BusTech
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Industry | Bus manufacturing |
---|---|
Founded | 1995 |
Founder | Tony and Joe Calabro |
Headquarters | , |
Key people | Christian Reynolds, Director and Chairman
Mathew Fitch, Director Dan Marks, Director |
Owner | Fusion Capital Holdings |
Website | bustechgroup |
BusTech Groupis an Australianbus-buildingmanufacturer with production facilities inRocklea, Queensland,EdinburghAdelaide, South AustraliaandBurnie, Tasmania.BusTech Group produces fully built up integral route buses, school buses and double deck buses and also produces single deck bus bodies, largely built on European chassis from manufacturers such asMercedes-Benz,VolvoandScania,predominantly under their VST model line.[1]As of 2022, BusTech Group was actively delivering new buses into Queensland, South Australia, Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania and the ACT.[2]
The company was originally established asBustechin 1995 by the then owners ofGold Coast, Queenslandbus operator,Surfside Buslinesthe Calabro family. Early production generally focused on producing low entry, route bus bodies with smaller numbers of school buses and charter/touring vehicles were also produced.
Bustech produced its first integral bus in 2007, a midi-sized route bus with production subsequently expanding into full size route and school buses by 2008. An urban double deck bus began production in 2011 and Australia's first locally engineered and built electric bus was completed by Bustech in 2015.[3]
Bustech formed part of theTransit Australia Groupfrom 2008 under Calabro family ownership, until the latter was dissolved in 2019 upon the sale of bus operations to AATS Group.[4]
Bustech formed a joint venture agreement with Precision Components, owned byFusion Capitaland began producing buses under the Precision Buses name in 2017. In addition,Elphinstone EngineeringinTasmaniabegan assembling buses under agreement in 2017.[5]Bustech and Precision Buses formalised a merger in 2019, with management of the two operations initially known as the Australian Bus Corporation.[6]The company was rebranded and relaunched asBusTech Groupin December 2020.[7][8]
In February 2021 it was announced that a factory is being planned nearNewcastle, New South Walesto build electric buses for New South Wales operators.[9][10]
BusTech Group entered administration on 12 August 2024.[11]
History
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/d/d0/DSC_0075mo8348.jpg/220px-DSC_0075mo8348.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f4/DSC_0428mo2003l.jpg/220px-DSC_0428mo2003l.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3d/Bustech_%27XDi%27_demonstrator_operated_by_Busabout_Wagga_in_TNSW_livery_%284%29.jpg/220px-Bustech_%27XDi%27_demonstrator_operated_by_Busabout_Wagga_in_TNSW_livery_%284%29.jpg)
![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/c/c5/Bustech_CDi_343.jpg/220px-Bustech_CDi_343.jpg)
Calabro family ownership
[edit]Bustech was founded by the proprietors ofSurfside Buslines,Joe and Tony Calabro, on theGold Coastin 1995.[12]Buses were initially produced onMercedes-Benz,VolvoandHinochassis with the first such vehicle completed in 1998 from their original Ernest, Queensland factory. In late 2003, Bustech began production of the VST model.[13]In October 2004 Bustech moved to a new factory in Calabro Way,West Burleigh.
Bustech became part of theTransit Australia Groupin 2008 as part of a restructuring of the Calabro operations. In the same year, the company launched its first integral bus the 10.5 metre MDi. This was followed by the 12.5 metre XDi, SDi school bus and in July 2011 by the 12.5 metre CDi double decker, the first double deck citybus built for Australian operation since 1973. In November 2009, Bustech completed its 1000th bus.[14]
In July 2015, in collaboration withSwinburne University of Technology,the Automotive Cooperative Research Centre (AutoCRC) and the Malaysian Automotive Institute, Bustech unveiled its first electric bus to be designed, engineered and manufactured in Australia, known as the ZDi. Bustech has already signed a AUD$170 million contract to manufacture electric buses for the Malaysian government in late 2014.[15][16][17]with the first electric prototype bus delivered to Malaysia in 2016 branded as the XDi-E. In 2016, through theTransit Australia Group,Bustech signed a deal withDubai Southto provide electric buses.[18]One ZDi bus was exported to Dubai for evaluation in 2017.
