Electric and hybrid bus market hots up

BLK Auto has announced it has entered into a commercial agreement with Australian bus body builder Express Coach Builders to produce a range of zero emission battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered buses.

BLK Auto and Express plan to offer Hydrogen FCEV buses to the market from early 2022.

BLK Auto, the Australian distributor for BLK buses, has established the alliance with Express, as the demand for zero emission buses ramps up in Australia with government and private bus operators starting to look at zero emission.

BLK will provide dedicated battery electric and hydrogen fuel cell powered chassis, with Express designing and building specialised bodies, engineered to suit the zero emission chassis at its manufacturing facility on the mid-north coast of NSW.

According to BLK Auto Managing Director, Jason Pecotic, the collaboration with Express will be a win-win for the two companies as well as for bus operators in Australia.

“We are very pleased to align with Express to deliver clean, green, emission free buses tailored for Australian operations and using a dedicated battery or fuel cell powered BLK chassis, designed from the start as a zero emission vehicle, not adapted from a diesel design,” Mr. Pecotic said.

“Dale Hancox and his team at Express have tremendous capabilities that will deliver the highest quality standard, locally built, zero emission buses to meet the increasing demand from the bus market.”

Express general manager, Dale Hancox says the alliance with BLK is an exciting opportunity for the company to diversify and deliver the latest technology zero emission options alongside traditional diesel buses.

“This will enable us to offer the latest technology clean buses to a market that is seeking solutions in a rapidly changing public transport sector, while still meeting demand for traditional diesel buses and coaches,” Dale Hancox said.

Mr. Hancox said Express will receive the first BLK battery electric chassis in the coming weeks and expects to have a full built zero emission vehicle ready to hit the road before the end of the year.

Meanwhile, Volvo Group has announced that it will be delivering a fleet of electric buses to Transwest in the coming weeks. Volvo brings in its own chassis from Europe and uses Volgren to build up its bus bodies.

Volvo has also had the B5 hybrid buses on the road for number of years.