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Information Bulletin of TEDOM, a new Czech manufacturer of transport technology<br />
4.<br />
8.<br />
The TEDOM holding company<br />
is growing<br />
The total revenues of the holding<br />
company “TEDOM” rose to a value<br />
of CZK 1.8 billion last year. . .<br />
Project<br />
A project of revitalisation<br />
of production of trucks is starting.<br />
9.<br />
11.<br />
www.tedom.cz<br />
Outlook into the future<br />
The development of gas engines<br />
for TEDOM buses continues.<br />
A bus on trial?<br />
Why not!<br />
The care for customers does not end<br />
with the handing over of the bus.
Content<br />
4.<br />
7.<br />
8.<br />
9.<br />
10.<br />
11.<br />
The TEDOM holding company<br />
is growing<br />
The total revenues of the holding<br />
company “TEDOM” rose to a value<br />
of CZK 1.8 billion last year. . .<br />
ČSAD Liberec<br />
The buses were subject to hard tests<br />
at our company.<br />
Project<br />
A project of revitalisation<br />
of production of trucks is starting.<br />
Outlook into the future<br />
The development of gas engines<br />
for TEDOM buses continues.<br />
15 years of experience with<br />
stationary engines<br />
Interview with Drahomír Jeleček,<br />
Technical Director<br />
A bus on trial?<br />
Why not!<br />
The care for customers does not<br />
end with the handing over of the<br />
bus.<br />
Dear Readers,<br />
You have received the first issue of the<br />
new magazine of the TEDOM holding.<br />
From a small company formed by several<br />
enthusiasts we have developed, in 15 years,<br />
into a firm which employs seven hundred<br />
people. Our annual turnover achieves<br />
approximately EUR 70 million. We are<br />
operating in several places in Europe. In the<br />
Czech Republic we have three production<br />
plants. We develop the production of buses<br />
and trucks, especially of vehicles using an<br />
alternative fuel, such as natural gas. We<br />
Edition Board:<br />
Eva Kijonková, Vlado Murár<br />
produce and operate environment-friendly<br />
energy sources and technologies for<br />
combined electricity generation and heat<br />
production. In all of these activities we will<br />
continue and we will foster our positions on<br />
both the domestic market and abroad.<br />
At the same time we would like to inform our<br />
business partners, customers, colleagues<br />
as well as public administration about our<br />
activities in an appropriate form. On the<br />
pages of this magazine we therefore bring<br />
a detailed view of one of the prospective<br />
production branch. Please make yourselves<br />
familiar with the product range of TEDOM<br />
buses and engines and with our intents in<br />
the field of production of TEDOM trucks.<br />
For myself as well as for my colleagues I can<br />
promise that we are ready to speak with you<br />
about everything what you deem interesting<br />
on the pages of our magazine.<br />
Josef Jeleček,<br />
General Manager of TEDOM, s.r.o.<br />
For TEDOM s.r.o. produced by:<br />
IanDerson Advertising, s.r.o.
The Traditional Czech Brand LIAZ<br />
revives thanks to TEDOM<br />
The Jablonec engine plant of the former car manufacturing<br />
company Liaz successfully produces engines for TEDOM buses.<br />
Production of trucks<br />
based on the last<br />
development project<br />
of Liaz is growing<br />
again. The traditional<br />
Liaz engines whose<br />
history dates back to<br />
1906 have a strong<br />
successor. After<br />
approximately three<br />
years of efforts, the<br />
TEDOM holding<br />
company, having<br />
its headquarters<br />
in Třebíč, the<br />
Bohemian-Moravian<br />
Highlands, managed<br />
to fully revive the<br />
production of the<br />
engines based on<br />
the well-proven Liaz<br />
engine design.<br />
Salvation in the bankruptcy proceedings<br />
The purely Czech company “TEDOM”, whose<br />
annual turnover approaches to 2 billion Czech<br />
crowns purchased the Liaz engine plant for CZK<br />
27 million in 2003. In the situation when this part<br />
of the original Jablonec automotive plant was<br />
undergoing bankruptcy proceedings only a few<br />
people believed that it could still generate a profit<br />
sometimes in the future. Nevertheless, TEDOM<br />
had a clear vision when it entered into the engine<br />
production process. Since 1991 this company<br />
has been successfully dealing with development,<br />
production and sale of the so-called cogeneration<br />
units for the combined generation of electricity and<br />
heat production based on gas piston, combustion<br />
engines. The engine production plant of Liaz<br />
always manufactured just this type of engines,<br />
and thus it seemed to be useful to use especially<br />
their stationary version for an interesting power<br />
engineering branch in which TEDOM has already a<br />
good market position.<br />
“By purchasing the engine production operation<br />
plant we became a manufacturer of gas and<br />
diesel combustion engines as well as a supplier of<br />
original spare parts for all Liaz engines which were<br />
produced in the plant in past,” says Josef Jeleček,<br />
General Manager of TEDOM.<br />
Chance for success<br />
The company gradually started to deal also with the<br />
issue of further development of vehicle applications<br />
of the engines, and it built its core project on the<br />
presumption that it will manage to become one of<br />
the few world manufacturers of buses with its own<br />
gas engine, based on solid foundations of a long<br />
tradition. “We released dozens of millions of Czech<br />
crowns for development, in order not to take over<br />
just the existing know-how of Liaz, but to make<br />
further progress. Thus we currently have four types<br />
of top gas engines and 12 types of diesel engines<br />
in a vehicle version. All of them bear already the<br />
TEDOM brand and stand on the solid foundations<br />
