For years, Bus Stop Sales has had its eye on introducing electric bus technology to Australia. Its partnership with King Long allows it to be at the forefront of sustainable change
King Long’s Apolong Level 4 autonomous bus courtesy of the brand and technology giant Baid. (Images: Bus Stop)
The Australian bus and coach industry is on the brink of monumental change with the ongoing transition to zero-emissions solutions.
Bus Stop Sales is one supplier that strongly desires to be at the forefront of this transformation. The bus and coach distributor’s commitment to sustainability both in bus products and at its Rocklea head office has now won multiple awards for its self-funded sustainability projects.
“With a deep understanding of the industry and focus on innovation, we established Bus Stop Sales to customise solutions for our valued bus and coach customer base,” director Pete White told ABC.
“Initially, the company focused on importing and distributing a single-make bus. However, as destiny has a way of working, we quickly outgrew this model and are now known to be the only end-to-end supplier catering to the diverse industry needs for 12 to 70 seats, diesel or electric and high-floor coach or urban city bus solutions.
“Our collaboration with the world’s largest bus manufacturing group, King Long is a best case partnership model that has set the stage for the transformative journey.”
All parties understand that a partnership needs to be win, win, win across the manufacturer, distributor and customers.
The partnership between Bus Stop Sales and King Long also allowed the former to work with the first movers in battery electric buses, with King Long being well ahead of its time in the space. The early adopters of the technology were centred in China in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with King Long building the earliest hybrid bus in China in 1997 and full electric battery electric bus capabilities in 2002.
The combination of the two brands in Australia has allowed Bus Stop Sales to gain momentum and help lead the Australian industry’s solutions for the zero-emissions transport transition.
“We’ve made significant investments into ready-to-go electric bus stock despite the transition being slower than we had hoped. Policy and commitment clarity is crucial to support the uptake,” White says.