Scania launches biofuel-powered Citywide bus, premium G 310 truck at Auto Expo 2016

Scania Commercial Vehicles India unveiled its flagship Citywide bus at the Auto Expo in Greater Noida. The Citywide bus can run on fossil fuels (diesel) as well as renewable fuels (bio-ethanol, bio-diesel and bio-methane). The Swedish manufacturer also launched its premium, high performance G310 haulage tractor for the Indian market.

The Citywide is India’s first biofuel-powered commercial bus and comes with a low floor and low entry for better and greater passenger flow and comfort. The bus is compatible with all commercially available biofuels complying with Bharat Stage (BS) 4, Euro 5, and Euro 6. It’s well established in many countries that the use of biofuels in public transport improves air quality, reduces CO2 emission and makes a city cleaner and smarter. With the Citywide bus launch in India, Scania moves a step closer towards realising a sustainable transport system in India.

The premium G310 truck is a haulage tractor and creates a new category for Scania, with the company being the only player in this premium segment currently. The G 310 comes with the promise of market-leading productivity, increased safety, maximised vehicle uptime and outstanding fuel efficiency to help customers realise industry best Total Operating Economy (TOE).

The G 310 is equipped with Scania OptiCruise, a fully automatic gear change system that improves the vehicle’s performance by selecting gears that are most appropriate. The truck offers high performance with electronic load transfer, allowing the driver to transfer more load to the drive axle, thereby increasing the traction. Active traction control is another key feature of this premium truck which is coupled with ABS and ensures that all wheels have enough traction to keep the vehicle stable in case of wheel slips.

All Scania products come with features that increase vehicle efficiency, optimise energy consumption and enhance driver safety and comfort.

Mikael Benje, MD, Business Unit, Scania India, said: “We are delighted to announce the global launch of the most anticipated Scania Citywide bus. Scania Citywide buses can be run on biofuels and will offer a whole new level of travel comfort, aid great passenger flow and safety as passengers continue to seek a more luxurious and comfortable journey even for a small distance.”

Scania has also displayed its V8-engined R580 truck and the premium Metrolink 14.5-metre bus. Also on display is the company’s model/process of converting local waste to local fuel for local transport with Scania’s globally acclaimed ethanol engine. The Scania R580, the most powerful on road truck, has been certified by ARAI under a brand new category named ‘puller’.

Metrolink also complies with R66 Standard, offering best possible safety even in case of vehicle roll over and accident, tested and certified by TUV, Germany. Further, the Scania Driver Coaching programme uses the individual driver data from the fleet management system to highlight drivers' strengths and improvement areas, which benefits even the most skilled drivers. Driver coaching engages with drivers to increase the uptime and service life of customers’ fleet, while decreasing accident rates, fuel consumption and total cost of ownership.

Klas Dahlberg, senior vice-president, Buses & Coaches, Sales & Marketing, Scania Group, said: “Scania has been the pioneer in providing sustainable transport, offering industry best Total Operating Economy (TOE) and vehicles running on alternative fuels. The Scania Citywide bus is our latest contribution towards envisaging a sustainable future for India. Sustainable transport solutions will help India leapfrog technology steps and boost the nation’s economy by broadening the business ecosystem and creating new employment.”

How biofuels can make a difference

Scania recently hosted a multi-stakeholder conference on sustainability in Delhi, and unveiled an industry whitepaper on ‘Increasing the adoption of biofuels for vehicle use in India’. The whitepaper highlighted specific measures to help India create a sustainable transport system, secure energy independence, curb emissions dramatically and create new jobs. The whitepaper also outlined how India can transform its current account deficit to a surplus with this shift, while minimising damage to our environment.

“Continuing our focus on sustainable transport solutions this year, we will increase the manufacturing of vehicles that can run on alternative fuel (biofuel) engines at our Narasapura plant in India. We will continue to drive awareness and collaborate with key stakeholders to highlight the benefits of ‘local waste for local fuel for local transport’ across India starting with the introduction of ethanol-based Green Buses across India this year,” added Mikael Benje.