of the Liaz engines,“ stated J. Jeleček. The TEDOM<br />
engines, as he continued, thus form a unified series<br />
of the four-stroke in-line six-cylinder engines with<br />
a power output of 152 to 300 kW in a diesel version<br />
and 152 to 210 kW in a gas version.<br />
Innovations built on tradition<br />
The company has managed to implement also<br />
a project of its own production of road vehicles.<br />
About the company<br />
In 2004, i.e. just one year after the takeover of<br />
the Jablonec engine plant, it presented ( at the<br />
Automotive Trade Fair “Autotec” in Brno) a new<br />
low-floor bus powered with its own, electronically<br />
controlled engine using compressed natural gas<br />
(CNG).<br />
The design of the vehicle was based on the Neoplan<br />
bus with the licence which TEDOM purchased from<br />
the Italian company “Mauri”. By the end of 2006 the<br />
Třebíč-based holding company manufactured and<br />
tested 16 buses. On the testing and perfection of<br />
the vehicles it directly cooperated with the operator<br />
of the city transit services. “The largest portion<br />
of cooperation was borne by ČSAD Liberec and<br />
recently also by ČSAD Semily,” stressed J. Jeleček.<br />
The result is given by the fact that into this year<br />
TEDOM has entered with its own VIN and with an<br />
integrated offer of four buses equipped with engines<br />
using CNG and diesel oil. “At the Automobile Show<br />
in Nitra held this year we will officially introduce a<br />
low-floor low-entry gas-powered bus,” announced<br />
General Manager Jeleček. The firm expects that<br />
still this year it will manage to sell the first five new<br />
low-entry buses and wants to deliver them, under<br />
markedly advantageous conditions again to major<br />
transport companies, with which it will cooperate<br />
again on further optimisation of the vehicle<br />
operation.<br />
The work will however focus also on further<br />
development of the gas engine “TEDOM” which<br />
should lead to the achievement of the emission<br />
limits as low as possible and to further reduction of<br />
fuel consumption. All is prepared by the company<br />
in such a way that it can be possible to apply the<br />
engine modifications to the vehicles in service as<br />
well.<br />
3.
4.<br />
Current news<br />
The TEDOM holding company is growing<br />
The total revenues of TEDOM rose to CZK 1.8 billion last year.<br />
TEDOM is a manufacturer of buses and trucks, a manufacturer<br />
of a complete product range of engines based on the Liaz<br />
engines and at the same time it is an important supplier of<br />
power engineering technologies and operator of the sources for<br />
electricity generation and heat production.<br />
The profit of the TEDOM company for 2006 was<br />
approximately CZK 140 million before taxation.<br />
The share of export in revenues achieved about<br />
30 per cent, which represents approximately<br />
CZK 0.5 billion. The holding company which<br />
was established with exclusively Czech capital<br />
background in 1991, was exporting into 30<br />
countries last year. Among other successes it<br />
managed to penetrate into the American market<br />
with production of gas engines “TEDOM” which<br />
travel through the partner firm “CGP Resources LLC”<br />
from Texas to the market of the U.S.A. and Canada.<br />
The export will continue this year as well. This<br />
concerns specially modified stationary engines,<br />
four-stroke in-line six-cylinder engines which are<br />
designed mainly for the use in the oil industry,<br />
e.g. for compressor and pumping stations or as a<br />
power unit of the hydraulic systems.<br />
But TEDOM is engaged in other countries of Europe as well.<br />
For example in Istanbul and Bursa, Turkey, together with<br />
its contractual partner (Gürbey Mechanics Ltd.) installed,<br />
during the last two years, four cogeneration units which<br />
ensure a trouble-free operation of luxurious hospitals.<br />
At present other joint projects are under preparation<br />
for the Turkish market. The production of co-generation<br />
units is closely interconnected to the development and<br />
production of piston combustion engines. They form<br />
a connection element for TEDOM between its power<br />
engineering division and road vehicle production. In the<br />
field of power engineering, the holding company develops<br />
stationary use of especially gas engines for cogeneration,<br />
while in TEDOM buses and Fox trucks the company follows<br />
up to the development line of the traditional Liaz engines<br />
whose production it purchased and took over, including<br />
production of spare parts for all the types of vehicles<br />
which are still driving with the Liaz engines.<br />
The TEDOM holding company currently employs<br />
more than 700 people in all its divisions. Production<br />
background facilities of the firm are deployed in Třebíč,<br />
the Bohemian-Moravian Highlands, where bus production<br />
is concentrated, in Hořovice, Central Bohemia, where<br />
production of cogeneration technologies is centralised<br />
and in Jablonec nad Nisou, engine production centre.<br />
Apart from the Czech Republic TEDOM operates through<br />
its subsidiaries and business representations also in<br />
Hungary, Latvia, Russia and China.<br />
In terms of ownership structure, TEDOM is traditionally<br />
controlled by Czech capital.<br />
The owners of the holding company are four domestic<br />
natural persons.<br />
Technical innovations will help drivers.<br />
City low-floor buses TEDOM C12G and TEDOM C12D<br />
have undergone, during approximately the last six<br />
months, several principal technical innovations. The<br />
increase in total reliability of gas and diesel oil vehicles,<br />
which took into consideration all the comments<br />
generated from a trial operation, brings an advantage<br />
for the owner and operator and compliance with all<br />
certification requirements.
