The M-B CapaCity. Any initial impressions ?
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Recently i note of this new M-B 4-axle articulated city bus (appears to be Citaro based) with 2-axle steering with 193 passengers to 1 driver ratio. In some ways this reminds me of the Neoplan N138 coach but in single storey instead of double-decker form but with the obvious innovation of possibly 4-wheel (opposite directionnal ?) steering on a bus ?!
Anyone tried out this CapaCity anywhere yet ?? -
Was it similar to the MB O350G Citaros?Originally posted by hseochin:Recently i note of this new M-B 4-axle articulated city bus (appears to be Citaro based) with 2-axle steering with 193 passengers to 1 driver ratio. In some ways this reminds me of the Neoplan N138 coach but in single storey instead of double-decker form but with the obvious innovation of possibly 4-wheel (opposite directionnal ?) steering on a bus ?!
Anyone tried out this CapaCity anywhere yet ?? -
wt
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O350G Citaros ??
Don't think there's ever such a model ??
I understand that the 3-axle Leyland Olympians (& likely too the Volvo Olympians which followed later) had some form of 2-axle steering but the tilt of the rear wheels were only 5 deg & operational only with road speeds < 17 km/h i.e. only in the bus-park & not usable @ normal driving speeds on the roads ?
But this new M-B CapaCity it seems has it's 2-axle steering operational @ normal speeds ? From the design it appears so & should be interesting to observe how it behaves on the roads ! The body length is in excess of 19 m but i expect the turning circle to be quite small in view of 1) the articulation & 2) the front & rear axle steering !Originally posted by Apex-LW'21:Was it similar to the MB O350G Citaros? -
I believe it currently exists in Germany, maybe elsewhere too.Originally posted by SBS9828X:wt
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Hmm... I am referring to the Articulated 18m Citaros.Originally posted by hseochin:O350G Citaros ??
Don't think there's ever such a model ?? -
i believe the tachnology breakthrough was first seen in the neoplan ??? and for cars, pioneered by BMW in the 7 series.Originally posted by hseochin:O350G Citaros ??
Don't think there's ever such a model ??
I understand that the 3-axle Leyland Olympians (& likely too the Volvo Olympians which followed later) had some form of 2-axle steering but the tilt of the rear wheels were only 5 deg & operational only with road speeds < 17 km/h i.e. only in the bus-park & not usable @ normal driving speeds on the roads ?
But this new M-B CapaCity it seems has it's 2-axle steering operational @ normal speeds ? From the design it appears so & should be interesting to observe how it behaves on the roads ! The body length is in excess of 19 m but i expect the turning circle to be quite small in view of 1) the articulation & 2) the front & rear axle steering !
maybe this is wat ur talking abt. if yes, den i see no po0int in an artic bus -
I don't recall Neoplan having such breakthroughs but their N138 was the 1st 4-axle articulated double-decker coach 20+ years ago ?
I'll say the point in an articulated bus is the increased passenger to driver ratios & with improving technologies (like 2-axle steering) making handling more managable & small turning circles etc., it can also lead to some reduction in the population of rigid buses so nett road space consumption hence traffic congestion need not increase while the same time same or larger number of people get transported with fewer drivers.Originally posted by SBS9828X:i believe the tachnology breakthrough was first seen in the neoplan ??? and for cars, pioneered by BMW in the 7 series.
maybe this is wat ur talking abt. if yes, den i see no po0int in an artic bus -
no no... its a coach, but din remember wether its SD or DD
when steering is turn to right, the axle becomes this
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orh i know how the two axle work liao
when steering turn right,
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i know got some DD in somewhere up north of us.. 4-axle den the tyres turn right like this.
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Neoplan also has a non-artic 4 axle bus as well!Originally posted by hseochin:I don't recall Neoplan having such breakthroughs but their N138 was the 1st 4-axle articulated double-decker coach 20+ years ago ?
I think it's called Megashuttle. -
Sadly, the year when we get these buses in Singapore will be the year 2046, when A$$MRT is long swallowed up by SBS Transit...Originally posted by SBS9828X:
Seriously, though, I think A$$MRT is more interested in uselessly beautiful and expensive designer buses (Habits, anyone?), rather than these really useful and beautiful buses.
My first impression when I saw this bus was a bus designed for the city of the future. The styling of this bus is unique, with it's covered wheel designed and chrome hubcaps, and the design of the bus's roof makes it feel... well, I won't go and say a spaceship, but the styling definitely makes it a breakaway from the past. The generous use of black makes the windows look much wider than it is, and the entire design makes it look more like a limousine than a bus.
Of course, bus companies can go and order a change in design, but this being the only four-axle bendy bus I have seen so far (except coaches), I don't think bus companies would stray too far from this design. -
Actually, i don't think the Pininfarina Habit styled Hispano was much more expensive than the normal Hispano version. This Pininfarina also did styling on relatively cheap cars like the sub-compact Hyundai Matrix among others & these didn't cost that much more than the 'regular' models from the same vehicle makers.