Fusion Capital Holdings ownership
[edit]Bustech was not included in the April 2019 purchase of theTransit Australia Groupby the AATS Group (nowKinetic Group).[19]In September 2019, it was announced that Bustech will be merging with its joint venture partner Precision Buses, which is owned by Fusion Capital Holdings.[20]Both organisations would have a combined strategic management and direction under a new holding company called Australian Bus Corporation, a wholly owned subsidiary of Fusion. However, each of them would retain their own brand identities and continue to operate in their own capacity at their respective facilities.
In June 2020, Bustech formed a partnership withEbuscoto produce the zero emission Ebusco 2.2 model and the next generation, carbon based Ebusco 3.0 model in Australia in a purpose built high tech facility.[21]
In August 2020, Bustech andProterraannounced a new collaboration to manufacture the all-electric ZDi 12.5m city bus utilizing Proterra’s battery technology platform.[22]
On 14 December 2020, it was announced that the group including Precision Buses andElphinstone,was rebranded as the BusTech Group.[7]
In late 2023, production was moved from Burleigh Heads, to Rocklea in Brisbane. https://www.busnews.com.au/bus-stop-helps-bustech-group-complete-successful-relocation/
Administration
[edit]On 12 August 2024, BusTech (SA) and BusTech (QLD) were placed intoadministration.
Products
[edit]Early bus bodies
[edit]Most of the early buses from 1998 to 2003 were built for the Calabro's operationsSurfside Buslinesand other operators such asClark's Logan City Bus Serviceand Whitsunday Transit in Queensland andBuslines Group,Oliveri's Metro-Link and King Brothers in New South Wales. Following the collapse of theClifford Corporation,Bustech was successful in winning further orders from a variety of operators such asSunbusand thePulitano Groupin Queensland and Connex,Forest Coachlinesand Calabro family relationBusaboutin New South Wales from 2000 to 2002. The in-house name for the early body names were "ULF" for low floor units, such as the B12BLE, O405NH and L94UB units built, whereas the high floor units were named "UHF" for models such as the RG230 and O400.
VST
[edit]The VST model commenced production in 2003 on a variety of chassis with more than 1,500 vehicles produced. It is a low-floor city's body, available in single and dual door configurations. Various seating options are also available. The naming of VST means "Versatile".
Body | Length | Chassis | Operators |
---|---|---|---|
VST | 11.7m (K320UB/K320CB)
12.5m |
|
11.7m -Adelaide Metro(Torrens Transit,Busways,SouthLink) |
VST-A (Articulated) | 18m | Scania K360UA | Adelaide Metro(Torrens Transit,Busways,SouthLink) |
VSTM | 11m | Scania K280UB | Transdev John HollandBuses
(prev.State Transit Authority) |
VSTC | 13m | MAN | SkybusNZ |
VSTH | 12.5m | Volvo Hybrid |
SBM/SBV
[edit]The SBM/SBV is a 12.5m school/charter bus body with a single door and the option for underfloor luggage bins. Commenced production in 2006 branded as theGraduate,they have been built on a variety of chassis includingMAN18.280 and 19.320,Mercedes-BenzOH1830L,Scania K94IB,andVolvo B7R/Volvo B8R.The naming SBM stands for School Bus MAN/Mercedes-Benz whilst SBV stands for School Bus Volvo[23]
Diesel Integral Buses
[edit]Body | Type | Length | Seats | Engine | Transmission | Produced From | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
MDi | Low-floor City Midi | 10.5m | 43 | CaterpillarC7 (Original),CumminsISB/ISL | ZF | 2007 | |
XDi | Low-floor City Bus | 12.5m | 55 (51 w/ Center Door) | Caterpillar C7 (Original), Cummins ISC/ISB/ISL | ZF | 2008 | A singleXDi-E(12.5m low-floor electric city bus integral) was produced in 2015 for export to Malaysia |
CDi | Low-floor Double Deck | 12.5m | 96 | Cummins ISL 9-litre | Allison,ZF | 2011 | Twin Door, Dual Front Steer |
ADi | Low-floor Tour Bus | 12.5m | 53 | Cummins ISL 9-litre | Allison, ZF | 2012 | Underfloor Luggage Bins |
SDi | School Bus | 12.5m | 61 | Cummins ISL 9-litre | Allison, ZF | 2012 | Underfloor Luggage Bins |
ZDi (Electric Integral Bus)
[edit]![](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/4e/NewcastleTransportZDI450.jpg/220px-NewcastleTransportZDI450.jpg)
The ZDi is a 12.5m, 41-seater low-floor integral city bus, with full electric propulsion. The models produced between 2015 and 2022 were produced with ZF axles and Toshiba batteries. Three ZDi evaluation and test buses have been produced, with one exported for trialed in Dubai, and the remaining two built for operation in Adelaide, however remaining under test as at 2021. Only one of the Adelaide buses saw service, with the other never leaving the factory site.