Also the drivers of both the bus types<br />
should be satisfied. “Even though the<br />
modifications did not affect the general<br />
design of the bus and therefore are not<br />
obvious at first sight , they are essential,”<br />
states Vlado Murár, Marketing Manager of<br />
TEDOM. The firm came up with a complete<br />
renovation of the driver’s workplace during<br />
which there were created four new storage<br />
areas. One of them is situated above the<br />
driver’s head in a lockable box. The second<br />
one can be found by the driver in a form<br />
of a shaped pocket at the door of their<br />
workplace. The third one was designed by<br />
technicians in a form of a pocket integrated<br />
into the cover of the side control panel.<br />
And the fourth storage area is formed by<br />
the cabinet serving for the placement of<br />
the first-aid box in the new dashboard.<br />
Another principal innovation which<br />
is also focused on the driver’s work is<br />
the modification of the blowing of the<br />
windscreen, including the left side window<br />
at the driver’s place and glass in the front<br />
door. The system is currently formed by<br />
new heating channels integrated into the<br />
dashboard, blower and heating with a<br />
capacity of 13 kW.<br />
“The modification finally concerned also<br />
the name of our bus. We have decided to<br />
simplify it and to delete the word “Kronos”,<br />
which referred to the name under which<br />
these vehicles were produced at our<br />
company for the Italian market. That is<br />
why at present all the buses are already<br />
identified in an unambiguous manner as<br />
TEDOM,” added V. Murár.<br />
The manufacturer builds its strategy also on<br />
solid, robust buses.<br />
According to experts, the TEDOM buses are<br />
characterised with one of the longest warranty<br />
periods on the bus market. In the case of<br />
gas engines, the manufacturer guarantees<br />
an eight-year warranty period. The engines<br />
feature a high capacity and dynamics. They<br />
have long servicing intervals set to 40,000 km.<br />
An interesting aspect is also the warranty for<br />
the body frame, where the warranty period is<br />
even 12 years.<br />
The reason for which the manufacturer can<br />
afford such a generous warranty period is the<br />
fact that it trusts in high-quality components<br />
and a robust design of vehicles. It is based<br />
on the use of stainless steel materials as<br />
the main element, which is complemented<br />
with aluminium and plastic materials. In<br />
combination with the perfect workshop<br />
processing it is possible to achieve a reliable<br />
vehicle, which is a counterweight of light,<br />
subtle buses. A robust design furthermore<br />
provides sureness that even in the case of sale<br />
of a used bus from the fleet of the public transit<br />
companies it will be possible to receive good<br />
prices. Stainless steel materials increase the<br />
value of the vehicle which does not decrease<br />
so quickly during operation.<br />
Engines in vehicle versions to be exported<br />
as well.<br />
More than one hundred engines for buses<br />
operated within the City public transport<br />
in Bratislava have been delivered by<br />
TEDOM to Slovakia so far. The public transit<br />
operator in the Capital City of Slovakia is<br />
the largest operator of buses rebuilt to<br />
natural gas power (CNG), and at the same<br />
Current news<br />
time, thanks to the historical links to Czech<br />
suppliers it uses, in a decisive extent, the<br />
Karosa buses in which the original Liaz<br />
(now TEDOM) engines are installed. The<br />
Bratislava operator has 240 Karosa buses.<br />
There are more than one hundred CNG<br />
buses. With regard to the fact that TEDOM<br />
purchased the engine production plant<br />
of Liaz and took over also the production<br />
of spare parts, servicing and overhauls of<br />
the Liaz engines, the cooperation of the<br />
Třebíč-based holding company with its<br />
Slovak partners was initiated just with the<br />
deliveries of overhauls and replacements of<br />
old Liaz engines with new ones, i.e. with the<br />
TEDOM identification. Thanks to the design<br />
follow-up of Liaz and TEDOM, the client<br />
did not have any difficulties with servicing<br />
and did not have to replace servicing tools<br />
or the basic skills of its staff members. Last<br />
year TEDOM exported to Bratislava thirty<br />
CNG engines of its production. This year the<br />
company expects a continuation of exports<br />
to Slovakia. Nevertheless, the number<br />
of foreign contracts will be rising in new<br />
territories as well. The renovations of buses<br />
for CNG engines and overhauls of older<br />
engines are under preparation in Poland.<br />
The export to Rumania, Russia, Baltic<br />
countries and Bulgaria starts to develop,<br />
and TEDOM would like to renovate the<br />
buses serving for transport of inhabitants<br />
of capital cities of these countries for the<br />
CNG technology. The most exotic country<br />
where the TEDOM engines could travel still<br />
this year should be Indonesia.<br />
5.
