ABC #398

IGNITION
FABIAN COTTER
The Great Reset?
How trying to pair some wireless headphones led to learning about
‘The Great Reset’ I’m not sure, but in 2020 … well, here we are.
Volume button up, press the on
button. Or volume button
down? Or both? And then press
the power button? Hold for 10
seconds. Hold for 25.4 seconds. Or go full
moron and hold silently for a lengthy two
minutes waiting for the good ol’ bloody
Bluetooth headphones to reset, so that
‘pairing’ could be attempted yet again - for
like the 50th time. Frustrating!
If you’ve ever tried to pair anything via
Bluetooth over the years you’ll know what
a spiritually challenging journey that can
be. Granted things have improved a lot
throughout the past 10 years, let’s say, but
for techno fools like me, some recent issues
meant searching endlessly for random
help on ‘The Tube’.
‘The Great Reset’ totally sounded like
the thing I was looking for. But what the…?
No self-appointed tech guru here banging
out the tunes happily after unboxing their
product and pairing it all up. No, this was a
news link to some global bigwig gathering
about changing things in the world
economy so that everything is cleaner and
greener and leaner and ‘better-er’ and … I
assume we all get paid? Sounds like a plan,
Stan. Where do I sign?
Yet with everything online these days
automatically suggesting to you all related
info, products, links, surveys and cereal box
brands that in any way connects to what
you’ve just been looking for – there was
much, much more to come...
‘Agenda 21 – what’s that?’ More clicking,
more viewing, more Cheetohs down the
hatch taking it all in about the long-term
aim for sustainability and the changes the
world should/could/would/must make by
set deadlines, etc.
I’m assuming this all links to the Paris
2030 carbon agreement? I really need to
watch more TV. Or not. And just stream
away other stuff.
Anyway, there’s all sorts of info there
about how the business world and society
must/should change and how we are
all affected. And with such an impact
on small-to-medium enterprises – as in
a resultant ‘see ya later, alligator’ – I’m
particularly worried about bus companies
that fit into those categories because
perhaps their destinies have been taken
out of their hands through no fault of their
own. Seriously, who knows?
SILVER LINING
Which brings me to the Euro 6 diesel
engine… Now I really ‘feel sorry’ for it. No
particular brand, just the concept and
direction behind it.
Through this whole bus magazine
gig, I’ve been privileged enough to keep
abreast over the years of all the emerging
tech advances and public transport
machinations taking place.
With the diesel engine being the staple
propulsion method for decades, its latest
Euro 5 and 6 emissions standard iterations
are still pretty damned good by all
accounts, ‘cleanliness wise’. So (to me), given
the millions, if not billions, of collective
industry R&D dollars that have gone into
it from top manufacturers worldwide it
seemed a waste with emerging electro-mobility
effectively slapping a use-by date on it.
Fast. Or so I thought…
Interesting news then in this issue with
the Bustech concept of using one bus body
to swap out different powertrain options.
And with Euro 6 diesel still in that mix, it
gives some hope of that tech’s its longevity
– in this market at least (and remember it
is not even mandatory here yet) – amongst
operators as a matter of choice.
And with so many e-bus and fuel-cell
options popping up and being developed
now, some operators understandably
still reticent to embrace electric-based
advances can find solace in such an option
still being at their disposal.
OPEN UP AND SAY ‘AH!’
On that note, snaring the cover-story spot
for ABC magazine Issue 398 is the world
exclusive story we broke about Bustech’s
partnership with renowned commercial
vehicles powerhouse Cummins and their
plan to offer the Australasian bus market a
thus-far unique future bus-fleet option: one
body, three powertrains of choice.
Yup, taking a re-imagined XDi bus
body – whose exclusive concept art is
shown gracing our cover – the
Cummins-backed idea means you can
choose Euro 6 diesel, fully electric or
fuel-cell hydrogen powertrains for the
life of the body, swapping things out as if it
were a simple maintenance service.
Where the saving for the bus operator
is, I’m told, is in not having to keep buying
full new buses as technology requirements
change. An interesting idea.
That’s the gist anyway and, yes, Australian
Bus Corporation’s (Bustech, Precision and
Elphinstone) did sign MOUs with other
international bus entities, which also are
part of the group’s overall product portfolio
and plans. Check it out on pages 32–36.
Also inside we visit the lovely people
at Caboolture Bus Lines in Queensland,
which only recently acquired Bribie
Island Coaches. The family owned and
run company proves there’s still hope for
bus companies from such humble origins
to evolve and expand ‘naturally’ rather
than larger global mass-equity-backed
organisations absorbing such operations.
Bit of a charmingly quirky one on the test
drive front this month where we take an
older Volvo Olympian double-deck import
for a spin around the NSW Blue Mountains
and it turned out to be a suitable
performer. It also gives a great insight into
a typical day-tour tourist company like
Fantastic Aussie Tours, which, like so many
others around Australasia, is doing it tough
in this ‘pandemic period’. That’s on pages
62–66 this issue.
In terms of guides, we briefly explore
overall the commuter journey experience
looking at some air-con and passenger
information systems innovations, while
our latest deliveries figures for September
shows things moving in the right direction.
For now, at least. God only knows what’s
happening month to month these days,
but it seems the back end hasn’t dropped
out just yet so as far as I’m concerned that’s
a little ‘winner, winner, chicken dinner’ time
for us all (P.S. Snuck in a bit of PUBG Mobile
online gaming humour for ya right there ;)).
And with Volvo and Volgren delivering its
1, 000th city bus to Perth’s PTA recently and
Hyzon announcing plans for a lightweight
hydrogen fuel-cell ‘superbus’ – that’s pretty
much a wrap this October.
Just kidding. There are other bits and
bobs inside, too; you’ll just have to take a
look. Hope you enjoy.
Until the next thrilling instalment…
6
ABC October 2020 busnews.com.au