SODERTALJE, Sweden, May 28, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- Scania city buses continue to enjoy success in Australia, most recently with the sale of 44 buses to the capital, Canberra, and 170 to Adelaide. Forty-two of the Adelaide vehicles will be 18-metre articulated models. "These contracts have enabled us to strengthen our grip on the Australian bus market," commented Kaj Farm, MD of Scania Australia.
One hundred and twenty-eight of the Adelaide buses will be gas-powered. The customer is Transport South Australia, to which the vehicles will be delivered over the next five years as part of the city's strategy of reinforcing its public transport system. The purchaser of the 44 Canberra buses, which will also be gas-driven, is the Action company, which operates the capital's bus services.
"Scania buses have long enjoyed a strong position in Australia and our current market share is about 20%," added Kaj Farm. "Australia is also by far the leading market for Scania's gas-powered buses and approximately 500 have been sold there."
The Canberra buses and 128 of those scheduled for delivery to Adelaide will be built on Scania's L94UB 4x2 low-floor chassis, and will be bodyworked by the Australian Bus Manufacturing Company, the country's biggest bus bodybuilder. The 42 articulated models for Adelaide will be built on Scania's new low-entry chassis and will also be bodied by ABMC.
For further information, please contact Gunnar Boman, Scania Business Communications, tel. +46-8-553 89510 or +46-70-550 8606.
Scania is one of the world's leading manufacturers of trucks and buses for heavy transport applications, and of industrial and marine engines. With 28,200 employees and production facilities in Europe and Latin America, Scania is one of the most profitable companies in its sector. In 2002, turnover totalled SEK 47,000 million and the result after financial items was SEK 3,700 million. Scania products are marketed in about 100 countries worldwide and some 95 percent of Scania's vehicles are sold outside Sweden. Bus chassis production takes place in Sweden, Brazil and Mexico. Bodybuilding takes place in Sweden, Poland and Russia.
Scania press releases are available on the Internet, www.scania.com
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