6.<br />
Production<br />
New plant with top<br />
equipment will employ<br />
200 people within two years<br />
The TEDOM buses have been produced since January in the halls<br />
with top equipment in the middle of the industrial zone in Třebíč. The<br />
company plans to invest altogether CZK 160 million into this new plant.<br />
From this year on, the production of the TEDOM<br />
buses has a generous modern background in<br />
the newly constructed halls in the industrial<br />
zone in Třebíč in the Highlands Region. On<br />
a three-hectare plot of land which was<br />
purchased by the TEDOM holding company<br />
in August 2005, the company constructed a<br />
factory and an administrative building with a<br />
total area of 7,500 square metres during the<br />
last year, in the period from April to October.<br />
These premises currently form the main seat<br />
of the holding company and they include<br />
complete technologies for production of<br />
TEDOM buses. The total capital expenditures<br />
into the plant should achieve CZK 160 million,<br />
which means that it will be one of the most<br />
up-to-date automotive production plants in<br />
the Czech Republic and probably the only<br />
modern factory of this scale owned by purely<br />
Czech capital.<br />
The owners presuppose that during the first<br />
phase the factory whose official operation was<br />
commenced this year in January will produce<br />
approximately 300 buses per year. “This<br />
means that in two years we should employ<br />
approximately two hundred qualified people,”<br />
added Josef Jeleček, General Manager of the<br />
TEDOM holding company.<br />
The production background facilities in the<br />
Třebíč industrial zone resolved the difficulties<br />
of the holding, which were arising with regard<br />
to the fragmented production in Hořovice,<br />
Central Bohemia, and Jablonec nad Nisou,<br />
North Bohemia. “We needed to centralise<br />
all what concerns production of the TEDOM<br />
buses and to increase capacities for their<br />
mass production. For Třebíč we decided after<br />
a proper analysis, and one of the reasons<br />
supporting this decision was the fact that the<br />
parent holding company has had its registered<br />
office there traditionally since 1991 and that<br />
we believed in the skills of local people as well<br />
as in a sufficient supply of qualified labour<br />
on the labour market,“ explained the General<br />
Manager.<br />
TEDOM obtained also an investment incentive<br />
for the construction of the new factory for<br />
buses, which it can draw up to an amount of<br />
CZK 89 million.<br />
Nevertheless, the company will only obtain<br />
this amount in a form of a tax relief after the<br />
completion of the total capital expenditures<br />
planned. This means after completion of the<br />
construction of the entire production facility<br />
which should include, in its final stage, 1.5<br />
hectares of the built-up area. Neither the<br />
operations in Hořovice, where cogeneration<br />
units are manufactured, nor the engine<br />
plant in Jablonec nad Nisou, which is the<br />
centre of the TEDOM Engines division, will<br />
remain abandoned by the company. On the<br />
other hand, extensive capital expenditures<br />
will be fuelled into these divisions as well.<br />
Especially into the machinery equipment<br />
and upgrade of technologies. For example,<br />
the production capacity of the Engines<br />
division was extended last year with the new<br />
machining centre “Deckel-Maho-Gildemeister”<br />
which makes it possible to machine products<br />
with dimensions of metre times metre times<br />
metre. In the Jablonec plant it is thus possible<br />
to use universal machinery equipment for the<br />
production of TEDOM engines, overhauls as<br />
well as liabilities taken over with regard to the<br />
deliveries of spare parts of original engines<br />
“Liaz”. The Jablonec operations furthermore<br />
make it possible to perform the development<br />
and production of the TEDOM trucks, whose<br />
design is based on the last project of the<br />
development centre of the Liaz company and<br />
is ideal for the municipal operation.
