https://www.busnews.com.au/industry-news/1712/major-volgren-order-from-tokyo
MAJOR VOLGREN ORDER FROM TOKYO
The order is Volgren’s single biggest deal since entering the Japanese
market in 2014 with their articulated route bus.
This latest partnership with Tokyo Metropolitan Government, who operates
around 1,450 buses in the Greater Tokyo region, is one of four operator
relationships that Volgren has established, including their ongoing
association with Japan’s largest bus operator, the Nishitetsu Railway
Company.
Volgren Chief Executive Peter Dale says the entry of the Volgren low floor
city buses, to be built on a Scania N280UB E6 chassis would be the first of
their kind in Japan.
"In a short space of time, Volgren have built a reputation in Japan for
manufacturing high quality, niche vehicles in areas that local manufacturers
currently do not supply into," he says.
"There's currently no local Japanese bus body manufacturer producing a
complete low floor buses with the only other option being buses from Europe,
that are non-compliant to Japanese regulations and not equipped with any
Japanese specific equipment upon delivery to the customer."
"The low floor route buses for Tokyo Metropolitan Government, to be built
right here in Dandenong, will be 100 per cent compliant to their vehicle
specifications including their complex onboard passenger information systems,
ticketing equipment and emergency exit requirements."
"This ready to roll solution is well received by operators and is one of the
key planks to our success in Japan," Dale explains.
Dale says Volgren's engineering quality and technological innovation means
that their buses are now desired throughout the world.
"Tokyo Metropolitan Government is one of the most progressive bus operators
in the world. They’ve recently taken delivery of the first Toyota fuel cell
bus and by ordering a complete low floor solution through Volgren, they’re
sending a message to local suppliers – update and be more flexible to
passenger requirements, or we’ll go elsewhere," Dale says.
The complete low floor city buses will improve ease of access, increase
capacity and better cater to Tokyo’s ageing population.
The first of two homologation units, ordered by Scania Japan, will go into
build in two weeks, as part of the pre-registration process.
Production of the remaining buses will commence in May and be completed by
August 2018.
東京都交通局跟澳洲的Volgren車體廠訂了29輛全低床Scania N280UB大客車的訂單，這是
續新潟交通與西日本鐵道後第三間採用此廠產品的業者(版友更正：奈良交通也有)，但是
是該底盤第一次出現在日本。文中表示日本目前沒有製造全低床公車的業者，也難怪東京
都交通局不找自己人了；根據Volgren CEO 的說法，這筆訂單代表業者在與日本本地供應
商喊話：「你們不升級，就等著看我們找外國人。」首兩輛認證車將於兩星期內開始製造
，而剩下車輛將於2018年五月開始製造，八月完工。