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Optare CityBuses head Down UnderBritish Lions

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BCI FACTORY OPERATOR TOUR - AUSSIE KNOW-HOW THAT’S MADE IN CHINAVOLVO PLUG-IN HYBRID - LANDMARK EUROPEAN TRIAL BEGINSVOLGREN DEBUT - WEST OZ GETS NEW ROUTE BUS FIRSTTRANSIT SYSTEMS - AUSSIE CEO TALKS UK EXPANSION AND MORE

Britannia!Rule

Want technical innovation and superlative bus design? Optare’s got it in spades - and it’s coming to ‘a theatre near you’ in Australia later this year. The UK bus builder earned the prestigious Innovation Award by the British Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders in 2012, pipping the likes of Jaguar and Infiniti no less. Geoff Paradise visited the Leeds-based company to file this exclusive story.

Cover Story

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• Tempo SR (main picture) and its smaller sibling the Solo SR are modular in their construc-tion. Varying lengths and seating capacities will be available here.

OPTAre CITy BUSeS InvAde Oz SOOn!

SCOOP!

Fact: British-made Optare buses will

go on sale in Australia later this year!

With no fewer than seven city bus

models to arrive, the first will be on

display as early as 25-26 September at the

2013 Australian Bus + Coach Show, Sydney

Showground, Sydney Olympic Park.

The bus range for Australia comprises four

mid-size city buses. The Solo SR has lengths

of 7.0m, 7.8m, 9.0m and 9.8m with seating

capacities of 23, 27, 33 and 37, respectively.

The 7.0m Solo is 2.3m wide; all others in the

range are 2.5m wide.

The larger Tempo SR will be available

in 10.5m, 11.8m and 12.5m with seating

capacities of 39, 43 and 47, respectively.

All of the buses will meet ADR requirements

and will have single and mid-door options.

The Solo SR bus comes with ECE R66

compliance for rollover protection and the

12.5m Tempo SR has a tare weight from

10,000kg. The smaller Solo buses’ tare weights

start from 6000kg.

A variety of seats from leading seat

manufacturers are available with or without

seatbelts, headrests, armrests, seat trims and

seat-back options are available including a

range of colours and fabrics.

By the standards of Alexander Dennis and

Wrightbus, Optare can be considered a minor

player in the bus business, but this gives them

the relative ‘under the radar’ advantage to build

a very good bit of kit.

Coach & Bus magazine visited Optare

recently and was given exclusive and unfettered

access to the factory, its senior executives and

engineering team, including sitting in on closed

production meetings for the secretive Australian

models - a privilege rarely afforded to any

magazine or publication, anywhere.

Optare buses’ fit and finish is second to

none. Modular in construction, they are able

to accommodate customers’ requirements for

a range of stylish interior trim combinations

ranging from cloth to leather; a variety of

different floor cover combinations; and can be

custom painted to customers’ requirements.

The Optare design is refreshingly different

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to what is currently available in Australasia.

While buses are usually nothing more than long

rectangular boxes, Optare’s design team has

pushed the envelope front and rear with both

the Tempo SR and the Solo SR to deliver a bus

that is distinctly 21st century in its look.

The Tempo SR, more so than the Solo

SR, features a deep windscreen further

accentuated by a the low-slung swage line that

begins at the A-pillars and dips lower than the

trio of halogen headlights at each front corner

of the body.

This is an optical illusion, of course, as the

front fascia actually is square finished but

the gloss-black panel that carries the name

‘Optare’ is part of that panel.

The side glass creates a true glasshouse

effect with the side windows bonded in place

and equal-length ventilation windows along

the top.

Inside the bus, the huge glass area creates

a genuine open-plan cabin and, in the Tempo

SRs we inspected, the trim selected by the

operators further enhanced the sense of space.

It is no wonder the Tempo SR was awarded a

Queens Award for Design.

Super SuperstructureThe Tempo SR and the Solo SR are both built

in a modular fashion. Unlike all other buses

on today’s market there is no ladder-frame

chassis, but instead a hand-built ‘cage’ that is

monocoque in its final form.

This construction of the ‘cage’ is outsourced

to a specialist fabrication shop, Sherburn

Metalwork, conveniently located around

the corner from Optare and is made of a

combination of high-grade carbon steel and -

where in the case of secondary load bearing

areas - stainless steel is used. When completed

the frame undergoes a complete anti-corrosion

treatment plus an injected wax process for

sealed or closed sections of the frame. It has

a 10-year guarantee against corrosion and a

25-year design life.

Once completed the superstructure is

transported to Optare, where construction of

the bus begins.

Once skinned and with end caps in place this bus is ready for the paint shop.

Aluminium panels are fitted by way of an extruded top strip and then secured with

quick-release fasteners along the bottom. Painted and ready for final fit-out. Colourful for sure!

