Volvo tames tequila country!

Mexico may be more famous for its tequila… but a Volvo coach is becoming an equally familiar sight in that country. In fact, Mexico is now representing one of the largest markets for the bus and coach builder.

The coach market is especially significant, thanks to the fact that the country is large and boasts a poorly developed rail infrastructure. Furthermore, air travel is too expensive for most inhabitants. Consequently, a major portion of long-distance travel is conducted using coaches.

At the end of last year, Volvo Buses received an order for 409 Volvo 9700 coaches, which are now being supplied. The buses will be assembled at Volvo Buses’ plant in Tultitlán, outside Mexico City.

The client is IAMSA, which is a holding company for a large number of bus companies in Mexico. The companies that will own and operate the buses are ETN, Omnibus de Mexico, API, TAP and Turistar.

The buses are equipped with Volvo’s new 13-litre engine, which complies with the tough Euro 5 exhaust requirements. In Mexico, Euro 5 is not yet a legal requirement, but, for environmental purposes, IAMSA’s member companies have chosen to take the lead by selecting the engines that generate the lowest emissions.

“The main reason why we received this order is our close co-operation with IAMSA and the operators,” says Per Gabell, president of Volvo in Mexico. “We work closely together to find the best solutions for them.”

Since the 13-litre engine is new in the market, operators were fairly cautious. “However, one of the operators, Omnibus de Mexico, has used our coaches with the new engine for some time and is very satisfied with its reliability, performance and fuel consumption,” says Gabell. “This has contributed to Omnibus and the other operators now placing a major order for the new coaches.”