Interview<br />
ČSAD Liberec: The buses<br />
were subject to hard tests<br />
at our company<br />
ČSAD Liberec, a.s., is one of the largest passenger carrier in<br />
the Liberec Region. On its regular lines it makes, within the<br />
framework of the public service liability, about four million km<br />
per year, and for several years it has been operating also the<br />
public city transit in Liberec and the surroundings, where it<br />
makes one million km per year.<br />
Since 2004, the<br />
firm has been<br />
cooperating, thanks<br />
to many years<br />
of experience<br />
with an intensive<br />
operation, on the<br />
development and<br />
testing of TEDOM<br />
buses. Interview<br />
about cooperation<br />
with the Head<br />
of the City Public<br />
Transit Division of<br />
ČSAD Liberec, Mr.<br />
Martin Oumrt.<br />
ČSAD Liberec was the first company which decided<br />
to buy the TEDOM bus. What led us to the decision<br />
of buying a product from quite an unknown<br />
manufacturer at that time?<br />
There were several reasons for such a decision. We<br />
considered the design of the low-floor bus with<br />
a platform for the entry of people with impaired<br />
mobility or mothers with baby carriages to be quite<br />
interesting. In our opinion, also the design with a<br />
natural gas power system was interesting because<br />
we want to opt for environment-friendly, statesubsidised<br />
transport.<br />
At present we operate four gas buses from TEDOM<br />
and we do not let them have a rest at all.<br />
Liberec has a filling station for compressed natural<br />
gas and you have a possibility to decide for diesel or<br />
gas drive systems while purchasing a new vehicle.<br />
What are in your opinion the strengths and<br />
weaknesses of gas buses?<br />
I will not deny that the state policy in the support of<br />
the use of natural gas is advantageous for us. If you<br />
buy a gas (i.e. CNG) bus you obtain a modern new<br />
means of transport at which you know that it will pay<br />
in the end thanks to the type of engine and low costs<br />
of maintenance and repairs.<br />
Of course, new vehicles were not free of defects at<br />
the beginning. Did you have also other agreements<br />
with TEDOM, apart from bus contracts, such as<br />
agreements on defect removal or similar? If yes,<br />
how did this cooperation develop?<br />
Apart from the purchase of buses, we have made an<br />
agreement about the handover of knowledge from<br />
the operation of buses. All comments are handed<br />
over to individual responsible persons at TEDOM. It<br />
assesses the same and responsible staff members<br />
suggest changes which are transferred into buses in<br />
a very short term. The cooperation between us and<br />
TEDOM is very useful and is reflected in a continual<br />
improvement of buses, for example platforms for<br />
wheelchair users, driver’s cabins, vibration absorbers,<br />
front axle, bars in the vehicle interior, etc.<br />
Liberec is situated in a rather hilly area. How did the<br />
new buses cope with this complicated operation<br />
profile?<br />
It is true that all buses with an automatic gearbox<br />
must necessarily go here with winter tyres in winter.<br />
But we do not have any problems with the power<br />
output of the TEDOM buses. And we use them twice<br />
more often than other vehicles. This means that they<br />
make about eight thousand km per month and they<br />
can do so without difficulty.<br />
At various discussion forums people often discuss<br />
what the TEDOM buses are actually like. You are<br />
the company which has most experience with their<br />
operation. What characteristics of the TEDOM bus<br />
do you appreciate best?<br />
We surely appreciate their technical standard. It<br />
is excellent that the buses are equipped with an<br />
engine which is based, in terms of design, on the<br />
well-proven concept of Liaz. The frame of the bus is<br />
very modern, the combination of stainless steel and<br />
aluminium minimises the possibility of corrosion.<br />
TEDOM furthermore provides in the basic version<br />
what many other manufacturers provide as abovestandard<br />
configurations only. E.g. the vehicle height<br />
control system, known as ECAS. An advantage is<br />
also formed by an eight-year warranty period for the<br />
engine, or alternatively the mileage of 400,000 km.<br />
This is also four times more than the values offered<br />
by competitors. Of course, we like the low floor of the<br />
bus and the entry platform, i.e. the aspects which will<br />
be appreciated by passengers.<br />
Could you sum up at the end, whether you consider<br />
the purchase of other TEDOM vehicles after the<br />
existing experience?<br />
Our company will organise a tender for procurement<br />
of low-floor CNG buses very soon and we expect the<br />
TEDOM company to take part in this tender.<br />
7.
