 millionth truck/bus radial tyres from its Vikrant plant at Mysuru. Karnataka Minister for Industries, RV Deshpande, and PWD Minister HC Mahadevappa were present during the rollout.

With a tyre capacity of 3.5 million truck/bus radials per annum, JK Tyre pioneered radial technology in India, introducing truck and bus radial tyres way back in 1999, becoming the largest producer in this

category. JK Tyre took over the state-owned Vikrant plant and turned it around into a state-of-the-art plant with investments of over ₹1,200 crore providing direct and indirect employment to over 13,000 people.

“Starting 1977, when we set up our first tyre plant in Rajasthan with an annual capacity of 5 lakh tyres, we have grown multi-fold by setting up green field plants, expansion of its existing capacities and acquisitions including Vikrant plant in Karnataka and a tyre company in Mexico,” Singhania said.

TATA MOTORS DELIVERS 241 NEW BUSES TO KSRTC

Indian automobile manufacturer Tata Motors has delivered 241 buses KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation), under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM). The buses are equipped with new-generation Tata Cummins ISBe engines, air suspension, multiplex wiring meeting Urban Bus specification II given by Government of India.

Buses have acceleration of 0.8 m/sec2 which would cut down on travel time thus making bus travel faster for daily office commuters, claims the company. Body is designed with a well-spaced out

gangway of 700 mm, higher passenger leg room to ensure passenger comfort.

On-Bus ITS (Intelligent Transport System) has Public information system, Automatic vehicle location system, Security network system, Vehicle health monitoring and diagnostics. GPRS enabled connectivity permits the bus to be connected with Control room for Live monitoring. Bus is also enabled for smart ticketing options.To maintain good health, the driver's seat is ergonomically designed with 4-ways adjustable mechanism.

A wide-angle windshield will ensure maximum driver visibility. Tata Motors has designed special training programs to train drivers and staff of Karnataka State Transport Corporation so that buses are operated efficiently. There are more than 13,000 Tata Motors buses operating in STU's of Karnataka.

ZF STARTS R&D CENTER IN INDIA

ZF Friedrichshafen AG is setting up its first ever India Technology Center in Hyderabad which will be dedicated to software and mechanical engineering. The new Technology Center will support ZF's


vehicles with new ones -a move that may cost the government around Rs 4,000 crore. Finance Minister Arun Jaitley and Transport Minister Nitin Gadkari discussed the whole range of issues relating to the phasing out of old polluting vehicles on Wednesday.

Sources said while old trucks and heavy vehicles would be covered in the first phase, four-wheelers over 15 years -around 60 lakh in all -would be covered in the second.

"The finance minister felt scrapping of pre-Bharat Stage vehicles should be mandatory instead of voluntary. The finance ministry is not in favour of reducing excise duty as incentive but they could make a Budget provision for direct cash incentive," Gadkari said. They said old heavy vehicles would be phased out first because they make up only 2.5% of vehicles in that category but are responsible for 60% of the vehicular pollution.TOI has learned that the finance ministry is of the view that people won't retire their old trucks and buses unless the scheme is made mandatory .

Sources said the transport ministry pointed out how the overall revenue collection in the form of excise tax would be approximately Rs 18,000 crore to Rs 19,000 crore due to the sale of new vehicles, and it would be much more than what the government would end up providing as cash incentive.

Moreover, replacing the fuelguzzling old vehicles with new ones would result in savings of Rs 7,700 crore annually for reduction in crude oil import, the ministry said in its presentation. Official's privy to the discussions said the transport

ministry would take the regulatory route for the scrapping policy and it had the requisite mandate. The age cap for phasing out of vehicles would be fixed after wider consultations.

"A committee of secretaries will be set up to come out with modalities for the operationalisation of the scheme," a source said.

FLIXBUS NEW OWNER OF POSTBUS

FlixMobility (“FlixBus“) and Deutsche Post DHL Group have announced the acquisition of “Postbus“, the long-distance coach network of Deutsche Post DHL Group. From 1 November 2016, the first Postbus-services will be integrated to the international FlixBus mobility platform. Via long-te rm marke t ing and sa les cooperation, both companies want to develop new customer segments for their respective core businesses.

FlixBus is a European long distance mobility provider and brand of the FlixMobility group. The startup was founded and launched in Germany after the deregulation of the national market in 2013. By 100.000 daily connections to 900 destinations in 20 countries, FlixBus is now providing Europe's largest network of long-distance coaches.

In a long-term sales and marketing cooperation, FlixBus products will be distributed in 5.000 Post partner retail outlets by the end of this year. At the same time,

global development teams while enabling the company to accelerate local product development.13,800 engineers are currently working in R&D with ZF globally. The research and development network consists of more than 100 developmant locations, including 17 main development locations.

ZF's first Technology Center in India will be fully operational by 1st January 2017 and is expected to have a work force of 2,500 engineers by 2020. ZF has made considerable investments and advanced technology launches in the Indian market for example in its Pune facility, the first launch of the Electric Park Brake (EPB) technology in India and also inaugurated ZF Hero Chassis systems Pvt. Ltd., a 50-50 JV ZF India Pvt. Ltd. and Hero Motors Ltd in Oragadam, Kanchi Puram District.

ZF has been operating for more than three decades in the Indian market and ZF TRW for more than 50 years through its joint venture with TVS and Rane groups. Currently with about 12,000 employees including JV's, ZF has 19 production facilities excluding warehouses and office buildings.

INDIAN GOVERNMENT MULLS MANDATORY PHASING OUT 15-YR-OLD TRUCKS, BUSES

The Union Government will soon formulate a policy to mandatorily phase out nearly 11.5 lakh trucks and buses which are over 15 years old. Financial incentives will be given to those who replace these


Deutsche Post products will be displayed via FlixBus channels. In a pilot project, Deutsche Post has already tested same-day parcel deliveries via long-distance coaches between Hamburg and Berlin. FlixBus expects a total of 30 million passengers in 2016.

In 2015, FlixBus transported 20 million travelers all over Europe. By 2016, the provider expects an increase of 50 percent and a total of 30 million passengers. By paperless check-in via QR code, booking and delay management via mobile app, live GPS tracking of the vehicles or dynamic pricing similar to airlines, FlixBus set new standards in the industry.

As a combination of tech-startup, e-commerce-platform and transportation company, FlixBus established domestic networks and national entities in Germany, France, Italy, Austria and the Netherlands, as well as cross-border services to currently 20 countries. Within this year, FlixBus will import the “green formula” to CEE countries.

IN ONE YEAR, DTC LOSSES INCREASE BY 590 CRORE

A report brought out in the assembly by Delhi government has shown that not only is Delhi Transport Corporation suffering huge losses, but the revenue lost has been increasing considerably every year. Within one year, the losses have

increased by nearly Rs 590 crore. While the loss in FY 2014-15 was Rs 2,917.76 crore, it increased to Rs 3,505.96 crore in 2015-16. In fact, the trend has been going up since 2011-12, when the loss was Rs 2,431 crore while in 2012-13 it was Rs 2,914.40 crore. The only year the figure came down was in 2013-14, when it was Rs 1,363.74 crore. The reason for the cut was a grant-in-aid given by the government to DTC, amounting to more than Rs 2,200 crore, said officials.

DTC has been making operational losses for some time now. The revenue, which had gone up a couple of years ago, has come down, with a fewer buses in the fleet and the introduction of more cluster buses, said a DTC official. The agency has been making an approximate loss of Rs 3 crore each day, with the loss per km coming to Rs 43.

However, the losses haven't proved to be a dampner in service. The Delhi government announced that DTC would start new feeder services in Malviya Nagar, besides the existing ones. It has also inducted 323 drivers in the past one year along with 748 conducters.

Also, to increase non-traffic revenue, the DTC has several plans. This includes, conversion of 31 depots into multi-level parking lots, which will be implemented by PWD. The agency has also decided to use the buses, unipoles as well as the walls of the depots as wall wraps, for advertisements.

The revenue generated from this is expected to help the agency to manage it's piling losses. Through the introduction of electronic ticketing machines and plans of

implementing a common smart card with the Delhi Metro, the agency has been trying to up its's game. The ETMs have been installed in more than 70% of the buses, and the agency hopes to introduce the common smart card in two months, said a DTC official.

LONDON GETS FIRST GREEN BUS ROUTES

London's Mayor Sadiq Khan has confirmed plans for the first of a series of 'Low Emission Bus Zones' - prioritising the greenest buses on the worst polluted routes, as part of his far-reaching plans to clean up the capital's toxic air.

From February next year, the first route along Putney High Street will see exclusive use of hybrid or diesel buses with top-of-the-range anti-pollutant systems that meet or exceed Euro VI emissions standards. The second route - between Brixton and Streatham - will be converted in October 2017.

These are the first Low Emission Bus Zones the Mayor promised in his manifesto and which will all be operational by 2020. These are expected to reduce NOx emissions from buses along these routes by around 84 per cent. They will be focussed on London's worst air quality hotspots outside central London and prioritised in areas where buses would otherwise contribute significantly to road transport emissions.


The Low Emission Bus Zones will also incorporate a number of changes to the road layout to ensure buses have priority over other traffic and are able to keep moving, cutting emissions from unnecessary idling and speeding up journey times. Low Emission Bus Zones are one of a number of measures the Mayor has asked TfL to lead by example on to reduce emissions from the capital's bus fleet.

Low Emission Bus Zones are an integral part of the Mayor's plan to urgently clean up London's air quality, which is a contributory factor in the deaths of around 10,000 residents each year according to the latest medical research. Plans for the Low Emission Bus Zones were announced by the Mayor in May alongside a number of proposals to improve the Capital's air quality. Those proposals were subject to a recent consultation with nearly 15,000 responses, including:

‘MANUFACTURING ELECTRIC VEHICLES IN INDIA CAN MITIGATE COST’

Challenges posed by high cost in popularising hybrid and electric vehicles in India can be overcome with a focus on manufacturing components and the vehicles in India, a senior government official said.

"The biggest challenge is cost and all of us would have to work on it so that people can afford

and easily adopt this new technology. To make it cheaper, we would have to work for Make-in-India and (that) is the solution for making electric vehicle affordable," said Girish Shankar, Secretary, Ministry of the Heavy Industries and Public Enterprises.

He was addressing the National Workshop & Exhibition of FAME India. Assuring the gathering the government's commitment towards electric mobility under its FAME India scheme, he sought feedback from the industry, saying it would help them create market and a self-sustainable model."There are complexities and challenges, but still we can address them... In this, not just the government, but OEMs would have to come up with firm plans," he said, adding that he expects forums including the Automotive Component Manufa-cturers Association of India (ACMA) to play a crucial role in it.

FAME India Faster Adoption and Manufacturing of Hybrid and Electric vehicles in India - is part of the National Electric Mobility Mission Plan. The scheme envisages Rs 795 crore support in the first two fiscals that started last year.

According to Shankar, globally, hybrid models are being accepted and consumers are now able to afford it. In Europe, two lakh hybrid vehicles are self-sustainable without any government's support. He cited China as a good example of "shifting very fast to hybrid and now moving towards electric mobility". "It's a very good example for us to follow," he said.

In Japan, there are more charging stations than petrol pumps, Shankar added.

"Apart from technology, we should take examples from other countries, and let us leapfrog and take advantage of available technology and guidelines from other experiences where we can move much faster than others," he said.

MIT RESEARCHERS PUT LIDAR ON A CHIP

Applications such as autonomous vehicles and robotics heavily depend on LiDAR, and an expensive LiDAR module is a major obstacle to their use in commercial products. Our work at MIT's Photonic Microsystems Group is trying to take these large, expensive, mechanical LiDAR systems and integrate them on a microchip that can be mass produced in commercial CMOS foundries.

