[dhandapanik]

India’s First Multi-axle City bus, with steered axle

How to offer 55% more occupancy and reduce emissions, fuel and space up to 30%?
Volvo 7400XL is India’s first multi-axle bus with a steered axle. At 14.5m, it is India’s first city bus ready to support efficient mass bus-based transport systems to move more people, with fewer buses, quicker & with less resource utilisation. Volvo 7400XL will take the Volvo City Bus Concept to a new level.

If the Volvo 7400 helped move people away from their personal vehicles and save fuel, emissions, road space – the Volvo 7400XL will do this with even greater intensity. The reason is straightforward; the Volvo 7400XL can carry almost 55% more people and as a result improve upon fuel, emissions and road space consumption by as much as 30%. Imagine what this can do for growing cities, high occupancy routes and for de-congestion? The savings are profound.

Most importantly, this new City Bus from Volvo comes after 10-years of deep understanding of high-performing bus applications in India. Manoeuvrability in the city is gracefully tackled by the steered tag-axle allowing the bus to take on tight roads and turns of a city.

----------------------------
The Volvo bus range in India now will include:

Volvo 9400PX Multi-axle at 14.5m, PX platform & 11-litre engine
Volvo 9400XL Multi-axle at 13.7m with 9 litre engine
Volvo 9400 with 9-litre configuration
Volvo 9400 with 7 litre configuration
Volvo 9100
Volvo 7400XL City Bus
Volvo 7400 City Bus
Volvo 7400CNG City Bus
Volvo 7400Semi-Low Floor City Bus
Volvo 8400 Commuter City Bus

Article also features more about "India’s First Multi-axle coach at 14.5m and with steered axle"
Source and More details @ Volvo india introduces 3 new bus models

[Ashley2]

Originally Posted by dhandapanik

India’s First Multi-axle City bus, with steered axle....

Volvo 7400XL


Source: As in image

[Ashley2]

Pics of Volvo 7400 XL from Auto Expo.

[libranof1987]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Pics of Volvo 7400 XL from Auto Expo.
Attachment 866542

Attachment 866543

In the 2nd pic, is the rear-most tyre not straight or it's camera tricks?

[AkMar]

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In the 2nd pic, is the rear-most tyre not straight or it's camera tricks?

The rear axle too is steerable, that is why the tyre is not straight!

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by Ashley2

Pics of Volvo 7400 XL from Auto Expo.

Any idea of the specs of this one? Does the 7400XL get a bigger engine, or is it the same 7-Litre 290hp engine?

Originally Posted by libranof1987

In the 2nd pic, is the rear-most tyre not straight or it's camera tricks?

The 7400XL is 14.5M long - at this length, thus bus would not turn in any of the city roads (except those 4-laned ones). In Bangalore, this bus would have to be restricted only to the ring road.

Volvo guys are smarter - this one comes with a steerable tag axle. This makes the bus very maneuverable even inside the city. Reportedly, this bus has 51 seats, and can take in a whopping 102 passengers (including standees). These buses are an excellent alternative to articulated buses.

[volkman10]

Volvo hybrid bus to hit Bangalore roads soon!

"According to officials, the Volvo 7700 hybrid has a diesel engine and an electric motor, which can be used either independently or jointly.

The battery that drives the motor is charged through re-generative braking. The engine shuts off when the vehicle is stationary and does not start again till the bus reaches 15-20 kmph, further saving fuel, they said."


Volvo hybrid bus to hit Bangalore roads soon - The Economic Times

[ssdubai]

And here she goes . Way to go BMTC
The Hindu : Cities / Bangalore : Such a

[A350XWB]

Originally Posted by binaiks

The 7400XL is 14.5M long - at this length, thus bus would not turn in any of the city roads (except those 4-laned ones). In Bangalore, this bus would have to be restricted only to the ring road.

Saw this bus on the inaugural day on Bannerghatta road. This one is long, but didn't seem to be struggling on the road. My Santro was looking tiny infront of this bus. I think it's a big advantage, having an apartment close to the road which leads to a national park, as you get to see and ride all the newly launched buses of BMTC . We have regular services of all the buses, even the Corona.

[dhandapanik]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

Saw this bus on the inaugural day on Bannerghatta road. This one is long, but didn't seem to be struggling on the road. My Santro was looking tiny infront of this bus. I think it's a big advantage, having an apartment close to the road which leads to a national park, as you get to see and ride all the newly launched buses of BMTC . We have regular services of all the buses, even the Corona.

Now Bannerghatta road has all types of services. I have also seen AC Marcopolo buses in this route. We have BS-4 Volvos in both Vajra and Vaju Vajra. I have also used Corona Skypak in this route. Nice to see 7400 XL in this route.

[binaiks]

Originally Posted by A350XWB

Saw this bus on the inaugural day on Bannerghatta road. This one is long, but didn't seem to be struggling on the road. My Santro was looking tiny infront of this bus. I think it's a big advantage, having an apartment close to the road which leads to a national park, as you get to see and ride all the newly launched buses of BMTC . We have regular services of all the buses, even the Corona.

Interestingly, I too stay on Bannerghatta Road. Yesterday being Sunday, I did not go out of home and could not see the monster in action. I read in newspapers that the bus would be run on trials on almost all the major "Volvo" routes.

Bannerghatta road doesn't see those smoky ovens (read: TATA Marcopolo) on regular service - Thankfully! They breakdown very often, and a breakdown on Bannerghatta road will make the traffic situation worse.

[guyfrmblr]

I came across this bus near national park last noon. It was huge and was painted with military green. The driver was extremely cautious. The length is almost equal to road trains which are referred as "Janti Vahana"

[sa_kiran]

This bus is ideal for Mumbai. Running on Eastern and Western Express highways, they can take out a lot of cars from the street.

[apachelongbow]

Its high time that Volvo/Tata or any other manufacturer came out with a rear engined a/c double deck bus. This would be perfect for any Indian city and would take out lot of cars from the road.... any manufacturer listening?

[aroonanand]

Originally Posted by apachelongbow

Its high time that Volvo/Tata or any other manufacturer came out with a rear engined a/c double deck bus. This would be perfect for any Indian city and would take out lot of cars from the road.... any manufacturer listening?

Double decker buses will surely help in reducing the traffic crisis by carrying more passengers in the same area - Hong Kong, Singapore and London which have superb bus connectivity use a lot of double deckers in their fleet and are very effective. Have seen double deckers ply on long haul routes too - singapore to KL being an example or within UK where 2 hour routes like London - Oxford are catered to by double deckers.

But in India, it is hard to find roads where these can ply easily... So many underpasses are designed poorly that a double decker cannot use this.. In Bangalore, the Outer Ring Road which acts as an important link road to the airport and residential clusters, you cant ply double deckers due to the underpasses. Similarly, on highways, you have poorly planned railway crosses where you have a steel mast which will restrict the height of vehicles.. Also, most city roads in India are so badly designed that it will be an effort to manage these buses on sharp corners. Finally, if these are driven the way normal public transport buses are driven in India, then buses overturning will not be uncommon ! Chennai introduced double deckers in the mid-late 1990s and was not very successful. Mumbai and Trivandrum are the only other cities where I think double deckers are plying today.