VOLARE STRENGTHENS LEADERSHIP WITH NEW TECHNOLOGIES AND MODELS

Brand presents innovations, such as the first micro electric/hybrid bus and the unprecedented Fly 12

Attack line grows with Attack 10 and competitive version of Attack 8 Robust

Volare, a leading national brand in the production of mini buses, participates in Lat.Bus 2024 and presents innovations in its line of vehicles. There are four new products, such as the Fly 12, aimed at the charter and school segments, Attack 8 Robust, in a competitive version, and Attack 10, which will start to be marketed in the fourth quarter of this year, and Attack 9 hybrid ethanol, with production starting in 2026.

"In our 26-year history, one of our trademarks has always been to think ahead. This demonstrates our strategy of focusing on innovation, sustainability, decarbonization and efficient mobility", Ricardo Portolan emphasizes, Volare's Director of Commercial Operations, Domestic Market and Marketing. According to the executive, the aim is to consolidate the position of leadership and vanguard with unprecedented products that will provide significant benefits to customers, passengers and society in general.

For Lat.Bus 2024, Volare focused its investments on disruptive and unprecedented solutions in the Brazilian market. This is how the hybrid and 100% electric models were born, the new Fly 12 - the largest capacity mini bus on the market - and the economical and competitive Attack 8 Robust and Attack 10, models developed to serve segments with an important share of the Brazilian market, such as agribusiness and student and business charter transportation.

"These markets have a growing demand for vehicles that are even more robust, economical and, at the same time, have greater transport capacity. So we developed an Attack 8 Robust, small and agile but with the robustness of a real Volare with capacity for 17 passengers, an Attack 10 that can carry up to 39 people, including driver and assistant, and a Fly 12 that can be configured in the Charter version, with a capacity for 47 people, and in the School version, for up to 64 seats, something unprecedented for a mini bus”, he says.

Attack 9 Hybrid, the first ethanol electric mini bus

One of Volare's biggest innovations at Lat.Bus 2024 is the presentation of the first hybrid mini bus produced in Brazil with national technology, the Attack 9 Hybrid - Electric/Ethanol. The model is a viable solution for the decarbonization of transport and sales are expected starting in 2026, with an electric powertrain using Range Extender technology. This allows the batteries to be recharged using a generator set with a 1.0 three-cylinder flexfuel turbo engine running on ethanol. The design is the result of Volare's partnership with HORSE, a division of HORSE Powertrain Limited, a world leader in hybrid solutions and low-emission combustion engines, and with WEG, a Brazilian multinational manufacturer of electronic equipment, which operates in the capital goods sector with a focus on motors, reducers and electric drives, generators and energy transformers, products and systems for electrification, automation and digitalization.

The model has a high degree of nationalization and combines the advantages and benefits of a conventional micro bus powered by diesel and a 100% electric vehicle powered by batteries. The powertrain of the Attack 9 Hybrid - Electric/Ethanol offers the benefits of an electric vehicle, without the need for recharging and recharger infrastructure. The wheel drive is generated by an electric motor, with the advantage that the batteries are powered by an on-board generator powered by an ethanol engine, which runs only about 1/3 of the operating time and in the optimal range of rotation with maximum efficiency.

The technology implemented in the vehicle offers lower levels of NVH (noise, vibration and harshness) and reduced maintenance, including the brake set, as it uses a regenerative system, which also recharges the batteries when braking. The model also stands out for its autonomy, which can reach 450km, and the reduced volume occupied by only three packs of batteries, which store 122kWh, providing greater capacity for transporting people.

The energy that powers the electric motor is generated by an ethanol engine, that is why the Attack 9 can be used in any region of the country, contributing to the ecosystem, as it is neutral in the CO2 cycle and allows carbon credits to be obtained.

Fly 12, a 45-passenger model

Volare Fly 12 creates a new category of vehicles and is considered a true “super micro” bus. With a total length of 11,730mm, width of 2,480mm and height of 3,330mm, the model has the capacity to carry up to 45 passengers, in addition to the driver and assistant driver, with efficiency and driveability, with reduced acquisition and operational costs. In the school bus configuration, it can transport 64 students, as well as a driver and assistant driver.

Thanks to its 22-inch wheelset, front and rear axles with greater capacity and 213 hp engine, the Fly 12 provides the agility and fluidity of a micro bus, with the robustness of a conventional model.

“Fly 12 imposes presence, respect and stands out among the mini buses. Its robustness and vocation for heavy work are latent”, says Portolan. According to the executive, it can be used for heavy urban transport and even business chartering, with greater space, comfort and safety.

The model is also equipped with Executive seats, USB sockets, auxiliary seat and pneumatic seat for the driver. The vehicle has a 150-liter fuel tank, side windows with tinted glass, a 100,000 BTU air-conditioning system, a defroster with cooling, a DTA accessibility system, an AM/FM radio, a luggage compartment, a full partition wall with a hinged door, a pantograph service door, an overhead luggage rack and an open spare tire in front of the rear wheel on the right-hand side.

Attack 8 Robust – Competitive version

By designing the Attack 8 Robust in a competitive configuration, Volare is breaking yet another market paradigm by offering a small, versatile model that represents lower acquisition and operating costs and delivers robustness, agility and reliability. With only 6,535 mm in total length and a capacity for 17 passengers, it is suitable for transport in severe applications, such as the different industrial and rural areas of northern and northeastern Brazil, and the agricultural regions of the Southeast and Midwest.

The competitive version of the Attack 8 Robust has smaller external dimensions (6,535mm long, 2,230mm wide and 3,150mm high), with Executive seats, auxiliary seat and hydraulic seat for the driver. It has an 80-liter fuel tank, side windows with movable glass, a 65,000 BTU CC165WCT air conditioning system, a defroster with cooling, a DTA accessibility system, a pantograph service door and a rear tipping spare tire.

Attack 10 - School and Charter

The school transport segment has grown strongly in recent years and, therefore, demand for specific models for different applications. To meet the higher capacity demands, with lower acquisition and operating costs, Volare developed Attack 10 Escolar. The model is suitable for charter and school and university transport, with a capacity for 37 people and up to 54 people in the school version (in addition to the driver and assistant driver).

"With the Attack 10, we tried to optimize the investment and the operator's savings by developing a vehicle with lower maintenance and component replacement costs, such as 17.5-inch tires instead of 19-inch tires, an extruded aluminum floor, a conventional air-conditioning system (not ducted) and Executive seats. The focus is on bids, where municipalities need more capacity, with a competitive price and easy maintenance”, Portolan emphasizes.

The Attack 10 is 10,140mm long, 2,360mm wide and 3,150mm high, with capacity for 37 passengers (seated in Executive seats), with USB sockets, as well as an Auxiliary seat and a hydraulic driver's seat. The vehicle has a 150-liter fuel tank, movable side windows with tinted glass, a 85,000 BTU air-conditioning system, a defroster with cooling, a DTA accessibility system, an AM/FM radio, a luggage compartment, a full partition wall with a hinged door, a pantograph service door and an open spare tire on the right-hand side.

About Volare

With 26 years on the market, Volare is a business unit of Marcopolo S.A. whose purpose is to produce mini buses for the school, charter, tourism, rural and urban segments. The vehicles range from 6 to 12 tons and are produced according to each customer's needs. There are more than 40 service centers in Brazil and 20 abroad, with specialized technical assistance. A pioneer in the manufacture of light commercial vehicles, the company has manufacturing units in Caxias do Sul/RS and São Mateus/ES.

Image credit: Disclosure Volare