Most LiDAR systems—like the ones commonly seen on autonomous vehicles—use discrete free-space optical components like lasers, lenses, and external receivers. In order to have a useful field of view, this laser/receiver module is mechanically spun around, often while being oscillated up and down.

This mechanical apparatus limits the scan rate of the LiDAR system while increasing both size and complexity, leading to concerns about long-term reliabili ty, especially in harsh environments. Today, commercially available high-end LiDAR systems can range from $1,000 to upwards of $70,000, which can limit their applications


where cost must be minimized. Researchers at MIT's Photonic Microsystems Group are now developing a LiDAR-on-a-chip system that is smaller than a dime, has no moving parts, and could be mass produced at a very low cost to be used in self-driving cars, drones, and robots.

An article describing the new system is published in IEEE Spectrum. The device is a 0.5 mm x 6 mm silicon photonic chip with steerable transmitting and receiving phased arrays and on-chip germanium photodetectors. The laser itself is not integrated into the chips; however, there are on-chip lasers that could be integrated in the future.

SOLARIS SUPPLIES HVO BUSES IN NORWAY

The first order is for 75 Urbinos of the 18.75-meter variant, to be delivered to the company Unibuss. The elongated, articulated third-generation buses will be equipped in Euro 6 engines made by DAF and compliant with the Euro 6 emissions norm.

The same drive unit will be installed in 24 Urbino 12 buses of the new generation, which the firm Nobina has acquired in a tender. One of the more interesting elements of the vehicle fitting will be intercity bus seats, even though the buses themselves will be operating only

within Oslo. Also the fuel type the buses will run on is innovative: it is the so-called HVO, i.e. a biofuel of the latest generation. Supplies under both contracts are to be carried out in the first quarter of 2017.

CHINA'S ELEVATED TRANSIT BUS ON THE ROAD FOR ITS FIRST TEST

The world's first elevated transit bus has been recently tested in the Chinese city of Qinhuangdao in Hebei province. The 2m-high and 22m-long bus runs on electricity and can carry up to 300 passengers while cars can drive underneath it. The number of passengers that can be transported can go up to 1200 as four TEBs can be linked.

This first test was, however, not performed in real traffic conditions as the bus travelled a distance of only 300 meters on a controlled track and at a very low speed. In mainstream use, the vehicle is expected to reach a speed of up to 60 km per hour. According to TEBtech, the company that designed and built the bus, the test was meant to assess the braking system and the drag and power consumption.

Even if it looks impressive and might be seen as a solution for traffic congestion, questions about the practicality and financing of this bus have already been raised. It is still to be seen if doubts regarding the vehicle's ability to turn corners, fit under footbridges or safely drive over

vans will be clarified and if the bus will eventually see real-world operation.

DELHI GETS A NEW TRANSPORT CHIEF

Sandeep Kumar is Delhi's new transport commissioner. A 1997-batch IAS officer, Sandeep Kumar has replaced Sanjay Kumar, who had been appointed the commissioner a few months ago. Sandeep has taken on the role of the commissioner as an additional charge. He is also the managing director of Delhi Khadi and Village Industries Board.

Interestingly, Sanjay Kumar had been on leave for several weeks before he was divested of the post of commissioner. Before going on leave, Sanjay was in the eye of a storm for signing the AAP government's much-publicised premium bus policy without getting the approval of LG Najeeb Jung. Last month, another senior officer of the transport department, special secretary (transport), Indu Prakash Mishra, was transferred after a tiff with Satyendar Jain.


fter an almost successful trial of running electric buses on ADelhi's road the Delhi

Transport Corporation may likely to accept the proposal of inducting more buses into the fleet.

The proposal of accepting the idea on the basis of lower operational expenses that led Delhi Transport Corporation veering towards the idea of replacing at least a part of its CNG fleet with electric buses.

The running cost of the electric buses is also to be lower than CNG buses: Rs 12/km against Rs 18/km for CNG buses.

Five months after the trial of the first electric bus started in the city, the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC) officials said it is going “better than expected” and so far the results have been “quite positive”.

Five months after the agency loaned one such bus from a Chinese company on a trial basis, an internal DTC report has concluded that its overall cost of operation is much lower than a CNG-run bus due to “very low maintenance/repair cost”. Zero emission and lower manpower requirement are two other features that have impressed DTC.

The operational cost of the electric bus will be Rs 17.25/km. In contrast, a CNG AC bus costs DTC Rs 18.54 per km. A senior government official said, “On average, the electric bus ran 250km on a single charge.” It consumed 27,368 units in the four-month

period, which comes to an average unit rate of Rs 10.66 for the 16,915km it covered. The price of CNG in the capital currently stands at Rs 35.59/kg. A CNG bus gives a mileage of 1.95km/kg and also

requires higher maintenance. “The low-floor buses are under an annual maintenance contract with the manufacturer. The corporation pays Rs 3.5-12 a km. The rate increases every year,” said the official.


Delhi to have elec

The bus didn't report any breakdown during the trial, largely because there's no engine or transmission system. Only the battery needs maintenance. This electric bus is fitted with a fire safe

battery. It will not explode when exposed to direct flames. Its energy consumption amounts to 1.3 KWh/KM, estimated at 12.06 /km. After 15 years of use, the battery capacity is projected to remain about

70%. The bus has a seating capacity of 31.

“The electric bus is air-conditioned, has CCTVs and public address system for women safety,


tric buses on road

fitted with fire-fighting equipment, complete medical kit, special seating for differently-abled people, and first class comfortable seating facilities for all passengers. It also has a battery life of more than 4,000 recharging cycles, which is fire-proof," the statement added. The DTC, of course, will need to invest a hefty amount, to begin with, as one bus will cost more than Rs 2 crore. But the official said: “The buses, when available commercially, will cost approximately the same their CNG counterparts. They will basically be assembled in India.” A CNG bus costs around Rs 70-80 lakh. Interestingly, under a central scheme, the purchase of electric bus is subsidised.

The move assumes signifi-cance as an eight-year joint study, between 2008-2015, conducted by IIT-Roorkee, University of Minnesota,

US and University of Surrey, UK had shown that emissions from vehicles have increased up to three times between 1991 and 2011 and could rise by up to 19 times by 2020.

The electric buses that had been running between Delhi Secretariat and Central Secretariat for the last five months, was launched on the initiative of the Delhi Dialogue Commission (DDC) and the transport department. It was run and managed by the Delhi Transport Corporation (DTC).

The bus was on the trial basis for six months, and based on the feedback and field results, the government is likely to take a final decision on inducting these electric buses in the DTC fleet.

The idea to try the electric buses came after DDC vice

chairperson Ashish Khiatan visited China last year. The bus has been developed by a Chinese firm, though it is being marketed in India by the Smart Group. The bus had been running around 10 round trips through the day, between 6.30am and 9.30pm. The fare will be same as DTC AC buses-the minimum being Rs 10.

The government has also set up a charging station at the Millennium Depot for the electric bus. “On a charge of five hours, the bus runs around 250km,” said the government statement. The buses, which cost around Rs 3 crore in the international market, will be available at a knocked down rate if bought in bulk by the Delhi government, said sources.

“The buses, when available commercially, will cost approxima-


Allison Transmission India Pvt. Ltd.411, Elegance Tower8 District Centre, JasolaNew Delhi-110 025, INDIA

Tel: +91 11 4120 0400Fax: +91 11 4120 0405

[email protected]


tely the same as the CNG ones," a source added. At present Delhi requires at least 10,000 more buses to meet the demand and discourage commuters from using private vehicles. Sources said the DTC wanted 100 buses for the pilot run but the government asked us to buy 25 as one bus would cost at least a 1 crore. A proposal has been sent to the cabinet and after the approval, tenders will be floated.

“For sustainable transport system, electric buses are important. Every country is shifting to electric buses and Delhi should follow,” said PK Sarkar, head of the department (transport and planning) at School of Planning and Architecture.

The government is working on getting 3,000 more buses -- 1,000 each in premium, cluster and semi-

low floor categories. Currently, 5,200 DTC and cluster buses ply on Delhi roads. To assist the disabled, the bus can be tilted if needed and there is a hammer at every seat for an emergency.

This electric bus is being introduced in India by the Smart

Group, under their E-Vehicle manufacturing project - Smart Dreams. Smart Group has associated with Build Your Dreams (BYD), China as their technology partner for the project.

The study projected greater pollution from buses. Taxis and Cars

(30-34 percent) were found to be producing the highest CO2 emissions during 2011 to 2015; there is a likelihood that buses could dominate in the years after 2015.

The bus is earning Rs 8,000 per day on an average by running about 250 km in one charge. This "Made in China" bus is fully air conditioned and has the seating capacity of 31 passengers against 41 of the DTC's low-floor CNG buses. An adjustable hydraulic suspension makes it more passenger friendly especially for the differently-abled people. The bus was being run on the promotional basis by its Chinese manufacturers BYD Auto Industry Company Ltd. and introduced in India by their technology partner, the Smart Group.

The bus was exported by China to Gujarat. “The cost is being evaluated and it will be almost same as that of a fully AC bus. It had costed around Rs.3 crore to the company. We are looking forward to manufacturing it in India under Make in India programme," said Sunil Sharma of Smart Group.

Smart Group had entered the pure electric vehicle segment in India under his brand Smart Dreams. The company has tied up with the Hong Kong-based BYD Auto Industry Company which is engaged in electric vehicle manufacturing and is an investee company of investment guru Warren Buffet. Smart Dreams has inked a technology partnership with BYD for t ransfer of technology for manufacturing electric vehicles, namely e-buses to start with.

This will be followed by production of cars for use as e-taxis and later a separate plant will be set

up for manufacturing electric cars, BK Modi said at the unveiling of one of the e-buses. His focus is on contributing to public transportation through the e-bus and e-taxi offerings and is keen that the government exempts the segment from taxes.

The Smart Dreams plant is coming near to Moradabad, with the first two buses procured from BYD. The company is in talks with several state transport undertakings (STUs) for city electric buses and is hopeful of bagging multiple orders soon.

The Smart Dreams e-bus is air-conditioned and powered by a lithium iron phosphate battery with a life duration of more than 4,000 recharging cycles. It can cover a distance of 250km on a fully charged battery. A full charge takes 5 hours of recharging.

“Today countries like China have put air quality on the same priority as core sectors like infrastructure and defence and it is about time India did the same. The Indian government will have to take


bold steps and incentivise citizens and industry players to adopt electric vehicles. One of the ways we could encourage the industry is by making it a zero tax industry,” says Modi.

Modi is non-committal about the investments in the manufacturing facility or the number of e-buses to roll out from the plant, saying it will be similar to what bus plants usually attract. He is equally reticent about the bus pricing saying it will be at par with similar buses. Smart Dreams has also started

electric vehicle manufacturing operations in Singapore for e-buses along with BYD with volumes expected to be based on demand.

In India, the target is STUs in macro-cities and the upcoming 100 smart cities where an efficient public transport system is the need of the hour. The e-vehicles will also contribute their bit to cutting pollution.

The e-buses will start production with a 50 percent localisation content that will be steadily built up to 75 percent with the battery to be indigenised last over the next 3-5 years. BYD is a leader in battery manufacturing and has a bouquet of advanced technologies for the product.

At present BYD is training the workers of Smart Dreams in e-bus manufacturing. The company had earlier also entered into an agreement with Mercedes-Benz for manufacturing cars and launched the Denza all-electric sedan in 2014. Smart Dreams hopes to leverage this expertise when it explores car the manufacture in India. A second plant will be envisaged for the manufacture of a car once the e-bus and e-taxi plant picks up steam.


Liu Xueliang, managing director of Asia Pacific for BYD Auto, says that 16 years ago the company had planned electric vehicles for China and today have been able to achieve this through consistent efforts. “India is a big market for us, and with the business environment being favourable we feel it is the right time

for us to capture the e-vehicle market of the country. We are proud to collaborate with Smart Group in this endeavour in India.”

