SPECIAL AWARD FROM THE BUSWORLD/BAAV JURY FOR HIGER AND BONLUCK
One of the goals of the Busworld/BAAV awards is to stimulate the further development of aspects like safety and environment friendliness for buses built by the Chinese industry. Therefore she issued a number of additional prizes, honouring the effects of a number of manufacturers in exactly these field. Awarded with the prize Best Safety Equipment of the Year was the Higer KLQ6147S
The jury wants to make a statement about the importance of good safety measures on buses and coaches by pointing towards the attention Higer has given to these aspects on this doubledecker coach. Sharp edges in the construction have been avoided where possible, there are two emergency hammers in the rear window on the top deck, there is a good grip possibility for the passengers on the top deck while moving through the bus. Together with the availability of for example two fire extinguishers on this level it is a perfect example of highly detailed thinking with regard to safety.
A special award underlining the big steps forward that were made with regard to outside appearance went to the Zhongda YKC6128HG, it received the award for
Coach appearance of the year. According to the jury it is a good product which proves that the Chines coach manufacturers can stand on their own feet with regard to creativity.
The award for Best New Energy Coach of the Year went to the Jiangxi Kama Business Bus JXK6830CRE2 fully electrical driven coach for use mainly in urban areas, transporting groups of passengers in a way which is completely harmless for the environment. With this small coach the vehicle weight is kept down by using a light integral construction offering a high mileage per battery charge, The lithium-ion batteries are recyclable, adding to the environment friendly character of this coach.
Best Engine producer of the year became DAF Components,who has DAF carved out a good position for its engines on the Chinese bus and coach market by offering products which combine a high reliability with advanced technology and good consumption figures, finds the jury. By offering well-proven Euro IV, Euro V and even EEV engine concepts it creates the possibility for the Chinese bus and coach manufacturers to take the next step with regard to the environment friendliness without any teething trouble.
Xiamen Xoceco has added a new dimension to on-board audio and video entertainment by adding a video-on-demand system that offers the possibility to store more than hundred movies. Long-distance travelling by coach will never be the same again with this system on board, therefore she was awarded the prize for Best Coach Electrical System of the year.
A special award went to the Youngman Group, for its Continued Excellence in Performance. This group, though not being one of the largest producers of coaches, has built up a unique position on the Chinese market by developing and manufacturing concepts and configurations that are innovative. They take the coach industry as a whole a step further by exploring new ideas, setting new standards and combining all this with excellent performances with regard to their product quality and workmanship. For the jury this was the main reason to grant them this award.
Finally, the award for the Green & New Energy Bus of the Year went to the Shanghai Sunwin SWB6121 that promises to make the coming World Exposition in Shanghai the first emission-free expo with regard to transport on the area. Powered by lithium-ion batteries this bus will be the proof during this world exposition of the high level the Chinese industry has meanwhile reached with regard to battery technology.