Volvo Buses
Global
Nobina has secured the contract to conduct bus operations in Tromsö city starting February 1, 2012. The operator has chosen Volvo Buses as supplier of the 91 new buses required for the contract.
“For Nobina, a key requirement is that the buses offer the lowest possible lifecycle cost,” says Svenn-Åge Lökken, Head of Volvo Buses Norway. “This is something on which we at Volvo are focusing and I am pleased that we fulfilled Nobina’s requirements.”
He is delighted that Volvo has now received its largest order for hybrid buses to date in Europe and that Nobina has recognized that the buses comfortably fulfill the requirements for low lifecycle costs.
“In a time when our environment requires that we do everything to reduce the total energy consumption, hybrid buses are one of the solutions,” says Svenn-Åge Lökken. “By recycling the brake energy, we will be able to reduce fuel consumption by up to 35%, which will contribute to reducing the environmental impact and lowering the lifecycle cost.”
To date, Volvo Buses has received orders for more than 300 hybrid buses and the first buses have been in operation for more than one and a half years. Several cities in Norway already have Volvo’s hybrid buses in operation.
“10 of Volvo’s hybrid buses have been in operation in Trondheim for more than one year,” says Svenn-Åge Lökken. “It appears that they are equally reliable as the diesel buses and fuel consumption is as low as we promised and this has certainly contributed to Nobina’s decision to invest in hybrid buses in Tromsö.”
The order for Nobina pertains to 32 Volvo 7700 Hybrid, 38 Volvo 8700 medium floor and 7-liter engines and 21 of the new Volvo 8900 Low Entry, 6x2, with 9-liter engines. The contract also includes service and repairs of the buses by Volvo through its dealer in Tromsö, Nordic Last og Buss.
“A contributory reason for receiving the order was possibly the fact that we have had excellent cooperation with Nobina at several locations in Norway,” says Svenn-Åge Lökken. “Nobina knows that our products are reliable and that our aftermarket service is excellent.”
The buses will be assembled in Volvo’s plants in Säffle, Sweden, and in Wroclaw, Poland, and will be delivered at the end of the year.