Monocoque in design the end result

is a solid yet lightweight combined chassis and frame.

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As is shown in the pictures here, the chassis

and body superstructure is one complete unit

with the front suspension and axle assembly

installed complete and the rear similarly.

Further setting the Tempo SR and Solo SR

apart is the unique method of engine and

gearbox installation.

Rather than fit them individually they are

installed in a dedicated cradle assembly

and then, get this, that cradle with engine is

installed into the bus! This not only makes

for a hassle-free installation during the build

process, but the cradle’s relatively simple

removal makes servicing an easier, safer

and more efficient process than it would be

by having mechanics work in confined and

difficult spaces if the drivetrain was to remain

in situ.

Power TrainsOptare has selected wisely with the choice of

drive assemblies in each of their products.

Both the Solo SR and the Tempo SR use

either a Mercedes-Benz or Cummins engine,

depending on the length of the bus.

Being the larger of the two, the Tempo SR

has a 6.37-litre M-B OM906LA six-cylinder

rated at 210kW at 2200rpm and 1120Nm

between 1200 and 1600rpm. It meets Euro 5

and uses SCR to do so.

In Tempo SR’s of 10.5, 11.8 and 12.5 metres

customers can opt for the 8.9-litre Cummins

ISL rated at 240kW and 1450Nm.

The Allison T310R five-speed automatic with

an integral retarder and an electronic interface

with a lock-up torque convertor in gears 3,

4 and 5 also has what Allison call ‘RELS’,

reduced engine load at stop, for improved fuel

economy is available across the range.

A ZF transmission, the ZF6HP500 six-speed,

is also offered as an option.

The Tempo SR comes equipped with a

220-litre fuel tank and a 21-litre AdBlue tank.

The electrical system is 24-volt comprising a

pair of 12-volt, 135-amp batteries.

The Solo SR uses a 4.25-litre, four-cylinder

turbocharged M-B engine, the OM904LA, in

buses of 7m and 7.8m and it too meets Euro 5

by way of selective catalytic reduction.

Rated at 115kW at 2200rpm and 610Nm at

1200rpm it also relies on an Allison 2100 Series

transmission. The Solo SR is also available

with the 6.7-litre Cummins ISBe, six-cylinder

turbo diesel rated at 150kW and 750Nm in the

9m and 9.9m models.. Again, engine choice for

Australia is up to the customer.

With an engine and transmission combination

of such high pedigree you can safely conclude

the front and rear axles, suspension and

braking system are of the same standard.

For Solo SR the front axle comes from Albion

and uses two airbags with taper leaf springs.

The rear end is an Albion single-reduction

hypoid equipped with 4.10:1 gears on a four-

bag air suspension and parallel linkage.

The disc brake system is an ABS-equipped

Wabco PAN17 dual-circuit set-up with a

heated element air dryer.

The Tempo SR uses an MAN drop centre

beam while the rear is a Meritor single-

reduction hypoid with a 5.29:1 gear set. Like

the Solo SR it uses a dual-circuit disc braking

system, ABS and air dryer.

Body BeautifulThe outer skin of the Tempo SR and Solo SR is a

combination of aluminium side panels and high-

grade GRP three-piece front and rear end caps,

which allow for easy replacement when required.

The lightweight and non-corrosive aluminium

side panels are fixed by way of a slotted

extrusion along the top edge and then fixed

along the bottom edge with quick-release

fasteners. Simple in theory, it is an incredibly

efficient method both for the initial construction

and for the replacement of damaged sections,

which should elate operators.

The Inside StoryThe interior, like the exterior design

and construction, is one of simplicity

and practicality. All side trim panels are

manufactured from hard-wearing and

resilient ABS thermoplastic and extend from

the base of the windows to the floor. Rather

than finish at a right angle and thereby create

a 90-degree corner, however, the moulding

is curved - allowing for liquids to be carried

away from the wall/floor, making cleaning

easy and also eliminating seepage from

liquids into the superstructure.

When it comes to the interior design,

layout, fabrics and colours it is entirely up to

the customer. From basic materials to jazzy

colours, cloth and leather can be ordered to

fit with your fleet or requirements. We saw

vivid greens, mauves combined with yellow

grab handles and posts (not to our liking!)

along with subtle and classy reds, blues and

other pastel colours.

The result of the English and European

penchant for showing creativity with colour

combinations were interiors that were

inviting, calming and fun to be in. And you

can’t say that about most city buses in this

country!