BYD has an electric bus manufacturing facility in the USA and has a contract to supply electric buses to the Los Angeles country. In

the last two years, its e-vehicles have been sold in many countries including Uruguay and Jakarta.

Electric buses which are indigenously designed, developed and built can substantially improve the economy of the whole system and increase the overall life. B

y :

Shan

tosh

Sh

arm

a


NEWS


Hino-Isuzu ventureboosting bus production by 30%

he joint bus-making venture of Hino Motors and Isuzu Motors Twill expand its production by

30% starting as early as October, to produce 2,500 vehicles this fiscal year.

The 50-50 venture -- called J-bus and based in Ishikawa Prefecture -- produces vehicles with capacities of 30 or more passengers. The buses have price tages of approximately 30 million

yen to 45 million yen each, and are sold under the names Hino S'elega by Hino and Gala by Isuzu.

The venture will introduce a night shift in October, since previous work hour extensions and hiring increases couldn't handle the increased orders. Production line employees will increase from 500 to 800 with the addition of 200 contract workers and a

total of 100 employees from Hino and Isuzu.

Japan's bus market totaled 10,256 vehicles in 1970 but started to contract that year. Hino and Isuzu shifted their bus production to the joint venture in 2004. Since then foreign tourists have flocked to Japan and bus tours have become more popular among retirees. Last year marked the first time in seven years that sales exceeded 5,000 vehicles. Currently it can take up to two years to deliver a new order. Cutting-edge safety technology in new buses includes brakes that minimize collision damage, a driver alarm system, and mechanisms to prevent overturning. A bus crash in January involving skiers in Nagano Prefecture, in which 14 people died, led to a push to upgrade buses. Tour and bus companies hope to appeal to customers with enhanced safety standards.

NEWS

FIGURE 1: BYD ELECTRIC BUS IN BANGALORE


arcopolo has closed an agreement for the supply of M295 new vehicles to the

African country Ghana. This agreement is the result of a long negotiation and was conducted in partnership with Scania, worldwide renowned chassis manufacturer. The buses were purchased by the Ministry of Transport and are intended to urban passenger transport in Accra, capital of the country, and to intercity transport.

Among the 295 buses, 245 are Viale models and will be used in the Accra BRT system for urban passenger transport. The remaining 50 units are three different coach models (Paradiso 1200, Viaggio 1050 and Ideale) and will be used in routes between cities. The new fleet aims to offer new vehicles which are modern, safe and comfortable, in order to increase urban mobility in the country.

The Marcopolo Viale BRT has low floor and is the most modern bus produced in Brazil. It incorporates, among other technologies, rear engine with low emissions of polluting gases and automatic gear change. The larger internal width, associated to the seats configuration, provides a wide free area and facilitates passenger displacement, making the trip more comfortable. With greater internal height, it allows the inclusion of efficient air ducts, speakers and space for advertisement on the upper side.

The Viale has a robust and extremely reliable design, a status that was conquered through the people who use it and is a product with excellent cost/benefit ratio, attribute recognized by the sector's businessmen in the urban passenger transport. Other important characteristics are the two doors, coach seats, monitors and

system in order to monitor and record images. The vehicle has a Scania chassis k250 UB 4x2.

The coaches Paradiso 1200 and Viaggio 1050 have semi sleeper seats, two access doors, toilette on the wheelbase, monitors and cameras to external view of the vehicle. The vehicles have air-conditioning system, individual audio and side windows with bonded glasses.

The model Ideale has executive seats and two access doors. The model has a dashboard with an ergonomic and modern design, ventilation system for the driver and easy reach to the controls, providing greater comfort. It also incorporates an efficient system of ventilation and defogging of the windshield, with four directional outputs and console storage.

295 Buses to GhanaMarcopolo Sells

NEWS

WORKING ON ELECTRIC SPRINTERMERCEDES-BENZ

ith plans to launch its first fully-electric heavy truck Wand plenty of battery-

electric passenger vehicles in the work3s — German automaker Daimler is in the early planning stages for an electrified medium-duty van, senior officials unveiled recently. Mercedes-Benz is considering launching a battery-based Sprinter van around the end of the decade, approximately the same time it plans the next redesign of the large commercial van.

The first customers would likely be in Europe. Deutsche Post, the German mail service, is one potential customer that has expressed strong interest in a battery van. Several U.S. and global delivery services, including UPS and Federal Express, also are exploring the use of electric trucks and vans.

An electric Sprinter would be deployed on shorter routes, such as urban package delivery, where range is less of an issue than for long-haul shipments. Such a circuit also would optimize the vehicle's ability to recapture energy in stop-and-go traffic through regenerative braking.

Mercedes is focused on a pure battery-electric version of the Sprinter, rather than a plug-in hybrid because the latter would require a more complex and heavy drivetrain that would raise costs and reduce payload capacity, Mornhinweg said.

Mercedes is well-positioned to bring out an electric Sprinter, as the van division would be able to access technology that is already available – or under development – for the automaker's passenger vehicles.

The company is planning to launch more than a dozen battery-based vehicles, including both plug-in hybrids and pure battery-electric models, by the end of the decade. Last month, Daimler said it was developing a heavy-duty truck for urban delivery routes. The vehicle would have a range of about 125 miles between charges and is part of the company's technology development program.

Daimler is developing electric vehicles because there is growing interest from customers and increased pressure from environmental regulators looking to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and pollution, especially in Europe and China. They want to keep gas and diesel-powered vehicles out of urban centers. Meanwhile, battery prices are falling rapidly, making electric vehicles more economically feasible. At the same time, advanced lithium-ion battery cells have become lighter, more energy-dense and more reliable. These trends improve the electric vehicle business case for the automaker.


SCHOOL BUS

Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai:A Movement involving all stakeholders

e at Tata Motors strive to make a difference. When Wit comes to school buses,

innovation is our key driving force, with better technologies and pioneering designs, ensuring that every child is safe and comfortable, through their school bus journey. At Tata Motors we have developed breakthrough technologies in building bus bodies in collaboration with our partners Tata Marcopolo

Motors Limited, and Automobile Corporation of Goa Limited (ACGL).

Other mandatory safety features in all our buses include Anti Roll bar in front and rear, Speed Limiting Device (SLD) and Anti-locking brake system (ABS).

Apart from technology and safety related features, Tata Motors is

also working with all stake holders involved in School Bus travel (students, parents, school bus attendants), to sensitize them towards accident prevention and tackling emergency situations through various School Bus Safety programs. Building on the activity, Tata Motors recently conducted the 'Dream it to win it' essay writing competition & 'Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai' (also called Good Citizen


still counting. The interactive training program involves role-plays, audio visuals and group activities, to enable each one of them to share their respective experiences, to sensitize and discuss the importance of their

campaign) at various schools across the country.

'Hamare Bus Ki Baat Hai' began in 2013 with interactive sessions designed with the objective of

sensitizing school bus staff, on the safety of children during school bus travel. As part of the initiative, Tata Motors has trained over 50,000 school bus staff, in 41 cities, at over 800 schools, through 1000+ sessions and


SCHOOL BUS

SCHOOL BUS


respective duties, with the trainer and among themselves.

The training program also includes various sessions to help the school bus staff act in case of an emergency, maintaining personal hygiene and how to better interact with parents and their kids, while on the job.

Dream It to Win It

While the other activities carried out under the School Bus Safety initiative largely address drivers and school bus staff, Tata Motors launched another school bus safety program titled 'Dream it to Win it', a unique drawing and collage making competition for school children, around school bus safety. Started in 2013, Tata Motors organized the 'Dream it to win it' program across 22 cities with participation of over 13.1 lakh students from over 2000 schools across the country till now.

By: Swena Gupta Brand Manager, Tata Motors Ltd.


DELIVERS 241 NEW BUSES TO KSRTCTATA MOTORS

information system, Automatic vehicle location system, Security network system, Vehicle health monitoring and diagnostics. GPRS enabled connectivity permits the bus to be connected with Control room for Live monitoring. Bus is also enabled for smart ticketing options.

To maintain good health, the

driver's seat is ergonomically designed with 4-ways adjustable mechanism. A wide-angle windshield will ensure maximum driver visibility. Tata Motors has designed special training programs to train drivers and staff of Karnataka State Transport Corporation so that buses are operated efficiently. There are more than 13000 Tata Motors buses operating in STU's of Karnataka.

onorable Chief Minister of Karnataka, Shri. Siddaramaiah Hand Honorable Transport

Minister of Karnataka Ramalinga Reddy, along with officials from Tata Motors, today flagged off 241 Tata Motors buses, under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) for operation in Karnataka by KSRTC (Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation).

The elegant looking buses are equipped with well proven new-generation Tata Cummins ISBe engines, air suspension, multiplex wiring meeting Urban Bus specification II given by Government of India. Buses have higher acceleration of 0.8 m/sec2 which would cut down on travel time thus making bus travel faster for daily office commuters. Body is designed with a well-spaced out gangway of 700 mm, higher passenger leg room to ensure passenger comfort. On-Bus ITS (Intelligent Transport System) has Public

NEWS

NEWS


VE Commercial Vehicles

E Commercial Vehicles is seeking to build on its success Vin the school-bus segment to

grow its market share. With its new range of buses and strong momentum in the segment,

VECV, an equal joint venture of Eicher Motors and Volvo, is hopeful of boosting its sales and share in the coming months.

In 2015-16, total school bus volumes were about 21,674 units and it accounted for about 55 per cent of the LMD (light and medium duty) bus industry. The school-bus segment has been growing rapidly for the last few years. Most of the school buses come in the LMD segment as they offer higher seating capacities, ease of manoeuvrability, reduced travel time, and lower acqu i s i t i on and maintenance costs. In 2015-16, total LMD bus volumes were about 39,575

units and Eicher had a market share over 22 per cent.

“These buses have become a necessary requirement for schools now and we see the potential going up in the next couple of years. “We have a market share of about 29 per cent in the school-bus segment,” said Vinod Aggarwal, CEO, VE Commercial Vehicle.

BUS CODE

The introduction of new bus body code that stipulates stringent safety and quality features has led to companies introducing enhanced features and superior aesthetics in school buses, a key segment in the bus market. Speed-limiting devices and anti-lock braking systems have become necessary.

“With increased traffic and congested road conditions, school

buses were not just getting out-dated but also unsafe. There was a huge gap between the consumer expectations and the market offerings. Hence, we decided to fill the gap and offer extra safety features,” Aggarwal said. “Although the code is yet to be implemented, Eicher is already complying with the norms to ensure the maximum safety and comfort in our buses.”

The company is also planning to develop AMT (Automated Manual Transmission) and alternate fuel school buses by 2017. It is also preparing to soon introduce Eicher Hybrid Skyline Pro School Bus.

The new bus will come with a host of safety features such as vehicle tracking, geo-fencing, camera with recording, student riding status available to parents and fire detection/suppression system.

set to ride the school bus segment to boost sales

NEWS


t this year's IMHX Show, German tyre manufacturer AContinental will present its

comprehensive product portfolio, making intra logistics and materials handling processes safer, more efficient, cleaner, and more convenient. Continental's offering includes a full range of tyres, from solid tyres to pneumatics and press on bands, tyre pressure monitoring systems, as well as fleet services. Visit Continental at stand V65, hall 12 from 13-16th September.

"Digitalization and automation are the key trends in the intra logistics industry. Short down times, high-precision work, and maximum flexibility become even more critical as competitive factors in this environment," explains Julian Alexander, Product Line Manager Material Handling Tyres at

Continental. "By offering individual solutions from a single source, we serve as a partner to our customers and help them to position themselves in the best possible way for these future challenges.”

