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CHALLENGER BUS & COACH
CHALLENGE ACCEPTED Building from the point of view of a driver and business owner, Challenger Bus and Coach is now offering a new range of high-quality vehicles designed specifically for Australia’s demanding conditions.
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uilt from the point of view of a driver and business owner, Challenger Bus and Coach offers a new range of high-quality vehicles designed specifically for Australia’s demanding conditions. Challenger Bus and Coach evolved three years ago from a concept derived by a frustrated North Queensland bus operator. Inferior quality parts led to vehicles aging poorly, and the after-sales support received did not live up to expectations. Put simply; these buses were not holding up to Australia’s harsh conditions. Greg Sloan is a second-generation bus operator, has driven buses all over Australia, owned several regional bus operations in different states and has spent a lifetime working on all types of bus models.
With his wealth of expertise, the opportunity arose to be involved in the creation of a bus specifically designed and built for Australian conditions. Hence, the Challenger Bus concept was born, with vehicle design, build and specifications having Sloan’s input, supported by skilled engineers. The first three buses built were Challenger V12s, manufactured by a bus manufacturing facility in Pinxzhang, China, and jointly branded iWarrior. Challenger further evolved,
[The vehicles] must be reliable, cost effective, long lasting and easy to maintain.
Above: To date, Challenger has 20 vehicles built from a mix of the V12 and V10 models. Left: Both the V10 and V12 models can be modified to suit seating arrangements. 54
moving its manufacturing base to a modern, privately owned plant in Zhuhai, China. The new plant, owned by Guangdong vehicle manufacturer ‘GT’, further improved production of the Challenger V12, before beginning manufacture of the Challenger V10. To date, Challenger has built a mix of V12 and V10 models, with a total of 20 vehicles completed. “Challenger Bus and Coach is a standalone Australian-owned company designing and building buses and coaches to meet the challenging conditions Australia throws at bus and coach operations,” said Sloan. “[The vehicles] must be reliable, cost-effective, long-lasting, and easy
ABC December 2020 busnews.com.au
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