8.<br />
Truck<br />
The truck production<br />
revival project is starting<br />
The TEDOM Truck company became last year the successor and<br />
continuator of the traditional production of trucks after the Jablonecbased<br />
Liaz automotive company which was wound up, but for the<br />
time of its existence produced almost 350,000 vehicles.<br />
The TEDOM Holding<br />
company, which has<br />
managed to save, during<br />
the last three years,<br />
the production of the<br />
traditional Liaz engines<br />
and to follow up to it<br />
by means of its own<br />
development of engines<br />
and construction of buses,<br />
initiates a similar project<br />
of revival also<br />
for production of trucks<br />
after the Liaz company<br />
wound up.<br />
Since last year there has been a separate<br />
subsidiary known as “TEDOM Truck, s.r.o.” with a<br />
registered office in Jablonec nad Nisou, which<br />
purchased all the rights for production of<br />
trucks of the 300 and 400 series, including the<br />
documentation, technologies and production<br />
equipment. The last truck under the Liaz brand<br />
was manufactured in September 2003. “We are<br />
the only lawful successor of the production of<br />
vehicles designed on the basis of the design<br />
documentation from Liaz. The core programme<br />
is production and development of Czech trucks,”<br />
said Martin Macík, Executive Head of TEDOM<br />
Truck.<br />
The firm which maintains its background<br />
facility in Jablonec nad Nisou, is currently a<br />
manufacturer of trucks known as TEDOM. Its<br />
product range is currently formed, including<br />
superstructure variants, altogether by 22 trucks.<br />
The design of the TEDOM trucks is based on<br />
the last project of the development centre of<br />
the Liaz automotive company, which however<br />
was unable to implement it before it has been<br />
wound up. Now TEDOM Truck wants, according<br />
to M. Macík, to continue in the tradition of the<br />
high reputation of production of Czech trucks<br />
and to supply to the market a reliable comfort<br />
truck designated for a wide range of use in<br />
municipal operations.<br />
“The trucks manufactured by our company<br />
TEDOM-G TEDOM-D<br />
which we have been newly producing since<br />
last year bear the TEDOM-D and TEDOM-G<br />
identifications and it is typical of them that<br />
they combine a long lifetime of the completely<br />
galvanised chassis frames with the possibility of<br />
an easy installation of almost any superstructure,<br />
comfortable cabin with a long lifetime of the<br />
aluminium-composite design and a possibility<br />
of incorporation of virtually any driving unit from<br />
world manufacturers of engines,“ explained the<br />
Engines Division Director, Mr. Vlastimil Vildman.<br />
The fact that the actual design of the chassis<br />
platform is adapted for an easy installation and<br />
use of any superstructure, such as a firm or tilting<br />
body, self-collection system, spreading and<br />
sub-base system body, tank vehicle, municipal<br />
waste superstructure and others, should form,<br />
according to the TEDOM Truck management,<br />
a basis for the possibility of sale of the TEDOM<br />
vehicles on the domestic market. An essential<br />
role should be played also by the fact that the<br />
production programme includes also trucks<br />
using an alternative fuel – natural gas. In the<br />
future it is expected that the TEDOM holding<br />
could provide a comprehensive solution for<br />
the situation of communities and towns in the<br />
transition of the city public transit system and<br />
municipal services to natural gas, as Vlastimil<br />
Vildman, a partner in the TEDOM Holding<br />
company says.<br />
Pressure cylinders for compressed natural gas on the TEDOM vehicle.
Outlook into the future<br />
The development of gas engines for TEDOM buses continues.<br />
TEDOM focuses especially<br />
on the development<br />
and production of gas<br />
engines which it uses<br />
for its own cogeneration<br />
units and for municipal<br />
and prepared intercity<br />
buses. We asked Jiří Piller,<br />
Designer of the TEDOM<br />
engines, to describe<br />
the latest news on the<br />
development workplaces<br />
and in the engine testing<br />
room.<br />
In the design for the automotive industry the<br />
company offered in the past a version of the<br />
CNG engine with a simple method of control<br />
and mixing. On the basis of the continually<br />
increasing requirements relating to the decrease<br />
in emission limits, a decision was made about<br />
the development of the new design of the<br />
CNG engine with a full engine management<br />
system, because only an engine controlled<br />
this way is capable of mastering not only the<br />
requirements on emission limit reduction, but<br />
also the requirements concerning the engine<br />
control within the entire operating range. The<br />
development of this engine (marked as TG 210<br />
AH TA 04) started in autumn 2003. And already<br />
at the beginning of June 2004, the engine<br />
was successfully certified from the viewpoint<br />
of emissions according to the limits “EURO 4”.<br />
At the same time the first bus into which this<br />
engine was incorporated was completed. After<br />
driving tests and approval, the bus was put into<br />
operation at the beginning of 2005.<br />
In the years 2005 and 2006, the main part of<br />
the development of the engine in the vehicle<br />
was taking place, which meant especially the<br />
knowing of an operation reliability from the<br />
viewpoint of the components used, both for<br />
the gas installation of the engine and the parts<br />
of the engine management.<br />
The result of the development in this period is<br />
given by certain structural changes in favour of<br />
Bus<br />
the company and functionality. The area of the<br />
control of the engine management underwent<br />
some modification especially in the form of a<br />
change in software and communication with<br />
control elements of the vehicle. Together with<br />
the development in the vehicle there continued<br />
various work in the engine testing room, in<br />
particular the verification of the change in the<br />
components designed, as well as preparatory<br />
work on the new version of the engine.<br />
At the beginning of 2007, there were<br />
commenced the tests of the version of the<br />
engine for the compliance with the future<br />
limits EURO 5 and EEV. Successful fulfilment of<br />
these requirements represents certain design<br />
changes and changes in the method of engine<br />
control. This version of the engine presupposes<br />
two capacity levels, 210 and 245 kW. The tests<br />
focused on verification of the changes in the<br />
components designed continues.<br />
The core point of the work consisting in the tests<br />
of the engine in the vehicle was transferred into<br />
the tests whose aim is to reduce the operation<br />
consumption of fuel. These tests will serve as<br />
a basis for the treatments and settings of the<br />
driving regimes of the vehicle, both in the<br />
control unit of the gearbox and in the control<br />
unit of the engine. The reliability and function<br />
tests will continue.<br />
9.
