VW subsidiary MAN snatches lucrative large order from Swiss company
Postbus buys new buses in Germany
Postauto placed an order with the Hess company for 3.4 million Swiss francs. Because they cannot deliver on time, the VW subsidiary MAN is now coming into play. Postbus even saves money.
Published: 11:54 am
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Updated: 3:22 p.m
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Postbus has awarded an order worth over 3.4 million Swiss francs to Germany.
For many, postbuses are the epitome of home. Every child recognizes them. Older people reminisce when they go on a trip to the mountains. Not to mention the tens of thousands who take the PostBus to work or school every day.
Postbus has ordered ten electric buses from the Swiss manufacturer Hess AG from Bellach SO for CHF 3.4 million. They should be used primarily in Graubünden, as the “Luzerner Zeitung” reports. A prestige job for Hess. But at the end of 2022, Postauto withdrew the order from the bus manufacturer.
Delivery problems with batteries
Instead, the German VW subsidiary MAN from Munich is now coming into play. “Hess is not able to deliver the required buses on time,” Postauto told the “Luzerner Zeitung”. Hess could not guarantee the delivery time of a little less than a year. Among other things, also because of the long delivery times for the batteries.
This is due to the additional effort involved in developing this solution and the long delivery times for purchased parts such as batteries. The bottom line is that Postbus is even doing well financially: instead of 3.4 million to Hess, the Post subsidiary only has to transfer 1.8 million to Germany. That’s a 47 percent price difference.
“Demand is very high”
The Hess company is not happy about the decision. The annual production had already been sold out when Postauto suddenly insisted on three-door instead of two-door buses. “The demand for Hess buses is very high,” it says. However, the firmly booked orders could all have been delivered on time. (pbe)