Pune based commercial vehicle manufacturer, Force Motors has launched India’s first 33/4 seater Monobus, Monocoque buses at the ongoing Bus World 2018 in Bengaluru. This is a Made-in-India for India buses by Force Motors and is powered by Mercedes derived 3.2L common rail engine that has a maximum power of 115 Hp and 350 Nm of torque. The new Monobus has been developed at the company’s R&D team and is made by pressed steel panels using automated and robotic arms.
The monocoque construction has allowed the buses to be lightweight and delivering a better power to weight ratio. The new Monobus is also about 800 kgs lighter than other models. The engine is mated to a 5-speed gearbox and the special clutch lining is designed for frequent start-stops common in short distance tour and bus operations. The new Traveller-MONOBUS claims to be the only vehicle to adopt the 6th Generation Cathodic Electro Deposition (C.E.D) Dip painting process for the whole body, for primer application thus offering the highest levels of rust protection and corrosion resistance.
Prasan Firodia, Managing Director, Force Motors said, “The Traveller-MONOBUS is a fully in-house effort of our R&D team and I am confident it will set new benchmarks in performance, comfort, reliability, durability and safety. These same qualities have enabled Traveller to become acknowledged leaders in the 9-26 seater minibus category. The monocoque construction is possible due to extensive use of large pressed panels – which are fully designed, tooled and produced in-house. Force Motors has applied for a number of patents on this product and process technology”
Force Motors also says that the new range of Monobus is also the only in the segment with disc brakes on all wheels and also features hydraulic braking with ABS, EBD. The bus gets a very low floor height for easy entry and exit, lower NVH levels and a smaller turning radius. This makes for an ideal travel bus for corporates, fleet owners, tour operators, school buses and many other.