SOLO Sr SPeCS

MODEL: Optare Solo SREnginES: Mercedes-Benz OM904LA Euro 5, Cummins iSB 6.7L, M-B Power: 95kW/115kW*, M-B Torque: 500nm/610nm* * power variation dependent on bus length, iSB Power: 150kW, iSB Torque: 750nmTRAnSMiSSiOn: Allison 2100 series, five-speed, full CAn interface, lock-up TC in gears 3/4/5.RETARDER: Electro-magnetic with pulse width modulation (PWM), CAn Bus interface with Multiplexed control.FUEL: 200 Litres, 20L SCR tankSUSPEnSiOn: Front: Albion axle, two airbag, taper leaf, Rear: Albion single reduction hypoid, 4.10:1WHEELS: 17.5x6.75-inch x 134mm off-setTyRES: 215/75RSTEERing: ZF 8090 with integral power assist, adjustable steering columnBRAKES: Wabco PAn17 dual circuit, ABS, air dryerELECTRiCS: Twin 12V, 135ah batteriesLigHTing: LED and halogenCOMPLiAnCE: ADR, ECE-STA and DDALEngTH: 7.2m, 7.9m, 9.0m, 9.7mMAx SEATing: 23, 27, 33, 37

TeMPO Sr SPeCS

MODEL: Optare Tempo SREnginE: Mercedes-Benz OM906LA, Cummins iSL 9-liter, M-B Power: 210kW, M-B Torque: 1120nm, iSL Power: 240kW, iSL Torque: 1450nmTRAnSMiSSiOn: Allison T310R, five-speed, lock-up TC in gears 3/4/5.FUEL: 220 litres, 21L SCR tankSUSPEnSiOn: Front: MAn drop centre axle Rear: Meritor single reduction hypoid, 5.29:1WHEELS: 22.5x8.25-inch, 10-studTyRES: 275/70RSTEERing: ZF 8098 with integral power assist, adjustable tilt/reach steering columnBRAKES: Dual circuit discs, ABS, air dryerELECTRiCS: Multiplex, twin 12V, 135ah batteriesLigHTing: LED and halogenCOMPLiAnCE: ADR, ECE-STA and DDALEngTH: 10.6m, 11.3m, 12.5mMAx SEATing: 35, 39, 47

“…exclusive and unfettered access to the Optare factory.”

Engine and transmission are cradle mounted for ease of repair and removal. Optare interiors are bright and welcoming.Ever seen a brown Cummins? You have now!Workers complete frame constructionBuses in varying stages of construction at Optare HQ

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Intelligent Eco DashIf you think the design and construction of the

Optare product is impressive then ‘you ain’t

seen nothing yet’.

For Australia, the Tempo SR and Solo SR will

feature - as standard – a Multiplex system with

both onboard and remote diagnostics.

This systems works via Optare’s ‘Eco Dash’,

which is the central information source for

what the system is doing and is monitored by

the driver. Additionally, that same information

plus a zillion other facts and pieces of data

can be accessed remotely – at the depot or

anywhere for that matter - 24/7 via GPRS and

an internet-enabled computer.

We’ve seen a full demonstration of this

system (which will appear in our next issue)

and are amazed at what information it can

provide: from remote diagnostics where the

depot is alerted to a fault by email or an SMS

be it a broken blinker globe to something

more serious to passenger counting,

communication, live CCTV via factory-mounted

cameras on each bus and telematics. Further,

it controls and monitors a range of electrical

function within the bus including external

lighting, switch panels, message centre,

air-conditioning, kneeling function and much,

much more.

But like the guy who used to sell steak knives

on the telly says – wait, there’s more! Parallel

with Eco Dash is Eco Drive and Eco-Fleet,

which targets inefficiencies in fuel economy,

driver performance and vehicle dynamics

that all combine to give the bus operator the

absolute detailed information on how each bus

and driver is performing and the mechnical

condition of the bus at all times.

In relation to the driver the operations

manager can analyse the driver’s performance

over the whole route, entire shift, or at various

points of the route and then take steps to

eliminate bad habits resulting in poor fuel

economy, tyre and brake wear and general

control of the bus.

In BriefOptare, based in Leeds, UK, is owned by Ashok Leyland and part of the Hinduja Group of India, which took control of Optare in 2012. Ashok Leyland is one of the top five bus builders in the world.

Optare was established in 1985 and has built more than 10,000 buses in that time.

It sells its buses - the Solo, Versa, Metro City and the Tempo,

plus variations including hybrid and EV- to a number of countries throughout Europe and also to South Africa.

For Australia, the Solo SR and the Tempo SR will be sold here. EV and Hybrid will also be made available as required, according to Optare.

The company behind Optare also has the distribution for Irizar in Oceania, importers for many years

of coaches made in South America by the Spanish company. It is being headed up by former UD trucks and Higer executive, Shannon Taylor.

Optare’s UK plant sits on an economical 140,000 square feet in the semi-rural town of Sherburn, in Elmet, just a few miles from the once bustling industrial city of Leeds and has an annual production capacity of 1500 units per year.