Increased safety and efficiency for industrial vehicles

Following the "Forward thinking, always ahead" theme, Continental is presenting two clever solutions at the trade show, enabling increased safety and efficiency in materials handling and intra logistics.

The ContiPressureCheck tyre pressure monitoring system enables drivers and fleet managers to manage their vehicle fleet more efficiently, safely, and in a more environmentally

friendly manner. ContiPressureCheck™ measures air pressure and temperature on an ongoing basis using sensors inside the tyres, informing the user when the tyre pressure has to be corrected. Down times are reduced by minimising the risk of tyre damage and by reducing the need for regular time-consuming servicing.

A further dimension is added when used in combination with the ContiFlexBox tyre management system, which enables the tyre information to be transmitted to a central server via Wi-Fi or GSM. The system will be available initially for Port applications from 2017.

Wide range of products for maximum comfort and efficient work

Selecting the right tyre is extremely

Continental an experienced partner in material handling at IMHX 2016


important with regard to safety, comfort, and cost-efficiency in materials handling and intra logistics. For the chemical industry, ports, or warehouses, Continental offers a comprehensive range of suitable pneumatic and solid tyres for a wide range of potential applications. Making the correct tyre choice enables fleet managers to increase the efficiency of logistics processes, reduce costs and also protect the environment through reduced CO2 emissions.

In the solid tyre segment, Continental presents the robust, high-mileage CS20, the market leading SC20 Mileage+, the unique SC20 CSEasy as well as the retreaded solid tyre Continental LifeCycle™, which is particularly environmentally friendly.

Achieve the lowest overall driving costs through fleet services

Continental's Industrial Fleet Services offers premium products and service to forklift and industrial vehicle users with greater flexibility and choice. It offers the highest quality products and services, expert technical back-up as well as focus on key performance indicators that reinforces the service levels offered, delivering optimum performance and life from the tyres. The service programmes range from the correct tyre selection and fitment service, to

continual management, monitoring and reporting, tyre maintenance services and regular inspections, to a 24/7 call centre and central billing, all wrapped up with an efficient service with fast response times.

Flexible service agreements are designed around the needs of a fleet and transparent reporting means Continental can tailor solutions and contracts to sui t customers' requirements, budget, and billing preferences. The programme is designed to be a three-way, open and

transparent partnership between the customer, Continental Tyres and the Conti Industrial tyre service provider.

The service is delivered throughout the UK and ROI by a network of strategically located specialist service providers, with 50+ IMI accredited tyre fitters, 40+ mobile and static industrial solid tyre presses with the ability to fit solid tyres over 20 inches. There are over 30 certified network members and associates for fitting solid tyres and over 100 pneumatic tyre fitting associates.

NEWS

apanese tyre major Bridgestone Corporation introduced America's Jlegendary tyre brand Firestone with

the Firestone FR500 for cars and Firestone Destination LE02 for SUVs. Firestone, a 116-year-old brand, will focus on the passenger car and SUV segments in the initial phase with the new brand, the company has said.

The new brand of tyres will be manufactured at its plants in Chakan, Pune and Kheda near Indore. The company did not offer the pricing details, though. Launching the Firestone brand, Bridgestone India Managing Director Kazuhiko Mimura said, over the past few years, India has emerged as one of the fastest growing automotive markets in the world. Firestone will focus on the passenger

Bridgestone entered the country in 1996 and in March 1998 it set up its first manufacturing facility at Kheda in Madhya Pradesh, and expanded to Chakan, Pune in 2013.

Apart from tyres, the Tokyo-based firm also manufactures a broad range of diversified products including industrial rubber, chemical products and sporting goods sold in over 150 markets.

NEWS

Bridgestone launches Firestone tyre brands for cars, SUVs


car and SUV segments initially and subsequently expand the size range.

“We hope to garner our fair share of the market through a wide network of dealerships and superior quality and service,” Mimura said.

Firestone was founded in 1900 at Akron, Ohio, by Harvey Firestone and in 1988, Bridgestone Corporation of Japan acquired all operations of Firestone, transforming Bridgestone into one of the world's largest tyre and rubbercompanies.

NEWS

Allison Transmission Supports new fuel efficiency and emissions standards for commercial-duty vehicles

llison Transmission (ALSN) announced its support of new Astandards issued by the U.S.

Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) regarding fuel efficiency and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for medium and heavy-duty vehicles.

"Given the complexity of the medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicle manufacturing sector, we embraced the opportunity to work with the EPA and NHTSA to review technical issues and conduct additional testing in developing the new standards," said Deborah Gordon, vice president of mobile source emissions regulatory activities for Allison Transmission.

The Phase 2 program is expected to lower carbon dioxide emissions by approximately 1.1 billion metric tons, save vehicle owners fuel costs of about $170 billion, and reduce oil consumption by up to 2 billion barrels over the lifetime of the vehicles sold under the program. Phase 2 will also use emerging technologies that are not yet in widespread use. "With the ability to recognize fuel-saving features in our transmissions, we support use of the Greenhouse Gas Emissions Model (GEM) as the program's primary certification tool," said Gordon. "Our latest technologies are already enabling our customers to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without sacrificing performance.”

Allison's newest products include FuelSense® and xFE

technologies, and the TC10® transmission. FuelSense is the next generation in fuel-savings technology, for any vocational vehicle, which utilizes a unique set of software and electronic controls to improve fuel economy up to 20 percent.

For Class 8 tractors, Allison offers the fully automatic TC10 transmission which improves fuel economy by 5 percent when compared to trucks equipped with manual or automated manual transmissions

th(AMTs). The TC10 uses 5 Generation Electronic Controls and FuelSense technology to provide superior fuel economy features, prognostics to eliminate unnecessary oil and filter changes, and enhanced shift selector

functionality. The TC10 maximizes powertrain efficiency while achieving and maintaining highway cruising speeds to save time and money.

For city and transit buses, Allison offers xFE technology to improve fuel economy up to 7 percent. With xFE, the transmission is designed specifically for the constant shifting and lower average speeds for these duty cycles. This allows buses to run longer where they are most efficient. The start-stop dense routes and lower average speed duty cycles present special challenges for any transmission. Allison with xFE meets these challenges without sacrificing drivability or performance and are compatible with alternative fuel engines.


SEPTEMBER : 2016

ransit Elevated Bus or TEB-1, a Chinese-built elevated or T'straddling' bus was tested in

China over the past week as a solution to end traffic congestion. The Transit Elevated Bus (TEB) is a proposed new bus concept where a guided bus straddles above road traffic, giving it the alternative names such as straddling bus, straddle bus, land airbus.

At the time of the 2016 unveiling of the scale model, it was reported that a prototype will be deployed by mid 2016. A 'straddling' bus which made headlines for the potential transportation revolution that could, once and for all, end traffic congestion.

The TEB, also known as the “straddling bus,” got its nickname because its design which spans 72 feet long and 25 feet wide doesn't require elevated tracks or underground tunneling. Instead, it simply straddles the traffic below, allowing cars beneath to drive uninterrupted.

The electric-powered bus is expected to accommodate up to 300 passengers, or the equivalent of 40 conventional buses. Its operation has the potential to cut carbon emissions by almost 2,500 tons. The bus is expected to reach speeds of up to 60 kilometers, or 37 miles, per hour.

The 22 metre-long bus can be thought of as a massive triple-decker bus without the first and second floors. It is 4.8 metres tall, and designed to 'straddle' traffic and to allow cars to pass through in a 'tunnel' underneath its expansive structure, as the test video that went viral showed.

The bus is designed to carry as many as 300 passengers in just one

NEW LAUNCH

Ruediger Schroeder, MD Karcher India

SEPTEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA32 BUS COACH INDIA 33

Transit elevated bus tested in ChinaNEW LAUNCH


compartment. The compartments stretch across the breadth of two lanes, allowing two lanes of traffic to pass below. It runs on electricity and can travel as fast as 60 kilo metres per hour.

The uniqueness and novelty of the design unsurprisingly led to the video of the 300 metre-test going viral.

But as much as the bus is being hailed by global headlines - and even studied by governments - as a solution to traffic congestion, scratch below the surface and there appear to be far more questions than answers.

Chinese engineers have also raised serious questions about its

viability. Some media reported that that the limit for cars to pass through the 'tunnel' under the TEB is only 2.1 metres. The total height of the elevated bus is 4.8 metres.

However, the height limit on most Chinese roads is 4.2 metres. So for the bus to be feasible, transport

NEW LAUNCH

planners would have to undertake a complicated rearrangement of traffic routes to restrict vehicular traffic above a certain height on roads where the TEB plies. In other words, the bus cannot be used everywhere.

Most importantly, it has the benefit of being a pollution-free vehicle. Capable of reaching top speeds of up to 60 km/hr, it runs on rails laid on the sides of ordinary roads. It was also reported that up to four of these buses can be linked together,

which takes the total count of people it can carry to approximately 1,200.

This will come as a big boost to the country as one Transit Elevated Bus can replace a staggering 40 ordinary buses but there is no confirmation regarding the time when it will be deployed for public use.

The bus will run along a fixed route, and its passenger compartment spans the width of two traffic lanes. Its undercarriage rides along the edges of

the two lanes it straddles and the overall height is 4 to 4.5 m, high will be able to pass underneath the bus, reducing the number of traffic jams caused by ordinary buses loading and unloading at bus stops. Passengers on board the bus are expected to experience a ride comparable to riding in the upper level of a double decker bus.

They will board and alight at stations at the side of the road with platforms at the bus floor height similar to stations of an elevated railway, or via stairs descending through the roof of the bus from a station similar to a pedestrian overpass. The bus will be electrically powered using overhead lines or other roof electrical contact systems designed for it, supplemented with photovoltaic panels, batteries or supercapacitors on board. The bus will have alarms to warn cars traveling too close to it, and signals to warn other vehicles when it is about to turn. It would have inflatable evacuation slides similar to those of an aircraft.


NEW LAUNCH

DEVELOPMENT

ue to the continued shrinking of the Russian bus market in D2015, the sale of new vehicles

fell below the psychological mark of 10,000 vehicles. The good news, on the other hand, is that the bus manufacturers not only avoided losses last year, but some of them also managed to update their model ranges.

Judging by the sales figures, the implementation of the government programme of subsidising the purchase of natural gas fuelled buses, has played an important role in this achievement. It's not without reason that CNG modifications appeared in the products of all leading bus manufacturers.The GAZ Group, which incorporates five automobile plants: GAZ, PAZ, KAVZ,

LIAZ, Ural, maintained in 2015 its position as the largest bus manufacturer in Russia. The main volume of sales in bus production was achieved with the microbuses, manufactured at Gorky Car Factory. The Pavlovski Bus Factory (PAZ) specialises in the production of small and medium size buses. The 7-metre PAZ-3205, developed in 1979, is the flagship model of the factory.

The sales volume of PAZ-3205 is more than double the total sales figure of all the remaining models manufactured at the factory. According to available data, some 4000 vehicles have been assembled last year. The key factors of the market success of this model are its reliability in bad road conditions, simplicity of structure and

economic price. Despite having a maximum capacity of 42 passengers, the price of PAZ-3205 is comparable to microbuses, which carry less than half that number of passengers. Gazelle Next is the new brand name for the LCV range of GAZ.

New model of PAZ is the Vector 4, which come in four different body lengths: 7.1m, 7.6m, 8.5m and 8.8m. The production figures are modest approximately 1200 vehicles were manufactured in 2015.

The LIAZ plant in the city of Likino-Dulyovo near Moscow, is specialised in city buses, though in 2014 the coach production of the Golitsyn Bus Plant has been transferred


GAZ GROUP CONSOLIDATES ITS POSITION ON THE RUSSIAN BUS MARKET

to LIAZ. A total of 894 buses has been manufactured in 2015.