10.<br />
Interview<br />
We are using the 15 years<br />
of our experience with<br />
stationary engines . . .<br />
. . . says Drahomír Jeleček, Technical Director.<br />
The TEDOM brand is a<br />
newcomer on the Czech<br />
market of road vehicle.<br />
Mr. Drahomír Jeleček,<br />
Production and Technical<br />
Director, however stresses<br />
in his interview that<br />
the word “new” does<br />
not mean the same as<br />
“inexperienced”.<br />
It is clear that the TEDOM buses did not<br />
arise somewhere in a home workshop and<br />
overnight. But still they featured a relatively<br />
fast start into operation. Could you explain<br />
this situation, please?<br />
TEDOM is a new entrant among the bus<br />
manufacturers, it is true, but it has long years<br />
of experience with gas engines because it<br />
uses them for its cogeneration units. We have<br />
produced more than 1500 applications of<br />
these technologies since 1991, and we are<br />
selling them to more than 30 countries of all<br />
the world. We were using the Liaz engines,<br />
whose production we purchased in the<br />
spring 2003, for long years for the drive of<br />
cogeneration units and we co-participated in<br />
their development as well. From the purchase<br />
of the engine production plant, there was<br />
only a small step to the finishing of the<br />
development of the electronically controlled<br />
gas engine and for the purchase of the Italian<br />
licence for bus production. Buses for the<br />
Italian client (for the Mauri company) were<br />
manufactured in the Czech Republic already<br />
in previous years. TEDOM performed design<br />
modifications on them, necessary for the inbuilding<br />
of a new engine and for operation in<br />
the Czech Republic. In the case of our buses<br />
thus the matter concerns a vehicle which is<br />
well-proven in the operation and is equipped<br />
with well-proven Czech engines which are<br />
based on the last type of LIAZ M1.2C.<br />
How does the structure of the vehicle look<br />
now, after three years of perfection? How<br />
is it like from your, i.e. technician’s point of<br />
view?<br />
The structure of the bus is formed by thin-wall<br />
stainless steel profiles, the shell is formed by<br />
aluminium sheet, the roof (including the front<br />
and rear faces) is made of fibreglass. We have<br />
selected these materials intentionally in order<br />
to guarantee a long lifetime of the buses for<br />
the carriers, and thereby also savings with<br />
regard to possible repairs. The bus in a gas<br />
version is powered with a new, modern, gas,<br />
electronically controlled engine “TEDOM”<br />
with the exact dispensing of natural gas to<br />
individual suction valves. In the diesel oil<br />
version we offer well-proven engines usual<br />
for such buses as Iveco Cursor or Renault and<br />
complying with the Euro 4 emission limits.<br />
We are also able to offer a limited quantity of<br />
vehicles with a TEDOM diesel engine with the<br />
Euro 3 emission limits.<br />
The in-line vertical water-cooled six-cylinder<br />
engine with a capacity of 12 litres is installed in<br />
the left rear part. The engine is supercharged<br />
by a turbocharger and its power output<br />
is 210 kW. The gearbox is fully automatic,<br />
with a torque changer and with an in-built<br />
retarding system. Three or four pressure<br />
composite tanks with an aluminium core<br />
and with a total volume of 960 to 1280 litres<br />
are installed on the roof of the bus, under an<br />
aerodynamic cover, and they provide a bus<br />
operating range of 450 to 650 km. Fuel is<br />
replenished through an easy accessible filling<br />
flare.<br />
And what about the comfort of travellers,<br />
what can be perceived also by a nonprofessional<br />
passenger?<br />
Passengers are sure to appreciate the large lowfloor<br />
area without any steps and stairs, as well<br />
as the wide glazed door. We have furthermore<br />
equipped the vehicle with a special platform<br />
for the entry of people with impaired mobility<br />
and mothers with baby carriages. The floor is<br />
coated with an anti-skidding PVC cover which<br />
increases the safety when people are moving<br />
inside the vehicle. For the purpose of holding,<br />
the bus is equipped with classical grab handles<br />
and suspension attachments. For summer<br />
operation it is also important to have a<br />
ventilation regulation system. The upper parts<br />
of windows can therefore be opened easily,<br />
the roof window is controlled electrically,<br />
from the driver’s workplace. What is less easy<br />
to see but what also increases the comfort of<br />
passengers is the ECAS electronic system. It<br />
controls the height of the vehicle and allows<br />
its tilting for an easier entry and exit. A diligent<br />
observer is sure to have noticed it. I suppose<br />
that also the attractive design of our buses<br />
will be perceived positively already at first<br />
sight. It is based on the Italian modification<br />
of the original design of NEOPLAN, and<br />
our cooperation with the Italian designers<br />
continues also for the development of other<br />
types of buses.
