EVM UK expands to become GB and Northern Ireland distributor for Anadolu Isuzu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Assigning EVM UK as its main distributor, Anadolu Isuzu is aiming high in the British and Northern Irish markets. Richard Sharman talks to EVM UK Managing Director Danny McGee to find out how the introduction of the brand is the start of something big for the firm

Anadolu Isuzu, a major commercial vehicle manufacturer in Turkey, is continuing to expand its sales and service network in international markets. The manufacturer aims to reach higher sales figures and a wider customer base in the UK market with EVM UK thanks to a distributorship agreement recently signed between the two.

In recent years, Anadolu Isuzu has achieved significant success in international markets, especially in Europe, with high quality and environmentally friendly commercial vehicles produced in its hi-tech production facilities. Thanks to its tailor-made production model and positive marketing activities, the firm has gained brand awareness in the commercial vehicle market with its medium-size coach and bus products and increased visibility in European cities. Anadolu Isuzu also received numerous awards including the Sustainable Bus of the Year 2022 award with its biogas-compatible Kendo/Interliner CNG-engine bus.
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Anadolu Isuzu will enter the UK market with a right-hand drive version of its 39-passenger Visigo RHD, produced under the AOS brand, along with a 33, 35 or 37-seat AOS Grand Toro RHD midicoach and the zero-emission NovoCiti Volt bus. The manufacturer will exhibit its newest range of vehicles with EVM UK at the Euro Bus Expo at Birmingham’s NEC on 1-3 November.

Tuğrul Arikan, General Manager of Anadolu Isuzu, said: “As Anadolu Isuzu, we have recently reached significant momentum in international markets with our medium-size coach and bus models that fully meet the needs of modern municipalities and transportation operators. With our sustainability-first approach, the vehicles we produce in our production facilities with smart factory features serve in the transportation sector in 45 countries in the world as of today. Each year, our environmentally friendly, low-emission, modern and safe vehicles are preferred more and more in European cities. I am very pleased that we have signed a distributorship agreement with EVM UK and am happy to see that we have many values, approaches and goals in common. I strongly believe that we will achieve great success with EVM UK in the UK, one of the most demanding markets in Europe. With our tailor-made production capability, we strive to fully meet the demands and needs of our customers, and we attach great importance to their satisfaction. Our AOS Grand Toro model has great potential in the UK market.”

Talking about the new distributor deal for Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Danny Mc Gee, Managing Director of EVM UK and EVM exclusively told CBW: “The opportunity to work with Anadolu Isuzu is probably one of the best we will ever have as the product range is huge. We will not be bringing every product option to the UK but we will start off by introducing the AOS Grand Toro 8.5m midicoach with 33 to 37 seat options, the AOS Visigo 9.6m midicoach 39-seater and then the zero-emission electric bus option in 8m.

“Discussions with Anadolu Isuzu started last year, and since then the team and I have been out to Turkey four times and they have visited us here three times. Anadolu Isuzu strongly believes in having a large team for every aspect of the business. It is a very impressive organisation, and like ourselves, they believe that attention to detail is everything.

“We have been listening to manufacturers and the fact is that they are really struggling to supply chassis, with some of the worst cases being a long wait until 2024. If you are looking to body chassis and bring new products to market, you need them yesterday and that is where working with Anadolu Isuzu is going to make a real difference for coach and bus operators in the UK.

“There is no having to wait for a chassis supplier, the huge factory in Turkey has a production line that deals with chassis production and has a body production line running parallel. Towards the end of the production line the vehicles are bodied. They then move to the finishing line. The other advantage is that you never have to worry about corrosion as the factory has an anti-corrosion dipping plant. It is all very impressive.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Product support

“We have signed up to Anadolu Isuzu’s dealer agreement in relation to minimum holding of spare parts, factory trained technicians, service support and mobile vans, vehicle off road (VOR) processes and nationwide support network across the UK,” said Danny. “So we are now looking to strengthen our support network, building on our existing network. We would be happy to hear from potential partners in reference to this.