The 4292 model, which is the most contemporary urban vehicle manufactured by LIAZ, it can be supplied in a version with multiplex wiring and CAN bus, full self-diagnosis system and VDO instrument panel. The model complies with the European standards, with regard to the working conditions of drivers in public transport.

In total, three pilot samples of LIAZ-4292 have been produced over the past year. Other Russian bus manufacturers are Krona-NN and Rus Comtrans from Nizhny-Novgorod manufacturing shift buses with 15-20 passenger capacity on the chassis of GAZ trucks. Others are Promavto, UZST and Avtofurgon, which have no option but to use 4-wheel-drive KAMAZ, URAL and GAZ chassis. UralSpecTrans manufactures the largest shift buses on URAL 8x8

chassis, A relatively new trend in the market is the production of shift buses for oil and gas complexes, on the chassis of allwheel-drive European brands. AMZ uses Mercedes-Benz Zetros and IVECO-AMT Eurocargo chassis, Ruscomtrans builds on Scania and MAN, and Promavto on MAN.

Sollers is the main competitor of GAZ Group in the microbus and minibus segment manufacturing these vehicles in its UAZ factory in Ulyanovsk, and the Ford Sollers Holding in Elabuga. UAZ manufactures a family of utility 4x4 light commercial ehicles with cab-over layout. In 2015 2,262 microbuses UAZ-2206 and around 7,000 commercial vehicles UAZ-3962 were registered in Russia.

LIAZ factory faces serious competition from NEFAZ, based in Neftekamsk. Being one of the subsidiaries of KAMAZ, it's only natural that almost all of NEFAZ products, including buses, are based on KAMAZ

chassis. A minimum number of 400 large capacity (12m) NEFAZ-5299 buses have been manufactured in Neftekamsk in 2015, in ten versions. The gas engine version formed the largest share of production, using Mercedes-Bens CNG engines.

The production of the 8-metre, 45-50 passenger capacity Bravis buses, manufactured at NEFAZ as a joint-venture with the Brazilian company Marcopolo, stands out amongst other models. During the development of Bravis buses, the Brazilian side was responsible for the body and the Russian side for the chassis (supplied by KAMAZ, equipped with Daimler axles and ZF gearboxes). Initially, the buses were manufactured with Cummins diesel engines only, however, since the end of 2014, the gas version is also available with Chinese Yuchai engines.

Volgabus company, from the city of Volzhsky, offers a wide range of bus models, from medium to extra


DEVELOPMENT


large capacity, including coaches. The 12m semi-low floor city bus Volgabus City Rhythm 12, with a Chinese CNG engine by YuChai, reached a production of 107 units in 2015.

Powered by a CNG engine is also the Volgabus Rhythmix family (length: 8.2m), hich are manufactured on Indian Ashok-Leyland chassis. The buses are equipped with a183 hp YuChai engine and ZF manual gearboxes and can carry 48 to 55 passengers. ST Nizhegorodets builds the Serbian Fenix FBI 83 buses, based on IVECO Daily 70C chassis with a locally-built body. Earlier, Intech from Nizhny-Novgorod has started the small-scale production of Fox buses with fiberglass bodies on IVECO Daily 70C chassis. These buses are primarily aimed for long-distance intercity and tourist transportation.

BAW-RUS Motor Corporation from Ulyanovsk has been idle since the end of 2013. The plant has been established as a joint venture by the Russian AMS-GROUP and BAIC Corporation of China, mainly specialised in the production of low

and medium weight trucks. However, a small capacity bus, developed independently on the chassis of BAW Fenix trucks, has been added to the product range in 2009. The licenced Chinese diesel engine Deutz has been converted to diesel-CNG dual-fuel by Russian engineers, in cooperation with experts from the Italian company Lovato. The Volgabus Serpentine CNG

buses are completely low-floor citybuses, based on ZF chassis components. Further, Volgabus has demonstrated recently the prototype of the 47-seater intercity bus Serpentine. I is fitted with a 260 hp Chinese spark ignition YuChai engine, ZF front axle and Raba rear axle. A battery of eight 123 lt metal-composite CNG cylinders is also fitted on the roof.

DEVELOPMENT

ahindra & Mahindra (M&M) is said to have begun Mworking on what is being

pegged as the most affordable electric SUV in the world through its Mahindra Electric unit, formerly known as Mahindra Reva.

The compact SUV with electric powertrain has been codenamed S107, said people with knowledge of the matter. After the Verito electric version, this is the company's next major project in the space. The idea is to combine the strength of Mahindra's SUV expertise with that of Reva in electric cars. The company, which sells the E2O entry level electric vehicle, recently showcased the Halo sportscar concept.

"If anyone is preparing feverishly for a disruptive future of mobility, it is Mahindra," group chairman Anand Mahindra had told shareholders at the 70th annual general

meeting this month. Electric cars are a key element of this. While the Verito electric addresses the needs of the practical buyer, a compact electric SUV caters to those who are keen on driving as an experience.

"We fully intend to be profitable participants in this new world," Mahindra had said. Mahindra & Mahindra's Chief Executive for Automotive Pravin Shah told ET that the company is considering electrification of its KUV model, but the plans are yet to be finalised."We are looking at adding more SUVs as well as small commercial vehicle to our electric vehicle portfolio. The focus will be on offering more affordable electric vehicles for higher accessibility.

Mahindra Reva will continue to address the range anxiety with continuous development," Shah said. Ford India is also exploring a hybrid-electric

powertrain option for its all-new EcoSport planned for 2020-21, although this is at an early stage. The company is also exploring the possibility of a CNG version of the KUV. Mahindra expects modest annual sales of 6,000 units each for the electric and CNG versions, said one of the persons cited above.

The move is seen as a fresh attempt to boost Mahindra Electric, which is focussing on overseas markets and fleet operators to build scale and become viable.

Maruti Suzuki BSE -0.28 %, Tata Motors BSE 2.01 % and Mahindra have formed a consortium to develop certain components for electric and hybrid cars and make them more affordable and accessible for the masses. Ford India dropped out of the grouping as it's exploring the EcoSport option.

Mahindra & Mahindragear up for the world’s most affordable electric SUV

NEWS


JULY : 2016SEPTEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA4040

A Tourist Destination

GWALIOR

DESTINATION


ment that evolves all stakeholders

walior is an historical city in North of Madhya Pradesh at GCentral India. Today when we

talk about Gwalior city, the first image comes in mind is the picture of Gwalior fort. It is the face of Gwalior tourism and heritage culture of Central India. The tactically important fort at Gwalior, govern the city and for centuries it controlled one of the major routes between north and south India.

The city of Gwalior is a store house of historical buildings, forts, palaces, temples, articles etc. Gwalior is famous for its very old & very large fort. Within the fort walls there are a number of interesting temples & ruined palaces. The dramatic colourful history of the great fort certainly goes back over a thousand years. The fort city of Gwalior is situated in the central Indian state of Madhya Pradesh on the main New Delhi-Mumbai and New Delhi-Chennai rail link. It is approximately 120 kms from Agra (Taj Mahal city) and 321kms from Delhi. The city extends between latitude 26°14' in the north to longitude 78°10' in the east.

HISTORY

Gwalior's legendary beginning stems from a meeting between Suraj Sen & the hermit Gwalipa, who lived on the hilltop where the fort stands. When Suraj Sen asked for drinking water the recluse struck a rock & a cool clear spring gushed out & after having bath from that water Suraj Sen's leprosy got cured. Then in gratitude king had built the tank from the fountain & named it Suraj Kund then later on the name changed to Suhan Pal & said his descendants would remain in power as long as they kept the name pal. His next 83 descendants did just that but number 84 changed his name to Tej Karan & said Good Bye to his kingdom. Then the Tomars came in to existence in 1398 & remained in power until 1505 when Ibrahim Lodi captured it. It was Raja Man Singh [1486-1516], the most illustrious of tomars, who built the magnificient palace Man Mandir here.

The Mughals, under Babar later occupied the fort. The Marathas captured it in 1784 & then finally it

came into the possession of the Scindias. During the First War of Independence in 1857, it witnessed a fierce battle when thousands of Indians fought against the British under the leadership of heroic Rani Lakshmi Bai of Jhansi, still in her twenties & tantya tope. It was here that Rani of Jhansi was killed fighting fiercely against heavy odds. A memorial statue is there of Rani of Jhansi.

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS

City is located in northern-most part of Madhya Pradesh state in Central India. Their are number of tourist attractions in Gwalior city. Let us know about some of the prominent places to visit in Gwalior:

Fort: The Fort hill ascends 100 metres to less than 200 metres. The fort walls, which prolong around almost the entire hilltop, are 10 metres high & imposingly solid. underneath the walls the hill face drops absolute away to the plains. There are a number of things to see in & around the fort.

SEPTEMBER : 2016BUS COACH INDIA42 BUS COACH INDIA42

Archeological Museum: The museum is within the Gujari Mahal palace, at the start of the north-east gradient to the fort. The palace was built in the 15th century by Man Singh for his favorite queen Mrignayani. The building is now rather deteriorated but the museum has a compilation of Hindu & Jain sculptures & copies of the Bagh Caves fescoes.

Man Singh Palace: The Palace, or Man Mandir, which forms foyer to the fort is a delightfully fanciful building. The Palace was built between 1486 & 1616 & repaired in 1881. The palace has four story, two of them underground. The east face of the fort, with its six towers topped by domed cupolas, stands over the fort entrance path.

Sas-bahu Temples: Here "Sas" means “Mother-in-Law” & "Bahu" means “Daughter-in-Law”. Sas-bahu temples stand close to the eastern wall about mid-way along that side of the fort. The two temples are similar in style & date from the 9th to 11th centuries. The larger temple has an ornately carved base & figures of Vishnu over the entrances. Four huge pillars carry the heavy roof.

Teli Ka Mandir: It is the loftiest building inside the fort campus, beyond the Suraj Kund Tank, this temple probably dated from the 9th century & has a peculiar plan & design. Its name "Teli" means "Oil merchant" and "Mandir" means "Temple". It is a East facing temple built on a squared shape with 60Feet on each side. The roof is Dravidian while the decorations, the whole temple is covered with sculptures, is Indo-Aryan. A Garuda tops the 10 metres high Doorway. This is the highest structure in the fort.

Chatarbhuj Temple: It is inside Gwalior fort campus. Chaturbhuj temple is excavated from a single solid rock. It is a good example of rock-cut art and architecture. It have all the required constituents of a perfect temple. Due to rock shape, sculptures might have

DESTINATION


faced restrictions during carving work due to which temple is not very symmetrical. Its sanctum is of 12feet square room and portico is of size 10 feet by 09 feet.

South-West Entrance: The long ascent on the south-west side climbs up through a ravine to the fort gate. Along the rock faces flanking this road are a large number of Jain sculptures, some of impressively large size. Originally cut into the cliff faces in the mid-1400s they were mutilated by the forces of Babur in 1527 but were later repaired.

Jai Vilas Palace: Located in the 'new town', which actually dates from 1809. This was the palace of the Scindia family. Although the current Maharaja still lives there in the palace a large part of it is used as a museum. It's full of the erratic sort of items Hollywood Maharajas are supposed to collect like Belgian cut glass, furniture, including a rocking chair. Or what looks like half the tiger population of India, all shot, stuffed & moth-eaten. But the piece-de-resistance is a model after dinner.

Sikh Gurudwara: Built in the memory of Guru Hargobind Singh, the 6th Sikh Guru, who was imprisoned here by Jahangir for over two years. To the west of the Gurudwara is a large tank, Suraj Kund, the original pond where Suraj Sen or Suraj Pal as he was later Known, was cured of leprosy by the Saint Gwalipa.