A bus on trial?<br />
Why not!<br />
TEDOM has been cooperating during<br />
production and upgrading of buses with<br />
large as well as small operators already for<br />
the third year. This year, like in previous years,<br />
it will again offer various services exceeding<br />
the usual standard in a form of free lending<br />
of vehicles. This is followed up by a possibility<br />
that the customer purchases a trial vehicle<br />
and by doing so it will obtain a significant<br />
discount. The delivery terms for the handover<br />
of buses are currently four months only, and<br />
the manufacturer wants to keep this fast rate.<br />
An essential factor is also that TEDOM does<br />
not “abandon” its buses after they have left the<br />
gates of the plant, but is able to offer various<br />
levels of assistance services at guaranteed<br />
prices for 1 kilometre or operating hour. The<br />
assistance services may include the entire<br />
range of possibilities – from the training of<br />
assistance staff of the operator and delivery<br />
of spare parts within 24 hours up to the fullrange<br />
servicing, including e.g. the delivery of<br />
tyres, fuels and lubricants.<br />
We offer<br />
In the case of your interest in this service please call +420 568 837 232 or write to obchod@bus.tedom.cz<br />
The care for customers<br />
does not end with the<br />
handing over of the bus<br />
From this year on, the operators of the TEDOM<br />
buses have a possibility of using extended<br />
assistance services of the manufacturer. Apart<br />
from the dispatching centre, which deals<br />
with the registration of all requirements of<br />
our clients on a standard basis, deals with<br />
complaints and assistance servicing, the bus<br />
operators can use also two service centres of<br />
TEDOM in Třebíč and in Jablonec nad Nisou.<br />
“These specialised centres of our company are<br />
followed up by contractual service stations.<br />
Through them we ensure the coverage within<br />
the framework of the entire Czech Republic“,<br />
says Jozef Tuza, Operation Director of TEDOM<br />
and states that after-sale servicing is a matterof-course<br />
as far as the care for customers is<br />
concerned.<br />
The structure of the service department<br />
includes, apart from the dispatching centre,<br />
servicing specialists and contractual service<br />
stations, also the technical sections. This<br />
section deals, according to J. Tuza, with<br />
training, technical documentation, advisory<br />
services, technical support and possibly also<br />
distribution of spare parts. “The key task of the<br />
section is also the evaluation of defects and<br />
comments from operation and their feedback<br />
to the design and production departments. In<br />
other words, also our designers and production<br />
staff members know everything what happens<br />
with our buses,“ stressed J. Tuza.<br />
What is modified, changed or innovated on<br />
the TEDOM buses from the design point of<br />
view is subsequently in turn announced by the<br />
firm towards external parties, to the network<br />
of service stations and servicing centres,<br />
operators. The staff members of TEDOM’s own<br />
service centres furthermore make trips to<br />
service centres in order to perform there their<br />
service interventions to which the contractual<br />
service centre may not be authorised or<br />
equipped.<br />
“In general, however, it is true that for repairs<br />
and maintenance of the TEDOM buses it is<br />
sufficient to have tools, aids and diagnostic<br />
equipment which are used for the equipment<br />
of ordinary service stations for repairs of trucks<br />
and buses. No special equipment is required, “<br />
assured the Marketing Manager. TEDOM will<br />
maintain this advantage for its buses on a<br />
long-term basis.<br />
11.
LONG<br />
LIFETIME<br />
BODY<br />
The TEDOM buses have<br />
undergone a number of tests<br />
and trials in the demanding climatic<br />
conditions of the Jizerské Mountains<br />
and succeeded in both winter<br />
months and in the hot summer<br />
HIGH CAPACITY<br />
OF PASSENGER<br />
TRANSPORT<br />
BRAND<br />
DIESEL ENGINES<br />
in the centre of the towns.<br />
ECONOMICAL<br />
ENGINES RUN ON<br />
NATURAL GAS<br />
The heart of the buses is formed<br />
by the newly developed TEDOM engine<br />
combusting compressed natural gas.<br />
TEDOM s.r.o.<br />
Výčapy 195, 674 01 Třebíč<br />
Czech Republic<br />
QUIET<br />
OPERATION<br />
COST-EFFICIENT<br />
OPERATION<br />
BARRIER-FREE<br />
ACCESS<br />
tel.: +420 568 837 211<br />
fax.: +420 568 837 215<br />
ENVIRONMENT-FRIENDLY OPERATION<br />
The TEDOM buses form a new type<br />
of environment-friendly city low-oor buses,<br />
complying with all the demands imposed<br />
on modern means of transport.<br />
QUALITY<br />
BRANDS<br />
ASSISTANCE<br />
SERVICE 24 HOURS<br />
8-YEAR WARRANTY<br />
PERIOD<br />
FOR GAS ENGINE<br />
INFORMATION<br />
SERVICES<br />
A rm structure made of stainless-steel,<br />
aluminium and plastic materials ensures<br />
a long lifetime and cost-eciency<br />
connected with the operation.<br />
Annual savings achieved by the TEDOM<br />
bus oscillate in a magnitude of hundreds<br />
of thousands of Czech crowns.<br />
email: tedom@tedom.cz<br />
www.tedom.cz