School buses become focus, Yuchai releases China's first specific engine

On May 16, 2012 China Beijing International Exhibition on Buses, Trucks & Components opened at China National Convention Center. Almost all exhibitors displayed their school buses.

On the morning, the exhibitor Yuchai held a release conference for school bus engines under the theme of "specialization, care and preference" on the spot, unveiling China's first engine tailored to the special demands of school buses and the preferential service policy for engines specific to school buses. This is also China's first service policy targeting the school bus engine market.

Shouldering responsibilities

Leaders of industrial associations, including Chairman Zou Huxiao and Secretary-General Pei Zhihao of the Bus Branch of the China Highway & Transportation Society, Wang Limin, deputy general manager of Yuchai Machinery Co., Ltd. (YM) and Zhang Jiasha, deputy Party secretary of YM were present.

In the address, Wang said Yuchai has been committed to becoming the world's most competitive professional engine supplier and has been pursuing excellence to make the trust of partners and the public more valuable. Owing to its close attention to markets, products and value, Yuchai has kept ahead in energy-conserving, safe and environment-friendly engine technologies, and has led the bus engine market with a share of 60 percent. By leading technologies and outstanding quality, Yuchai has been performing its social responsibility, repaying partners for their trust and actively bearing social responsibility. In 2012, China's school buses ushered in a historic opportunity for development. However, we have also realized China's school buses still have a long way to go in order to become mature. As a link of the bus industry chain, Yuchai has the responsibility to bear the heavy duty of promoting the development of China's school buses and meeting public demands for school bus engines with professional and outstanding products and services.

Wang added, Yuchai's initiative in releasing an engine specific to school buses is a masterpiece of its special technical development based on a deep study and analysis of the school bus market and centering on demands of safety, reassurance and comfort. It not only shows Yuchai's care for the younger generation, but also demonstrates the accumulation of its technical strength over the years. Hopefully, the engine's release will provide a more advanced and applicable power choice for China's school buses on its road of specialized development.

Zou fully recognized the engine, saying safety is the core demand of school buses, how to create safe, reliable and comfortable school buses for children is not only what vehicle manufacturers should consider but also what the whole bus industry chain should think over. He added Yuchai is the industry's first engine manufacturer that released an engine specific to school buses, he saw a loving and socially responsible enterprise as well as an engine specific to school buses perfectly integrating technical strength with social responsibility. He genuinely admired Yuchai for its model role in building China's school bus engines and sent the best wishes for the Chinese cause of school buses and Yuchai.

Three highlights

This time, Yuchai released a combination of YC4FA, YC4D, YC4E, YC4G and YC6J engines specific to school buses. The combination precisely meets power demands of various flat-headed and long-headed school buses ranging from 5.5 meters to 10 meters. Egines specific to school buses tailored by Yuchai to core demands of school buses are highlighted by safety, reassurance and comfort.

In safety, Yuchai conducted special technical design of engines specific to school buses in terms of fire retardance and safe braking to effectively boost the safety of engines and vehicle operations;

Yuchai established an interactive communication platform of human, machine and manager through Yineng vehicle terminal and platform system, based on modern electric control engine technology and modern communication, satellite positioning and network technologies, and provided school bus users with instant and active vehicle operation services and operation management services through its strong service and technical capacity and comprehensive sunk service network, thus accomplishing reassuring operations.

During designing and developing engines specific to school buses and the matching development of buses, to make buses more comfortable, Yuchai conducted a modeling analysis with NVH technology, enhanced engine structure and sound quality, reduced noise, optimized engine integration and suspension design in bus matching, thus reducing vibration transfer from engine to body, effectively reducing noise and boosting comfort.

Aiming at the operating characteristics and demands of school buses, Yuchai has tailored a full set of service policies exclusive to school buses to provide better and more intimate services. For Yuchai's engines specific to school buses designed and manufactured in accordance with the national standards for school buses, three-year warranties will be provided regardless of mileage, users may enjoy three-time engine maintenance and three safety checks when schools open within warranty periods, to ensure school buses transport school children in new school years safe and sound. Yuchai owns more than 4,000 service outlets, franchise stores and distribution points, as well as more than 1,200 professional electric-control service stations throughout the country, which has considerably reduced the service radius to provide sincere and fast services for school buses.

According to sources, so far, more than 10,000 school buses carrying Yuchai engines have been shuttling in regions such as Zhejiang, Tibet, Gansu, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Heilongjiang, Jiangsu and Fujian, transporting tens of millions of school children safe and sound.

Press notes

School buses carry two many responsibilities and expectations. The school bus accident in Zhengning, Gansu Province in November 2011 awoke every conscientious Chinese, provoked our deep thinking and urged us to take more effective actions. According to experts' estimation, roughly 90 million children in the country need to take school buses, but the number of professional school buses in possession in China has been far from meeting the demand.

Chinese school buses embarked upon a highway leading to the spring of the industry. The State is promulgating school bus policies intensively, the society is staying focused on school buses, and the whole bus industry chain has got actively involved in school bus R & D and popularization.

According to statistics of chinabus.info, 8,490 school buses were sold in the first four months of 2012, far above the total sales volume of 2011. As a growing number of professional school buses were launched, more and more children have enjoyed safe, reliable and comfortable school buses. This is inseparable from the concerted efforts of all enterprises on the bus industry chain.

The new compulsory national standards for school bus safety that has drawn extensive attention is scheduled to come into effect on May 1, which is also a new policy after the promulgation of the Regulations on School Bus Safety Administration in April.

The national standards for special school bus safety include two compulsory national standards--the Safety Technical Conditions of Special School Buses and the Strength of Seat Systems and Their Anchorages of Special School Buses for Students, which were promulgated in substitution for the Safety Technical Conditions of Special School Buses for Primary School Students and the Strength of Seat Systems and Their Anchorages of Special School Buses for Primary School Students.

The new national standards divided school buses into light-duty buses and large & medium-duty ones. The length of light-duty school buses shall be more than 5m and not more than 6m, and that of large & medium-duty buses shall be more than 6m and not more than 12m. Front and rear bumpers shall be installed on every special school bus to provide maximum protection. The height of a school bus shall be more than 3.7m, external baggage racks shall not be set up, neither articulated buses nor double-deck buses may be used as special school buses. More than 30 requirements were added to the new national standards, including requirements for maximum passenger capacity, first aid kit equipping, interior trim, signal system and interior air composition, and more than 30 provisions were amended, including provisions on student seats, emergency exit and steps. According to the new national standards, the maximum passenger capacity of infant-specific school buses shall not exceed 45, and that of school buses specific to primary and secondary school students shall not exceed 56.

Besides, the new national standards stipulated a special school bus shall have a passenger door between the front and rear wheels on the right to facilitate evacuation and aid from outside, and shall at least has an exit on both sides alike. Also, steps shall not be too high; bus handrails and convenience seats shall be set up; partitions must be softened; interior air quality must be up to relevant standards; a travelling data recorder with the function of satellite positioning and an interior and exterior video surveillance systems shall be installed.

(Source: Hu Qilin/China Industry News)