I'll say the expensive part is more with the physical, structural, functional, technological rather than the aesthetical aspects. In that sense, the Habit used a more advanced version of the O 405 G versus the earlier regular Hispano
so i'll attribute any cost increases as mainly due to the bus chassis part instead of the bodywork.
In the case of the M-B CapaCity, based on what i have 'sensed' so far, this model should be even more sophisicated in both aesthetics & the other aspects mentioned above, so should be even more expensive overall. I don't think the CapaCity would have a chassis (in the normal sense of expectation in view of the very low expected floor height) as i'll expect it to be built on a monocoque platform concept, with it's many more load bearing structures (hence complexity) than a more straight forward 'normal' type of higher height bus-chassis design.
As for copying the mere looks of this new styling, as long as M-B does not bother to put any copyright on their original bodywork designs, i won't be surprised quite soon there be quite some 'agar-agar & rojak'' lookalikes emerging on the local scene using 'normal' 2-axle bus-chassi ! The 'looks' part almost always seems cheap to copy but the technological part especially would tend to be too expensive & even beyond their capabilties to copy !!Originally posted by eX.A.K.R.:Sadly, the year when we get these buses in Singapore will be the year 2046, when A$$MRT is long swallowed up by SBS Transit...
Seriously, though, I think A$$MRT is more interested in uselessly beautiful and expensive designer buses (Habits, anyone?), rather than these really useful and beautiful buses.
My first impression when I saw this bus was a bus designed for the city of the future. The styling of this bus is unique, with it's covered wheel designed and chrome hubcaps, and the design of the bus's roof makes it feel... well, I won't go and say a spaceship, but the styling definitely makes it a breakaway from the past. The generous use of black makes the windows look much wider than it is, and the entire design makes it look more like a limousine than a bus.
Of course, bus companies can go and order a change in design, but this being the only four-axle bendy bus I have seen so far (except coaches), I don't think bus companies would stray too far from this design. -
yeah i think thats the coach with 3 turning axle i posted earlierOriginally posted by stooper:Neoplan also has a non-artic 4 axle bus as well! I think it's called Megashuttle. -
Looks longer than those here..
some more with 4 doors.. the last back door is meant for free entry? actually, doors wise, 3 doors currently, is sufficient, but yes.. it looks very nice! -
w/o a doubt, it is longer. i think our bendies are only up to the 4th axle if we look at the CapaCity. with 2 doors at the trailer, i think it would encourage more to move to the trailer when the bus is crowded. have you guys seen the seating arrangement? it's very nice.
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a metre and a half longer... can make into 3 doors also i think...
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i wonder which is the drive wheel
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Seems besides the Chinese, the Germans too know about auspicious registration plates like 'MAXI 878' i'll say they're trying to say to the bus operator, driver & passengers that if you want to 'fatt' then you take this bus !
Originally posted by SBS9828X:
no specs yet[/b] -
My speculations would be it depends on what type of engine is used.
If it's a diesel (most likely for now) then the 3rd axle maybe 4th axle as well.
I'm somewhat suspicious on the roof design i.e. why not flat roof is i think they also plan for fuel-cell engine so some parts put inside those protrusions on the roof ? in which case (for better traction on both carriages) they might make the 2nd & 3rd axles driven i.e. the fuel-cell electric motors 1 each on each axle.Originally posted by SBS9828X:i wonder which is the drive wheel -
most likely its the air-con so that it can achieve a total flat floor... remember it has an exit righttt at the back...Originally posted by hseochin:My speculations would be it depends on what type of engine is used.
If it's a diesel (most likely for now) then the 3rd axle maybe 4th axle as well.
I'm somewhat suspicious on the roof design i.e. why not flat roof is i think they also plan for fuel-cell engine so some parts put inside those protrusions on the roof ? in which case (for better traction on both carriages) they might make the 2nd & 3rd axles driven i.e. the fuel-cell electric motors 1 each on each axle.
maybe If sg is to use it, wed have a higher rear floor. -
the last door(4th door) of capa city has steps...2 steps...while the rest are zero-steps..Originally posted by SBS9828X:most likely its the air-con so that it can achieve a total flat floor... remember it has an exit righttt at the back...
maybe If sg is to use it, wed have a higher rear floor. -
In cold countries hardly they need air-con, unlike here.
If here then the protrusions on the roof for air-con if it's diesel driven i'll say.
But if fuel-cell driven then probably the roof would be a (higher height) flat roof again to accomodate both air-con & fuel-cell tanks etc.
If they manage to place all those 'extras' on the roof, then likely the low floor height would remain unchanged.Originally posted by SBS9828X:most likely its the air-con so that it can achieve a total flat floor... remember it has an exit righttt at the back...
maybe If sg is to use it, wed have a higher rear floor.
