Communiqués de presse

Buses that glide noiselessly without emissions, that pick up passengers indoors and which are powered by a renewable source of electricity – this will become a reality in 2015, through the launch of an ultramodern bus service in Gothenburg. The new technology enables completely new possibilities for future public-transport. Behind the initiative is the Volvo Group, in cooperation with the Swedish Energy Agency, Region Västra Götaland, the City of Gothenburg, Göteborg Energi, Västtrafik, Lindholmen Science Park and Johanneberg Science Park.

Volvo Bus Latin America has sold 28 articulated buses for Transmetro, the BRT system in Guatemala City, capital of Guatemala.

The global community for public transport gathers at the 2013 UITP Congress in Geneva today – with Volvo Buses presenting news that strengthens the company’s position as the global partner for sustainable transport. On top of displaying a ground-breaking plug-in hybrid that reduces fuel consumption with 75 percent compared to a diesel bus, Volvo Buses also presents an innovative software solution that integrates vital parts of the physical traffic environment into the brain of the bus.

Tomorrow’s bus is already here – silent, cleaner and with dramatically lower fuel consumption. Volvo Buses’ new plug-in hybrid buses will hit the streets of Gothenburg, Sweden in May as part of a field test. The innovative technology will facilitate a reduction in fuel consumption by a full 75% compared with current diesel buses.

Lower sales volumes contributed to an operating loss of SEK 88 M in the first quarter 2013. Order intake in the first quarter totaled 2,109 buses, which was 6% higher than the same period last year. Strategic orders have been secured.

Volvo Buses will now strengthen its model program with a new articulated bus with hybrid technology. The Volvo 7900 Articulated Hybrid bus will have capacity for 154 passengers and up to 30% lower fuel consumption than the current diesel model.

Lower energy consumption, quieter and cleaner. In May, Volvo Buses’ first plug-in hybrids will be tested in traffic in Gothenburg. The technology will facilitate a reduction in energy consumption by a full 60% compared with current diesel buses. Commercial production is scheduled to commence in two years.

The interest is growing in energy-efficient vehicles that are able to operate completely or partly on electricity. This is an area in which Volvo Buses has secured a world-leading position in only a few years.

Both of Volvo’s bus models for inter-city and tourist traffic, the Volvo 9700 and 9900, are now being upgraded in a number of areas. A new engine for Euro 6, new design to the front and rear, new rearview mirrors and lower weight are some of the most significant changes.

Volvo Buses has implemented a significant upgrade of its entire product program. The results are buses with lower fuel consumption, lower climate impact and lower emissions. The first new buses will be delivered to customers in the summer.