Tomb of Ghaus Mohammad: A sand stone mausoleum of the spiritual saint designed on earlier Mughal lines with finely carved jail screens. He played a key role in helping Babur, to win the fort.

Rani Lakshmi Bai Cenotaph: South east of the fort is the cremation place of Rani Lakhshmi Bai marked place by a stirring statue. The monument has a large horse borne sculpture of the Queen with a raised sword. The sculpture is moulded in bronze.

DESTINATION

FAIRS & FESTIVALS

All major festivals of Hindu, Muslim, Christian etc communities are celebrated with full fame in Gwalior city. Here you can notify festival celebrations of Dusshera, Diwali, Janmashtami, Eid, Holi, Christmas, Good Friday, Basant Panchmi, Maha Shivratri, Durga Puja, Ganesh Utsav etc. Here Rang Panchami is also celebrated in unique way after Holi

festival. In Makar Sankranti festival, carnival are arranged and marched in streets of city. In addition to these popular festivals, their are other fairs & festivals that are uniquely held in Gwalior city and have their own unique identity. Gwalior has deep association with Indian Classical music.

Indian classical music legend "Tansen" was from Gwalior and in his honor "Tansen Music Festival" or

"Tansen Sangeet Samaroh" held every year on Tansen Tomb in Gwalior city. This music festival is organized by Madhya Pradesh State Government Another music legend "Baiju Bawra" who was originally from Chanderi and later lived in Gwalior. Baiju was the only person who, in a music competition, defeated Tansen. Baiju has mastery in Dhrupad form of music. The "Gwalior Gharana" is one of the oldest Khayal Gharanas.


DESTINATION


HOW TO REACH

By Air: Gwalior city is one of the largest city in Madhya Pradesh state. For reaching the city by air, Gwalior Airport (IATA Code: GWL) is their to welcome you. It is well connected with Delhi and other cities of Madhya Pradesh state. Here Gwalior airport is know by the name of "Rajmata Vijayraje Scindia Airport".

By Train: Gwalior junction is the main railway station for this city. Almost all long route trains stops here along with express trains like Bhopal Shatabdi, Taj Express, Bhopal Express, GT Express, Chennai Rajdhani Express etc. One can reach Gwalior railway station from important cities and tourist destinations like Agra, Ahmedabad, Bhopal, Delhi, Mumbai, Pune, Chennai, Bangalore, Kolkata, Hyderabad, Nagpur, Ujjain, Varanasi, Jaipur, Udaipur, Amritsar, Haridwar, Bharatpur, Dehradun etc. City have 2 more small stations Gwalior Birla Nagar & Gwalior

Sithouli, mainly used by local small route trains. Here we can see both narrow gauge and broad gauge railway lines which are actively used by passenger trains.

By Road: Gwalior city is almost on border of Central India & North India. It is north of Madhya Pradesh state having road connectivity with important cities and tourist destinations like Agra, Delhi, Chambal Sanctuary, Jaipur, Ranthambhore, Bhopal, Khajuraho, Shivpuri etc. India's important highway projects like North-South Corridor and Golden-Quadrilateral passes through Gwalior. National Highway-3 that connects Agra with Mumbai, passes through this city. Jhansi is connected with Gwalior through National Highway-75. Similarly some state highway also connects Gwalior to other towns of Madhya Pradesh state like Indore, Jabalpur, Bhopal etc. Regular bus service are available for reaching Gwalior. You get bus from Delhi, Agra,

Panna, Chatarpur, Jhansi, Bhopal, Datia etc to reach Gwalior.

BEST TIME TO VISIT

Being a important tourism region, Madhya Pradesh state is visited by tourist through out the year. Broadly we can divide Madhya Pradesh tourism in 3 parts. Heritage tourism is active in Northern part of state which is more rocky and destinations comes under this region are Gwalior, Shivpuri, Orchha, Khajuraho, Panna, Chanderi, Datia etc. All these destination offers major palaces, forts, temples, cenotaphs of state. Best time to visit this region is from October to April as during this time climate remain pleasant and good.

Southern part, south-west region and some of the Northern region of Madhya Pradesh are rich in Wildlife which includes Tigers, Leopards, Sloth Bear, Hard-ground Barasingha, Indian Gaur, Wild Dog (Dholes) and atleast more than 250 bird species.

DESTINATION

here has been increasing demand for transportation fuel in India. TWith an aim to cut down import

dependence, the government of India has decided to use environment friendly alternatives such as biofuels. With its policy measures and research & development programme, Government of India has been constantly preparing to promote biofuels production.

A step towards achieving its goal was taken on July 4 when the Karnataka State Road Transport Corporation launched India's first bio-diesel passenger bus. The bus that will run completely on biodiesel, will commute between Bengaluru and Chennai.

The transport department plans to have its fleet increased by 10 more in the coming days. The department is hopeful that bio-diesel use will bring down emissions greatly in near future.

"We have launched this as pilot project. We want to increase more in our fleet in the coming days. There will be less emissions and it will contribute to a greener environment," state Transport Minister Ramalinga Reddy said.

He further added, "These new buses will go a long way in addressing air pollution woes in the city. There is a need to create awareness on the usage of bio-fuels to popularize it for other forms of transport as well.

He advocated use of other forms of eco-friendly vehicles such as cycles, electric vehicles and electric-hybrid vehicles to bring down emissions.Seeing the benefits, bus drivers are all for the move. "Buses running on biodiesel are much better as they don't emit too much smoke

ALTERNATIVE FUEL


KSRTC Launches


first biodiesel busALTERNATIVE FUEL


In 2015, ten biodiesel buses were introduced to run on trial basis. During this trial period, blended fuel with 20 per cent bio-diesel was used. KSRTC claimed that it was able to prevent emission of 7650 kg of Carbon dioxide and 40 - 50 percent of promethium emission by merely replacing 5,000 litres of diesel with biodiesel for a

compared to buses that run entirely ondiesel. Biodiesel buses are definitely good for human health and environment," Ramesh Kumar, a bus driver said.

The State Road Transport departments across the country serves 7 crore passengers everyday with the help of 1.50 lakh buses they collectively operate. This number is three times greater than that served by the Indian Railways.

It is estimated that close to 300 crore litres of diesel is consumed every year. Biodiesel will not only help in reducing pollution but also in saving finances of transport department.

"This is a pilot project but we are planning to extend it to 17,000 buses distributed on 17 depots. We have enough fuel for operations. This is the first time in the country that such an initiative has been taken," Rajender Kumar Kataria, Managing Director of KSRTC, said. He also spoke about

corporation's plan to run existing 8400 fleet of buses on biodiesel in future. If all goes well and according to plan, then other three corporations named as NEKRTC, NWKRTC and BMTC will ensure use of biodiesel in their bus fleets. This would result in annual saving of approximately Rs 60-70 crore on diesel.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL


month. In December 2009, the Government of India approved the National Policy on Biofuels to encourage the use of renewable energy resources as alternative fuel to supplement petrol and diesel. It also proposed a goal of 20 percent biofuel blending including bio diesel and bio ethanol by 2017.

Ethanol is an alcohol that is made from feed stocks such as sugar

cane, corn or cellulosic material. It is mainly produced from molasses, a by-product of the sugar industry.

Currently, ethanol is the most widely produced biofuel in India and these days it is being produced from sugarcane waste which is abundant in India.

The biodiesel industry in India is still in nascent stageeven though the

demand for diesel is five times greater than petrol. The government's initial plan of producing adequate biodiesel to meet its target of 20 percent diesel blending by 2012 could not be realised owing to in adequate Jatropha seeds to produce biodiesel. Jatropha is a plant that's used for producing biodiesel.

What is Bio-Diesel

Bio Diesel, are newable substitute for diesel fuel, is derived from the oils and fats of plants, such as canola, sunflower, soybean or jatropha. It is an alternative fuel, which when used in diesel engines, provides power just similar to diesel fuel.

Bio Diesel is a renewable, locally produced liquid fuel that can help reduce country's dependence on foreign oil imports. At the moment, 21 countries worldwide are producing Biodiesel.

Biodiesel can be used in its original pure form (B100) or can be blended with petroleum diesel. General blends include B2 (2% biodiesel), B5, and B20. It is less noxious than salt and bio degrades faster than sugar.

ALTERNATIVE FUEL


The Government of India doesn't intend to replace petroleum and diesel with bio diesel, but to help create a well-adjusted energy policy with the greatest benefit to the country. Biodiesel is one of many alternative fuels that can enhance the usefulness of petroleum tremendously. Not only that, they also help in the longevity and cleanliness of diesel engines. Following graph shows the world's biggest biodiesel producing countries in 2015. The United States, Brazil and Germany are the largest biodiesel producers in the world with total production of 4.8, 4.1 and 2.8 billion litres respectively in 2015. It is projected that the United States will reach production levels of over 1 billion gallons of biodiesel by 2024.

The Advantages of Bio Diesel

Bio Diesel is the most important form of renewable energy that can directly be used in any unmodified existing diesel engine.

Energy Independence: High oil prices in global market have disproportionate impact on the poor countries. 38 countries are net importers of oil while 25 import 100 percent of their oil. This makes it inevitable for countries to produce biofuel on their own in near future.

Instead of importing oils from other countries, countries should be using their living resources to further boost their progress. Production of biofuel in a country will help save its foreign exchange and reduce expenditure on energy. This will allow countries, especially the developing ones, to put more of their resources into other sectors such as education, health, and other services for their poor and deprived citizens.

Economic Growth: With biofuels, new market for agricultural products is created that subsequently stimulates rural development. This holds enormous potential for farmer sespecially for two third people in

developing world whose only source of income is through agriculture. India is a country where farmers earn just enough to feed themselves. They are not capable of competing in global market. In a good year, they produce only sufficient to feed their families. During bad time, they grow poorer and even have to starve. But biofuelhas great potential to change the lives of farmers.

Farmers at community level who decide to grow dedicated energy crops would eventually increase their incomes and supply of reasonable and dependable energy greatly.

At the state level, production of more biofuels will create new industries, new technologies, new jobs and new markets.

Cleaner Air: When it comes to emission, biofuels is the least harmful

compared to gasoline and diesel. Higher dependence of biofuels implies lower emissions of carbon monoxide, particulates, and other toxic chemicals that cause smog, intensify respiratory and heart disease, and add to thousands of early deaths every year.

Less Global Warming: Biofuels contain carbon that was absorbed from the atmosphere by plants and trees while they grew. The fossil fuels add great amount of stored carbon dioxide to the atmosphere, this traps the Earth's heat and acts like a heavy blanket on it, causing global warming. Studies prove that biodiesel significantly reduces carbon dioxide emissions and in some cases it makes it almost nil.

India's strategy and approach

India's approach to biofuels is somewhat different from the current

ALTERNATIVE FUEL

international approaches which can be a cause of conflict with food security. India's approach is based exclusively on non-food feed stocks to be obtained from degraded and wastelands which are not fit for agriculture, thus avoiding a possible struggle between fuel and food security.

It has been determined that the next generation of technologies in future would also be based on non-food feed stocks. Therefore, the subject of food security vs fuel is irrelevant in the Indian context.

Country encourages farmers, cultivators, landless labourers to undertake plantations that provide the feedstock for bio-diesel and bio-ethanol. Corporates are also allowed to undertake plantations through contract farming by involving farmers, self-helpgroups, cooperatives, etc. Such plantation is supported with a Minimum Support Price for the non-edible oil seeds used to produce bio-diesel.

