ABC #403

COVERSTORY
CUSTOM DENNING ELEMENT
Top:
There are two driver screens, one
showing the camera feeds and the other
displaying operational information.
Above:
Custom Denning has developed an
attractive, clean design.
Opposite, Top + Below:
The full range is 500km on a charge,
with recharge only taking five hours;
with 250kW and 3,000Nm. Acceleration
was smooth and virtually noiseless.
doesn’t require cooling and that’s a weight
saving,” he explained.
CUSTOMISATION
The Element has flexible seating and door
options, with the possibility to go from a
two- to one-door configuration and gain
two extra rows of seats. There’s the option
to go total standees for, say, an airport-type
operation, he says..
“Because we do it all we can be flexible,”
Mascord said. “This bus is just one in a huge
range of possibilities to suit all applications.
“We are also looking at options for
school buses. In some options like that
we could start needing fewer batteries,
[resulting in] huge savings for operators
… as batteries make up 30 per cent of the
cost of the bus.”
We love talking to and meeting our local
bus builders and the people close to the
development and marketing of a new
vehicle, especially when we are looking at
a homegrown vehicle. We need overseas
competition, it’s healthy and our industry
wouldn’t advance at the pace we are
without that, but to see the building of
technologically advanced vehicles carrying
the ‘Australian Made’ logo is something
that’s hard not to applaud.
THE DRIVE
Before we start the test drive, on approach
the Custom Denning Element looks
different. It really stands out. We were
expecting to be dazzled by the technology
and features, but we were impressed
by the bus’ external appeal. The angled
fiberglass blue headlight skirt is a totally
new design for Custom Denning and
really has a smart European look that is
something quite different.
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ABC March 2021 busnews.com.au