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From: Lance (Bus Washing Market Sector in the USA)
Remote Name: 66.82.48.1
Date: 27 Dec 2003
Time: 22:01:19
Buses: The Shuttle Bus Industry is changing all the time. We often mention SunLine Bus Company in Palm Desert CA as an innovator. They run Hydrogen buses and CNG. Their buses are Cummings L10, C8.3 and B.5.9 and they also have three fully electric buses. The CNG set up they have allows them double the oil change intervals which are 12,000 miles. But over haul has been 50,000 miles. The University of Riverside, DOE, Sunline are helping to test a hydrogen cell for the 21 century army truck and for tanks. The company is also leasing 190 CNG vehicles including USPS LLVs and Taxi-cabs locally there. All of these tests and on-going programs are showing the endless possibilities for the future of shuttle buses http://www.truckwashguy.com/casinos.shtml , city buses and other vehicles. We went to several other sites to see what the manufacturers are doing. All major companies have Fuel Cell projects and prototypes going now. Daimler Chrysler delivered 30 fuel cell buses in 2003. Most of the prototypes and manufacturing is being spurred on by Military needs and funding for the best vehicles of which the public will be the most benefited in the long term. Check out some of these sites when you get a chance: The Champion Bus Company out of Michigan; Thor Industries which makes 7 basic models with all types of options in the 8 to 37 passenger ranges; http://www.Championbus.com and Thomas Bus which has new killer school bus out now; http://www.thomasbus.com and http://www.FederalCoach.com and Chrysler which we just mentioned is always a worthy site, with updated information weekly. These shuttles are built on the Sprinter Freightliner Chasis: http://www.dcbusna.com and http://www.econline.com and Optare which builds 34 passenger buses with ThermoKing efficient A/C which is a favorite of the shuttle industry, especially the parking industry at airports etc. http://www.optare.com and http://www.naiusa.com El Dorado Bus Sales has 12 different brands of buses it sells, many different warranties and lease programs too. Up to 12 years in some cases for hotel buses with few miles and even high mile buses up to 500,000 miles. Many times our customers have asked us what type of buses they should buy or they tell us we are getting some new buses for you to wash. Little do they know this may not make us very happy buses have a diverse variance in the time it takes to wash based on shape, windows, body lines, etc. The difference in time ranges from 10 minutes to 30 minutes or more. We know that the average bus purchaser looks for many things in a bus. First they want to try to test drive it on a local route. They want comfort ability to passengers, the drivers often get involved and want things like visibility, ease of use, heating and air conditioning systems, turning radius, braking systems, passenger unloading and pick-up easy doors, ergonomics, driver comfort, air ride, good acceleration. While the bosses are interested in efficiency, gas mileage, life cycle costs, ADA compliance and access, scheduled maintenance, component life, depreciation. Maybe wash-ability so they ask us what we think. http://www.truckwashguy.com/08072003_1.shtml . Then there are issues of tax incentives from cities, counties and states for alternative fuels, which is compounded issue with the availability of fuel stations for that alternative fuel. These are all considerations. Much different from let’s say tour buses http://www.buswashguys.com/tanyatucker.shtml or even school bus configurations and purchase choices. http://www.buswashguys.com/1203.shtml School Bus designs are changing and have come a long way over the years for instance look at these left door designs in NY. Most large school buses in New York City, both Type C, and Type D (YES! Type D!) have the left side service doors. Here is a Blue Bird/International with a left side service door: http://www.members.aol.com/rls1400/bbleftdoor.jpg and http://www.members.aol.com/rls1400/bbleftdoor1.jpg …Here is an AmTran Genesis FE ex-school bus with a left side service door (totally legal): http://zztalon.tripod.com//sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/apollo.jpg . Speaking of NY here is another site since that photo is from the New York School Bus Stop, another New York website. http://www.nyschoolbus.com . Here is another cool site: http://www.schoolbuscentral.com . Recently Thomas has created the new Saf-T-Liner C2 bus is design, see this article: http://www.bizjournals.com/triad/stories/2003/11/10/daily26.html?f=et84 . They are betting safety, sleek style, etc. This new design has a large, sloping windshield, a low, sloping hood and automotive-style with pillar windows which are said to give the bus more visibility than most buses on the market. http://www.news-record.com/news/education/thomas_122703.htm . We study these things obviously because they effect our team: http://www.BusWashGuys.com . We are also seeing extensive work on clean fuel shuttle buses and city buses in CA; http://www.fresnobee.com/local/story/7585991p-8494862c.html and you all know we wash the Sunlite Buses in Palm Springs, which run Hydrogen Cell. Many cities in America are now running CNG and now even India is picking up on this trying to curb pollution. Four cities soon will have CNG-driven buses will become operational in Lucknow , Bareilly , Kanpur and Agra in the near future. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/385515.cms They are also to convert public transport the way Delhi, but it is difficult here because diesel buses and taxis cannot be retrofitted with LPG in all cases. And when they can it does cost a few bucks. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/articleshow/382945.cms . For more information about getting your fleet of buses washed click here: http://www.truckwashguy.com/bwg.shtml or here http://www.BusWashGuys.com
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