Ashok Leyland To Introduce Concept Bus At Auto Expo

Chennai: Ashok Leyland has decided to roll out a concept intra-city bus at the Auto Expo. Christened iBUS, it was developed in 10 months by a Cross Functional Team (CFT) of 25 young engineers of the company. The semi-low floor bus has electronically controlled air suspension, which can kneel for easier ingress and egress of passengers. The rear engine bus has two doors, with the rear being the widest in the country having a width of 1.5 meters, according to the YEsF team members. The AC bus has 42 seats and can accommodate 30 standees. Senior Engineer (Advance Engineering), Ashok Leyland, Mr Vivek Upadhyay, says the bus body is designed to meet all the impending safety norms. The vehicle is fitted with a new design E-core (Electronic controlled common rail engine) engine complying with Bharat Stage III norms.

This is the first heavy-duty common rail engine developed in India, offering 152 kW of power and 704Nm@ 1400 rpm torque. It has power-assisted clutch and a host of other features for the driver. Besides offering the coordinates of the bus, the vehicle tracking system in the bus provides a host of passenger information. For instance, when the bus passes through a particular locality, it can have information/advertisements on the commercial establishments in the area. It has day/night parking assist system supported with infrared camera. In addition, the two-channel system enables the driver to see if the passengers are in, to actuate the door closer.