Considering the current direct and indirect subsidies to fossil fuels and distortions in energy pricing, a level playing field is essential for speedy development and application of biofuels to further the Policy objectives. Suitable financial and fiscal measures are being considered on regular basis to support the production and promotion of biofuels and their uses in different sectors. Research and development is

supported to cover all aspects from feedstock production and biofuels processing to various end-use applications. Emphasis is also put on

development of second generation biofuels and other new feed stocks needed for production of bio-diesel and bio-ethanol. By : Sapna Madan

ALTERNATIVE FUEL


NEWS

ndian bus manufacturer Ashok Leyland has launched the much-Iawaited Sunshine school bus. The

new vehicle is an fine combination of safety and comfort, powered with features that makes it unique in the school bus segment. Its is, for example the only school bus in India which has a rollover compliant design and frontal crash protection.

First shown at the Auto Expo earlier this year, Sunshine is the next generation school bus, purpose built for children's safety and superior comfort. The bus is equipped with segment first features like anti-bacterial interiors, anti-skid flooring, fire retardant interiors, i -ALERT system for real time tracking and a front collision avoidance system called 6th sense.

The Sunshine comes in two variants, a 40-seater and a 50-seater accompanied with various features such as the industry's first semi-integral chassis construction giving it the lowest fixed entry and a lower centre of gravity for a stable journey, state-of-the-art parabolic suspension guaranteeing smooth and bump free rides, emergency exit doors and door alarms.

With best-in-class turning radius, Sunshine offers superior product design features, according to the manufacturer, such as easy to repair metal bumper, anti-drain battery system

and a free flow fuel system. Good quality and reliable aggregates guarantee low maintenance cost and longer service intervals, the manufacturer adds.

First shown at the Auto Expo earlier this year, Sunshine is the next generation school bus, purpose built for children's safety and superior comfort. The bus is equipped with segment first features like anti-bacterial interiors, anti-skid flooring, fire retardant interiors, i -ALERT system for

real time tracking and a front collision avoidance system called 6th sense.

The Sunshine comes in two variants, a 40-seater and a 50-seater accompanied with various features such as the industry's first semi-integral chassis construction giving it the lowest fixed entry and a lower centre of gravity for a stable journey, state-of-the-art parabolic suspension guaranteeing smooth and bump free rides, emergency exit doors and door alarms.

With best-in-class turning radius, Sunshine offers superior product design features, according to the manufacturer, such as easy to repair metal bumper, anti-drain battery system and a free flow fuel system. Good quality and reliable aggregates guarantee low maintenance cost and longer service intervals, the manufacturer adds.


SUNSHINE SCHOOL BUS LATEST PRODUCT FROM ASHOK LEYLAND

lobal auto component manufacturer Knorr-Bremse Gwill be showcasing new types

of driver assistance systems and automated driving function at thr IAA 2016. The company will also be showcasing specific solutions for safe and efficient mobility on the roads with innovative, intelligently networked braking, steering and powertrain systems.

"After many years in which markets have been dominated by a focus on safety and fuel efficiency, new areas are now driving innovation in the sector. We are going to play an active part in preparing the ground for fully automated driving," says Dr. Peter Laier, Executive Board Member of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division.

Under the motto "Creative Systems - Globally", visitors to booth A30 in Hall 17 and the "New Mobility World LIVE" open air demonstration

area will find an extended portfolio of products from Knorr-Bremse that represents a convincing response to the increased automation and networking of transport and logistics operations.

"A central theme of the IAA will be the new scope offered by automated driving and telematics. After many years in which markets have been dominated by a focus on safety and fuel efficiency, new areas are now driving innovation in the sector. This is where our systems competence puts us at an advantage - as can be seen from our new blind-spot assistant and, above all, a system that enables a truck to drive autonomously off-highway. Our message is clear: We are going to play an active part in preparing the ground for fully automated driving," says Dr. Peter Laier, Executive Board Member of Knorr-Bremse AG responsible for the Commercial Vehicle Systems division.

With the recent addition of steering systems from tedrive to its

portfolio, Knorr-Bremse has not only gained access to new markets but has also acquired the capability of actively influencing lateral as well as longitudinal truck dynamics - for example in order to keep a truck automatically in lane or help it steer round a hazard. iHSA® technology (intelligent Hydraulic Steering Assist) plays a crucial role - an electronically-controlled hydraulic steering system developed specially for automated trucks.

Knorr-Bremse will also be showcasing the next generation of disc brakes for heavy-duty trucks and the modular, scalable GSBC brake control system for world-wide use. Other areas the company will focus on at the IAA include powertrain and trailer innovations and the launch of the new TruckServices aftermarket brand. Safety and efficiency in the fleet depot: autonomous yard maneuvering Knorr-Bremse knows more about the complex geometry and dynamics of


Knorr-Bremse to showcasegroundbreaking solutions for commercial vehicles at IAA 2016

The company will also be showcasing specific solutions for safe and efficient mobility on the roads with innovative, intelligently networked braking, steering and powertrain systems.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

NEW TECHNOLOGY


truck/trailer combinations than any of its competitors. Drawing on its experience with the hundreds of thousands of its driver assistance systems already in the market - ABS, ESP, active cruise control, lane departure warning and emergency braking systems - the company will be using a fully-automated truck at the IAA to demonstrate how off-highway loading and unloading operations can be carried out more safely and efficiently.

The semitrailer automatically drives to its bay to load or unload its consignment of freight. With the help of its environment detection system and the data from various sensors, combined with intelligently networked brake, drive and steering control systems, it deftly maneuvers to and from the loading bay, automatically stopping if danger is detected. The advantage is that there is less danger of minor damage being caused during complex maneuvering and no time is lost because of errors in bay selection. The driver's time behind the wheel is also shortened, enabling him to take his statutory rest hours or carry out other tasks. Once autonomous yard

maneuvering has begun, a smartphone app keeps him informed of the loading/unloading process, and he only has to return to the cab when the truck is ready to leave the depot.

Knorr-Bremse's new blind spot assistant for trucks was developed with a view to significantly reducing the number of accidents at urban intersections. Trucks turning right (or left) in urban traffic represent a serious risk for cyclists and pedestrians. Despite his truck having several external mirrors, the driver's high seating position means he may have difficulty seeing other road users close to the side of his vehicle. With its combination of camera and radar

surveillance of the vehicle's nearside, the Knorr-Bremse blind spot assistant can reduce the risk in such situations, detecting other road users and alerting the driver to their presence.

Driver assistance systems and automated driving functions call for intelligent interaction between all the systems in the vehicle - and as the central safety-critical element, the brake control system plays a crucial role. Knorr-Bremse's newly-developed global scalable brake control (GSBC) is a highly integrated system that is scalable according to individual customers' requirements. It offers an ideal platform for developing the next stages of driver assistance and


automated driving systems. Integration of acceleration and yaw sensors enables cost savings to be made by installing the system on the vehicle chassis.

A completely new system architecture significantly reduces the number of components in the GSBC system, saving installation space and weight and cutting installation costs for the manufacturer by doing away with components, pipes, brackets and pneumatic adapters.

Improved, self-adapting software and pre-defined parameter sets reduce manufacturers' application costs for different vehicle variants. The software is scalable from a simple ABS function to complex EBS applications, so customers' development costs are also reduced. Operators and repair shops benefit from shorter repair and maintenance times as a result of the modular design and the additional diagnostic functions.

Knorr-Bremse disc brakes are unrivalled in terms of their precise response to commands from the brake control system. Drawing on their experience of supplying 32 million disc brakes world-wide for buses, trucks and trailers, the Knorr-Bremse

engineers have now developed a new generation of disc brakes that will be officially christened at the 2016 IAA: Synact. With a new, topologically improved design of brake caliper and backing plate, an innovative structure for the internal mechanics and a better combination of materials, Synact takes braking to a new level of performance: Braking torque has been increased by eleven per cent compared with the current volume-produced SN7 brake, and at the same time the weight has been reduced by some ten per cent. Installing the Synact in a 4x2 semitrailer cuts the overall weight by 16 kilograms - and this saving almost doubles if a complete Knorr-Bremse wheelend with the new, second generation flat SD disc is used.

Further reductions in the total cost of ownership have also been achieved: A new adjustment mechanism ensures a clearance margin within a narrow tolerance band throughout the entire life of the brake, reducing pad wear and residual braking torque and bringing significant cost savings for the operator. This solution also allows for later steps to mechatronize the adjustment function. The brake's modular design enables customers to individually configure 'their' disc brake from an extended

catalog of available functions. Synact is also configured to accept new sensors and actuators required for additional automated driving or condition-based maintenance functions.

Heavy duty trucks use compressed air to control a variety of different functions: tractor and trailer brakes, clutch, gearbox, lift axle and the pneumatic suspension for the axles and driver's seat. Knorr-Bremse supplies fully-integrated, intelligent air treatment and supply systems that offer a combination of absolute reliability, durability and, above all, maximum efficiency. Several years ago, the company launched volume production of a number of fuel-saving innovations such as the compressor with clutch and the EAC electronic air treatment system. For commercial vehicles with hybrid or electric motors, Knorr-Bremse's portfolio contains electric compressors that combine maximum efficiency with minimal noise emissions and are able to utilize braking energy to generate compressed air.

In the case of air treatment, Knorr-Bremse has long been the undisputed market and technology leader. The company's EAC electronic air treatment system has been a hit for the last 13 years, with more than a

NEW TECHNOLOGY


million units produced and supplied to customers. This 'heart' of the pneumatic system has recently had a number of additional functions added - including an integrated electronic parking brake that has aroused considerable interest among vehicle builders and earned plaudits from truck drivers for safety and comfort. Elimination of the pneumatic handbrake valve, piping and fittings has given vehicle manufacturers greater freedom to design the cockpit and at the same time has saved weight and costs.

Knorr-Bremse is the go-to supplier for manufacturers wishing to reduce emission levels and make their powertrain systems more reliable and efficient. One example is Knorr-Bremse's mechatronic transmission management system, which last year went into volume production for a leading automotive supplier's automated gearshift. Amongst other advantages the system - an electronic control module combined with pneumatic and sensor modules integrated into the transmission - helps reduce servicing costs. The shift module

for the world's first dual clutch transmission for heavy duty trucks has been in volume production since 2014. Fully automatic gear shifting is easier and faster and does not involve any interruption in tractive power, enabling higher average speeds to be maintained.

At the 2016 IAA, Knorr-Bremse is presenting for the first time a retrofittable, integrated AMT control module for manual shifts that has been specially developed for the needs of emerging markets such as China. Observers of these markets, where manual gear shift units are still the norm, are expecting a significant increase in demand for automated manual transmissions because of the advantages these offer in terms of fuel consumption, component wear and driving safety. The planned acquisition of Bosch Japan's transmission component business for on-highway trucks will further strengthen Knorr-Bremse's competitive position, especially in the field of AMT and DCT transmissions in Asia. On display in

Hanover for the first time is Knorr-Bremse's long-life clutch servo. This new model is capable of four million cycles - twice as many as comparable products in the market - and ensures reliable operation of the truck under all ambient conditions.

The vas t ma jo r i t y o f commercial vehicles - trucks and buses - are powered by diesel engines, and will continue to be for the foreseeable future, as they are currently unrivalled in terms of reliability, range and efficiency. This makes it all the more important for diesel engines to be further refined to enhance their fuel efficiency and reduce their emissions. Here, too, Knorr-Bremse's product portfolio can make an important contribution - not least since the company acquired GT Emissions Systems, an acknowledged specialist in exhaust gas recirculation valves and exhaust brakes. The British company's products and expertise, for example in the field of mechatronic exhaust valves, will combine with Knorr-Bremse's global development, production and

NEW TECHNOLOGY


marketing presence to offer a new quality of collaboration with OEMs aimed at further improving the sustainability of road freight operations.