In 2023, Hunter Valley based transit operatorNewcastle Transportbegun using 3 Bustech ZDi's[24]as part of the New South Wales governments move to a fully zero emissions bus fleet by 2047[25]
The ZDi model has been approved as a "Panel 3-approved Australian vehicle for NSW" byTransport for NSW.[9][10][26]"
References
[edit]- ^"About".BusTech Group.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"AUSTRALIAN BUS-MANUFACTURING JOINT VENTURE ANNOUNCED".BusNews.com.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"First all-Aus electric bus".BusNews.com.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"SKYBUS OPERATOR TO ACQUIRE TRANSIT AUSTRALIA GROUP - BUSTECH NOT INCLUDED!".BusNews.com.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"First Bustech XDi delivered in Tasmania".BusNews.com.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"BUSTECH AND PRECISION TO MERGE | Truck & Bus News".www.truckandbus.net.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^ab"'BUSTECH GROUP' ANNOUNCED; AUST BUS CORP REBRANDED ".BusNews.com.au.14 December 2020.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^"BusTech Group formed from Precision Buses and Bustech".BusTech Group. 14 December 2020.Retrieved30 March2021.
- ^abElectric bus maker BusTech plans NSW factory to meet state demandThe Driven 19 February 2021
- ^abBustech E-Bus NSW 'Panel 3' ApprovedAustralian Bus & Coach 19 February 2021
- ^Commission, c=au;o=Australian Government;ou=Australian Government Australian Securities & Investments."Notice Details".publishednotices.asic.gov.au.Retrieved13 August2024.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) - ^"Manufacturing Update"Australian Bus Panorama "April 2000 issue 15/5 page 17
- ^"MOTOR VEHICLE STANDARDS ACT 1989".rvcs-prodweb.dot.gov.au.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^Bustech churns out 1000th vehicleArchived9 March 2012 at theWayback Machinegoldcoast.com.au 19 December 2009
- ^Australia just built its first electric bus, and it looks awesome,Science Alert,Retrieved 11 July 2015
- ^Burleigh company Bustech driving future with electric buses set to revolutionise Gold Coast roads,Gold Coast Bulletin,Retrieved 11 July 2015
- ^Australia Unveils Its First Electric Bus And It Looks Amazing,Yahoo UK,Retrieved 11 July 2015
- ^"Coast company's Dubai coup".www.goldcoastbulletin.com.au.6 December 2016.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^Skybus Operator to Acquire Transit Australia Group - Bustech not IncludedAustralasian Bus & Coach2 April 2019
- ^"Queensland's Bustech And South Australia's Precision Buses Merge".Australasian Bus & Coach. 19 September 2019.Archivedfrom the original on 21 September 2019.Retrieved1 October2019.
- ^101Media (3 June 2020)."Bustech, Precision Buses (SA) and Ebusco to partner on the future of zero emission buses in Australasia".Ebusco®.Retrieved5 January2021.
{{cite web}}
:CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link) - ^"Bustech selects Proterra as battery technology supplier for new electric transit bus in Australia".Green Car Congress.Retrieved5 January2021.
- ^SBV SpecificationsArchived2013-04-10 at theWayback MachineBustech
- ^"NEWCASTLE TRANSPORT BEGINS JOURNEY WITH FIRST ELECTRIC BUS".Australasian Bus & Coach.22 March 2023.
- ^"Zero Emission Buses, New South Wales Government".Transport New South Wales.
- ^Bus Specifications for Transport for NSW Bus Procurement Panel Number 3Transport for NSW
External links
[edit]Media related toBustechat Wikimedia Commons