“With the product range being new to Great Britain and Northern Ireland, we have a lot of work ahead of us, but I know that my team and I can do it. It will require us to think and act differently, initially, as we build that support network up. Once everything is in place, we will have the same situation that we have we our existing product range. For example, if another brand’s product breaks down, you know that with one call you can get assistance. It will be exactly the same for the new Anadolu Isuzu range. We will be responsible from end to end, so the recruitment process has started for mobile technicians and parts people.

“Seven to eight years ago we had mobile technicians, but we moved towards authorised repair centres. The Anadolu Isuzu dealer agreement calls for mobile technicians and we will certainly be delivering on this aspect of the agreement. The AOS Grand Toro and the AOS Visigo RHD are fitted with Cummins engines and Allison or ZF transmissions, so our mobile technicians will be fully trained in those products and will carry the relevant diagnostic equipment.

“The goal is to have everything we need for aftersales in place and then we will build on vehicle sales. If an operator is going to invest in a brand new product to the UK market, they want to know that the back up and parts are there, and that is what we have been doing for the last decade with products sold through EVM UK. If there is an issue or a part is required, we will sort it out as soon as humanly possible and the same will apply to any Anadolu Isuzu product.

“We are no strangers to Anadolu Isuzu products as we know their French and Belgium dealers very well through our network. There is a great synergy between EVM and Anadolu Isuzu in that we are both completely focused on aftersales.

“The French dealer for Anadolu Isuzu, FCC, recently won awards at the brand’s conference for carrying the most spares and selling 1,200 vehicles in the last 5-6 years. That is an impressive figure, and as Anadolu Isuzu has a vast range that also includes an ever-growing zero-emission offering with electric midicoaches and full size coaches on the way, we have big ambitions in the UK market,” concluded Danny.

An introduction to Anadolu Isuzu

Anadolu Isuzu is a major medium-sized bus and coach manufacturer in Europe whose major shareholders are the Turkish Anadolu Group, Isuzu Motors, Diger, and the Japanese Itochu Corporation.

The company is the first Japanese joint venture in Turkish automotive industry. Its main fields of operation are the production and distribution of light duty trucks and midibuses. Since its establishment in 1984, around 150.000 vehicles have been manufactured through the Isuzu license agreement.

The firm began with the construction of pick-ups and motorcycles in 1965. In 1984 the company signed a licence agreement with Isuzu Motors to produce Isuzu vehicles in Istanbul, and it was renamed Anadolu Isuzu Otomotiv Sanayi ve Ticaret AŞ.

In 1999 Anadolu Isuzu moved to its new facilities in Gebze Şekerpınar, Kocaeli. The new facilities were established on an area of 300,000m2 where the company employs nearly 11,000 people. The facilities include two separate plants for truck and bus manufacturing.

As a company producing commercial vehicles under license from a Japanese brand in the European region, Anadolu Isuzu says that all of its production processes are driven by the ‘world famous’ Japanese quality management systems as well as the European Union’s quality standards and regulations.

Anadolu Isuzu’s export activities cover 45 countries in three continents. The majority of these markets are subject to the European Union regulations; the company has been one of Turkey’s main midibus exporters since 2004. In 2012, it accounted for 81% of the total midibus exports from Turkey.

Anadolu Group itself operates with the vision of being ‘the star that links Anatolla to the world and the world to Anatolla’ and is active in seven sectors: beer; soft drinks; retail; agriculture; automotive; stationery; and energy. It has a presence in 19 countries with approximately 80 companies, 86 production facilities, six research and development centres and more than 80,000 employees. The Group was founded by Yazıcı and Özilhan families in 1950 and has partnerships with leading brands and companies such as The Coca-Cola Company, Faber-Castell, Kia, Honda and McDonalds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sustainability

Anadolu Isuzu says it works to minimise the environmental impacts of both the vehicles it produces and its operating processes. In line with its sustainability strategy, the firm has made firm its commitments by becoming a member of the international platforms such as SBTi (Science Based Targets Initiative), Drive to Zero, and most recently, the UN Global Compact.

