Speaking to Rajesh Rajgor of Motorindia, Uwe Bittroff, CEO, Managing Director, HÜBNER Group, expressed his joy at reconnecting with clients, stating, “First, we are very happy to be at the Busworld after four years to meet our clients again.” The company’s focus is shifting towards components for electric buses, especially hydropneumatic systems, aiming to replace less efficient air suspension systems, with two generations already available and another in development. Uwe, emphasized, “We see that more and more electric buses are coming on the road, and we would like to focus more on other components beside articulation systems and bellows, which is our core business.”
Safety is a key concern, with a focus on meeting the ISO standard 26262 and addressing cybersecurity in electronic systems. While articulated buses remain the core business, HÜBNER is expanding its focus to include 12-meter buses, lifts, ramps, and ceiling systems. The emphasis on hydropneumatic systems aligns with lightweight design principles, offering energy and weight savings for new vehicles.
Highlighting the potential of hydropneumatic systems for electric buses, Uwe explained, “Hydropneumatic systems have a good future in electric buses because we can get rid of the air suspension in the future, which will save us energy because they are much more efficient than the air suspension systems.” Regarding safety concerns, he stated, “Another point where we focus on is now on safety. We see the demand for safety is growing immediately, especially on the development of electronic systems.”
While discussing the company’s market focus, Uwe mentioned, “Articulated buses are still our core business, and we are also in 12-meter buses with our products like our lifts and ramps and with our ceiling systems.” Addressing the importance of a local presence, he shared, “So usually our focus is that our supply chain is close to our production side, and this is the same in India. As more as we produce there, as more supplies should be near our production site.”
In the Indian market, HÜBNER has been present for a decade, initially focusing on railways but now seeing potential in the bus market, particularly with articulated buses and suspension systems for trucks. Bittroff highlights the importance of a close supply chain to production sites, necessitating the placement of engineers in India for adaptation and development.
Regarding the rapid adoption of electric buses in India, Bittroff notes a shift from basic to sophisticated products and believes that HÜBNER’s technologically advanced offerings can support this transition. The company’s strategy of early entry into emerging markets, seen previously in North America and China, has proven valuable. Uwe highlighted the significance of early market entry, stating, “The idea is that we have a close relation to our markets, which means we stay in a market which we would like to support. This was also the reason why we decided a couple of years ago to go to India even if it was not growing at this time for us.”
Looking ahead, HÜBNER is concentrating on lightweight projects to enhance energy efficiency for electric buses. Additionally, they are placing increased emphasis on the fire retardance of materials used in Bellows, anticipating a growing importance of this feature in various markets. Bittroff concludes by expressing gratitude and optimism for the company’s plans. Discussing future plans, he noted, “We also focus at the moment on lightweight projects. We see that weight is becoming more and more important, especially if you see the electric buses coming up.”