Innovations for trailers: iTAP keeps control stockholm, San Francisco or Sao Paulo - everywhere in the world Knorr-Bremse ensures the safety and efficiency of trailers with a global program of brake and chassis control systems that cater for a wide range of requirements. In Europe, the company has been continuously developing its TEBS G2.2 electronic trailer braking system, with the latest innovation being iLvl (Intelligent Levelling Control) with pneumatic backup. ILVl operates without the traditional pneumatic control system, making it easier for vehicle builders to install, and offering the driver additional advantages such as the ability to pre-program ramp heights for automated maneuvering. With the Intelligent Trailer Access Point (iTAP) Knorr-Bremse has created an additional user interface and electronic display offering trailer manufacturers and operators further groundbreaking options in terms of safety, efficiency and driver convenience.

The system gathers data such as tire temperature, tire pressure,

odometer readings, braking processes and error messages and displays them on the driver's smartphone. It also enables functions like the electronic air suspension to be wirelessly controlled from the driver's cab or at a safe distance from the trailer.

A n e w a d d i t i o n i n combination with iTAP is a cableless system that uses chassis-mounted video cameras to enable the driver to check the cargo space or the area to the rear of the vehicle. Whatever the particular tractor vehicle and without the need for any cabling, the driver can check whether his dump truck has completely emptied or there is any obstacle behind the vehicle. The ST7 trailer disc brake from Knorr-Bremse was first launched at the IAA in 2014. Since then, this ultra-light two-piston brake for 22.5-inch wheels has proved popular with customers, with more than 300,000 units already supplied and proven in service.

At this year's IAA Knorr-Bremse will be continuing this success story and introducing the ST7s 'kid brother' the ST6 for 19.5" applications. Weighing in at a mere 32 kilograms and offering maximum braking torque of 19.3 kNm, this two-piston disc brake

has the same design advantages as the ST7, such as encapsulated floating and fixed bearings. The use of the same guide rods and seals means that Knorr-Bremse can offer identical aftermarket kits for both ST6 and St7.

Redefining lifetime efficiency: Knorr-Bremse TruckServices shortly before the IAA opens its doors, Knorr-Bremse will be celebrating the world premiere of its new TruckServices a f t e r m a r k e t b r a n d : A t t h e automechanika 2016 trade fair in F r a n k f u r t ( 1 3 . - 1 7 . 0 9 . 2 0 1 6 ) TruckServices will be presenting its expanded service portfolio for dealerships, repair shops fleet operators and drivers. In line with its motto: 'Keep it running', TruckServices will be offering safe, economical solutions for repairing and maintaining buses, trucks and trailers of all types and ages.

The services on offer range from new parts and a growing selection of remanufactured products right down to premium quality repair kits - all accompanied by technical training, advice and much more. It goes without saying that at the 2016 IAA the TruckServices specialists from Knorr-Bremse will be introducing visitors to the same innovations as at automechanika.

NEW TECHNOLOGY

NEWS

It essentially determines who has access to what. If, for instance, your CD player suddenly wants to control the brakes it's a good indication that something is wrong. Next comes the sandbox function. This keeps newly downloaded applications separate from the core system so they can be disabled and removed if they're found to be harmful.

The fifth level is the network protection system. This controls the flow of information into and out of the car, looking for any signs of intrusion. It

utomotive electronics company Harman is pioneering the new Afield of automotive cyber

security, as the prospect of cyber attacks on vehicles becomes an increasingly serious one. Harman has devised a specially-developed 5+1 security framework which consists of a series of layers that protects the car's head unit from being compromised and used as a portal into the in-vehicle network.

"A few years ago the concept of automotive cyber security was largely confined to industry experts," says Harman's Asaf Atzmon, Director, Business Development and Marketing, Automotive Cyber Security. "Now it's a topic that consumers are asking about. According to a recent survey, in some countries as many as 59 per cent of buyers are actively concerned about the prospect of car hacking." .

The company explained the framework "can be thought of like the layers of an onion". At the deepest level, a secure hardware platform provides a safe place to store cryptographic keys and execute highly-sensitive operations in a secured manner. The next level controls access to the memory, storage and peripherals.


continuously monitors the vehicle to provide real-time detection of malicious communications and prevents them from reaching the vehicle's critical systems.

The final 'plus one' level is the ability to install over-the-air (OTA) updates to various systems within the car such as the navigation, engine management and infotainment systems. By keeping the software up to date, it helps to ensure that the car is protected at all times.

“Ultimately, it's all about eliminating the risk of intrusion," concludes Atzmon. "The car industry will need to reassure consumers that their connected cars are safe. By 2020 it's expected there will be nearly a quarter of a billion of them on the world's roads. This number will continue to grow but only if the car industry can provide the protection that those consumers have to come to expect from their other electr onic devices."

HARMAN’S NEW SECURITY FRAMEWORKS KEEPS YOUR VEHICLE SAFE FROM CYBER ATTACKS

The company explained the framework "can be thought of like the layers of an onion". At the deepest level, a secure hardware platform provides a safe place to store cryptographic keys and execute highly-sensitive operations in a secured manner.

NEWS


PV Sindhu’s Victory Processionon BEST Double Decker Open Bus

Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) Abus has been sent to

Hyderabad to take part in the victory procession of the Olympic silver medal winner PV Sindhu and her coach Pullela Gopichand.

PV Sindhu is the first Indian woman to win an Olympic silver medal. She is returning from Rio with her coach on Monday at Hyderabad. The state government of Telangana had requested BEST to provide them the double Decker open deck bus for receiving them and carrying out the victory rally in Hyderabad.

Accordingly, BEST has provided its bus Nilambari for carrying out the victory rally. The bus left Mumbai at 9.00am on Sunday with a team of drivers and maintenance staff, says the statement issued by BEST.

BEST chairman Jagdish Patil

said, “It will be an honour to be part of the celebrations. The bus would cover a journey of almost 1600kms which itself is quite a remarkable feat.

Congratulatory wishes shall be given to Sindhu by the team on behalf of BEST, and a poster to that effect shall be displayed on the bus.”

he automotive industry is one of the most lucrative and versatile Tindustries in India. With a steady

growth chart, the automotive market offers immense hope to all its stakeholders. However, besides growth in sales, there are several trends that significantly impact the revenues, costs and profitability of the industry. From consumer buying trends to environmental awareness, these diversified trends influence automotive manufacturers, suppliers, and dealers on multiple levels and fronts.

Some major trends that are influencing the Indian automotive industry are:

1. Consumer Buying Trends: As consumers in India are increasingly buying newer cars, we can see that people have started to replace their older vehicles every four to five years. Additionally, there has been a huge change in buyer statistics as we see an increasing share of young and elderly people going behind the wheel along with a substantial increase in the number of female car buyers, which stood at 10-15 percent in 2015 compared to the mere 5-7% in 2010.

2. Vehicular Safety: Indians choose their cars conscientiously, they are the well-informed buyers who thoroughly research their options, such as model, fuel type, and, the type of accessories they want. Safety has also become a decisive factor when it comes to their car buying options.

In fact, Indian consumers now rate safety as one of the top three criteria when taking car buying decisions. We foresee that, the future vehicles would have systematic arrayed integration of passive (Seatbelts, Airbags) and active vehicular safety systems (ABS, ESP®) along with

TECHNOLOGY

other features such as Driver Assistance systems.

3. Connectivity Solutions: Vehicles have become an extension of our personalities and an integral part of our lives. Nowadays, connectivity solutions in vehicles are not only limited to mid-segment or high-end vehicles. In

anticipation to the changing needs of the market, car manufacturers are now offering several mobility solutions such as smartphone integration and navigation features in entry segment vehicles as well.

4. Vehicle Management Systems : We see a host of solutions available in the


TRENDS SHAPING T


market that enable drivers to reduce their running costs and increase ease of use and maintenance. They range from smartphone integration and satellite-linked navigation to a comprehensive connectivity platform solution which offers vehicle diagnostics and fleet management solutions. Now with integrated data analytics, one can even

achieve better efficiency and insights into their vehicle's performance, maintenance, and driving behavior. Several other solutions available include tracking of vehicle location, vehicle health monitoring, and performance analysis. However, these solutions are not only limited to passenger cars and newly produced

cars, they can be installed as an add-on retrofit solution in older vehicles. These solutions are also available

However, these solutions are not only limited to passenger cars and newly produced cars, they can be installed as an add-on retrofit solution in older vehicles. These solutions are also

HE AUTO INDUSTRYTECHNOLOGY

available in commercial vehicles and off-highway vehicles.

5. Driver Assistance Systems (DAS): With autonomous cars driving in the near future, we foresee rapid adoption of driver assistance systems such as parking assist systems etc. DAS are multi-sensor based assistance systems that are now being offered by OEMs to interested customers.

From basic functionalities like parking assist to more complex functionalities like parking steering control and side view assist these DAS solutions have the ability to deliver it all.

6. Concern for Environment: With increasing innovation and environ-mental awareness, over the years we have seen a slow but steady adoption of electric vehicles (EVs) as another alternative to conventional vehicles. Today, EVs are considered a much safer, sleeker and exciting way of transportation.

Although EVs have been around for quite some time now, for it to stay and replace conventional vehicles, it would need to become affordable for all. The other factor that is deterring its adaptability amongst the public is the

lack of supportive infrastructure. To see the substantial rise in adoption of electric vehicles in India, the government must build a supportive ecosystem along with the car manufacturers.


TECHNOLOGY


Industry players take notice of such trends and work upon them to introduce newer innovations into the market. Bosch has been a pioneer in this direction.

Globally and in India, we been in the forefront of shaping things,

whether it is in the automotive or non-automotive sector. With over 65 years of presence in the Indian market, we understand the uniqueness of the market and the need for adapting global technologies to suit the needs of consumers in India. We not only work closely with OEMs to jointly innovate

solutions but also develop solutions independently which can then be introduced into the market. We are constantly working on developing innovations that make existing systems more cost-effective, thus allowing them to be installed in low-price vehicles in markets like India. By : Navin Paul

TECHNOLOGY

NEWS

yre major Apollo Tyres has said it is planning to invest around Rs T1,600-1,700 crore during the

current fiscal, a major chunk of wich will be for its Chennai facility. Additionally, it plans to spend about 200 million euros on its Hungary green field facility for the fiscal 2017.

Gaurav Kumar, chief financial officer, Apollo Tyres, said the broad capex for Hungary is 200 million euros and the company has already spent about a quarter of that. The investment will be mostly funded by internal accruals and fresh borrowings.

Once the investment is completed, the Hungarian facility will have a capacity of 5.5 milllion PCLT (passenger car and light truck) tyres, and 675,000 heavy commercial vehicle tyres annually. Apollo Tyres' Chennai

SEPTEMBER : 2016

facility capacity will be increased to 12,000 TBR (truck-bus radial) and 16,000 passenger car tyres per day. This would be reached in a couple of

years. Currently, the Chennai plant has a capacity of 6,000 TBR and 16,000 passenger car tyres per day.

Kumar said the Chennai expansion is progressing well and the company expects enhanced capacity to start coming on stream from the last quarter of 2016.

The company's gross debt for the India operations went up from about Rs 690 crore to Rs 970 crore due to the loans taken for the Chennai expansion.

"The Hungary plant continues to progress well and we expect to start commercial production in the first quarter of calendar year 2017," said Kumar.

In terms of capacity utilisation, the company has shown improvement particularly in India where the utilisation levels have jumped up to around 85% from over 75% and for its European operations continue to operate in over 90% capacity.

BUS COACH INDIA64

Apollo Tyres to invest aroundRs 1,700 cr in current fiscal in India

RNI No. DELENG/2010/34105 Post Reg. No. DL(W)05/2231/2016-18 Post at RMS DelhiPublished on 25ft every month and postage on 5th of every next month.

Date post:	01-Jun-2020
Category:	Documents
Upload:	others
View:	5 times
Download:	0 times

Delhi to have electric buses on road · Delhi to have electric buses on road ..... 12 Hino-Isuzu...

Documents