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Volvo Bus Order to Increase Norwegian CNG Bus Fleet by Almost 50%

Wednesday, 27 June 2007

Norway

Norway’s fledgling 77 strong compressed natural gas (CNG) bus fleet will increase to more than 100 with the pending delivery of 35 CNG buses from Volvo Bus in the coming months. The order is part of a 173 bus order for Veolia Transport, the largest Volvo Bus order in Norway to date.

The order for Sør-Rogaland applies to 173 buses of the Volvo 7700, Volvo 8500 and Volvo 8700 type. It pertains mainly to low-entry buses with a length of either 12 meters or 14.5 meters, as well as two-axle 12-meter low-floor buses and 18-meter articulated buses. The order also includes three double-deckers based on Volvo’s well-proven B9TL double-decker chassis. The buses will be fitted with 7-liter, 9-liter and 12-liter engines, and certain buses will have Volvo Buses’ 9-liter engine that is fueled by natural gas.

Reduced environmental impact

The 35 gas-fueled buses have emission levels that are lower than those stipulated in Euro 5, thus meeting a requirement that will not be enacted until 2009.

The agreement includes a clause under which the Volvo dealer Rieber Thorsen Buss og Last AS will account for all maintenance of the buses for a period of five years, with a possible extension of the maintenance contract by up to 3.5 years. Most of the maintenance will be conducted in Stavanger, Sandnes and Egersund.

The buses will be manufactured at Volvo’s plants in Borås and Säffle, Sweden, in Wroclaw, Poland, and in Finland. All diesel buses will be delivered this year, while the gas-fueled buses will be delivered during spring 2008. 

Source: NGV Global