JBM Group’s new premium bus will be called Citylife and will be launched in six variants suitable for applications like intra-city, schools and airports transportation. The bus will be loaded with features yet pricing will be competitive. It will have three engine choices, one 280 hp diesel engine and two CNG mills generating 230 hp and 280 hp.
According to Arya, the bus will benefit from high level of localisation, which will enable 5 to 10 percent lesser prices compared to its rivals from Volvo and Scania. The Rs. 500 crore project JBM Citylife bus will be manufactured at the company’s plant in Faridabad. Actually, the monocoque structure will be produced at this plant while assembly will take place in a facility near Kosi.
Salient features of the JBM Citylife bus include inverted portal axle (enabling low-floor construction / flat floor cabin), independent front suspension, disc brake on all wheels, ABS with EBD & EBS, seating capacity of 41 passengers, sanding capacity of 59 occupants, and automatic ticket machines & stop request button for convenience.
Arya added, “In India, currently there are 0.75 buses per 1,000 individuals compared with 10 in Russia and seven in China. We need to reach to the level of Brazil in the next five years with at least 1.5 buses for every 1,000 individuals”.
JBM Group’s joint venture with Italian busmaker BredaMenarinibus (in 2013) for bus manufacturing and insight into commercial vehicle industry by doing business with Volvo Eicher and MAN trucks has given the company good exposure and opportunity in venturing into bus making on its own.
JBM expects to sell around 2,000 units a year, relying on various urbanisation schemes from the government. Rs. 800 to Rs. 1,000 crore is the expected revenue from this business.
Via – Economic Times