One recent initiative is to support the efforts to use recyclable biocomposite materials which are harmless to the environment in vehicle production, in cooperation with the Komporize initiative. The biocomposite material developed by Komporize offers an environmentally friendly, robust and reliable alternative that can replace use of plastic in numerous fields. Anadolu Isuzu reports that it has successfully completed trials with the use of biocomposite materials in the vehicles it manufactures. Collaborating with start-up venture Komporize, the Turkish manufacturer is continuing its efforts to use the recyclable biocomposite material obtained from tea fibres in its vehicles: during the tea harvest season in the Black Sea region, tens of thousands of tons of tea fibre obtained during production at tea processing facilities are disposed of as waste without any contribution to the economy. Anadolu Isuzu started to test parts developed with this material on the air duct of its Kendo buses, which was named as the ‘Bus of the Year’ in 2022 at the Sustainable Bus Awards.

General Manager Tuğrul Arıkan said: “At Anadolu Isuzu, we consider sustainability as one of our top priorities. We undertake pioneering practices by focusing on innovation and sustainability. We focus on innovative solutions to minimise the environmental impact of the vehicles we manufacture as well as all our production and operating processes. We observed that the biocomposite materials we developed in cooperation with Komporize, founded by a young and talented entrepreneurial team, can be an environmentally friendly and robust alternative. In the coming period, we aim to increase the diversity of areas these environmentally friendly biocomposite materials can be used, and to contribute to the environment while leading our sector in this field.”

The company has recently joined the international Science-Based Targets Initiative, which supports efforts against the negative effects of climate change and global warming, and the Drive to Zero initiative, supporting the target of 100% zero emissions in new truck and bus sales by 2040 in the commercial vehicle sector.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ZE range coming

Anadolu Isuzu’s first eight-metre EV bus is to be offered in the UK. The NovoCiti Volt has a 270kW TM4 electric motor, and promises efficiency, high-manoeuvrability and a barrier-free transport solution, the company says. Designed and produced by Anadolu Isuzu, the bus promises to bring zero emissions and reduced noise levels to cities, as well as offering modern exterior design, low maintenance costs, a long range and new features, plus the latest technology and excellent manoeuverability.

The bus is supplied with a battery warranty which is valid for eight years/3,000 cycles, and Anadolu Isuzu forecasts a remaining state of charge of 80% within eight years when using overnight charging.

The Volt has a claimed charging time of two hours, or two and a half hours with the larger capacity battery option, when using a DC plug in facility. In standard layout the 211kWh option can carry 52 passengers – 21 seated, four on tip-up seats and 26 standing – whilst the 268kWh version can carry 46 passengers: 21 seated, four on folding seats and 19 standing. Other configurations are available which reduce the seated capacity to 19. Air-conditioning is standard throughout the range, as is an energy compartment fire detection and automatic fire supression system.

The very first NovoCiti Volt built for the international market was delivered to France in June of this year. Anadolu Isuzu General Manager Tuğrul Arıkan said, “Anadolu Isuzu is going to carry on scoring new achievements in our string of success in exports by harnessing our power of developing and building products tailored to foreign markets and complying with European standards. Our goal is to strengthen our position in international markets and push our export figures higher by means of our eco-friendly vehicles and the manufacturing practices we developed in our production processes in order to protect the environment for sustainable living. We’re becoming more of a number-one choice in eco-friendly, silent, comfortable and modern transportation solutions that satisfy the requirements of municipalities throughout the world to the letter. It gives us great pride and joy to accomplish this first delivery of our eco-friendly vehicle sporting innovative technologies to world standards, the NovoCiti Volt.”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Euro VI midi coaches

For the first time in EVM UK’s history it will be offering Cummins-engined products, both in front- and rear-engined form. The Anadolu Isuzu offering chosen to spearhead the introduction of its products to UK comprises both the front-engined Grand Toro and the rear-engined Visigo RHD.

The company says that the Cummins 4.5L engine in the Grand Toro and the 6.7L engine are ‘whisper quiet’ on tick-over and provides minimal noise when on the move. Both engines are already proven to be reliable and offer high fuel efficiency.

The Visigo RHD is mated to a six-speed ZF Ecolife 6AP1200B fully automatic gearbox, whilst the Grand Toro is fitted with an Allison T3270R xFE fully automatic gearbox. Standing for Extra Fuel Economy, the xFE transmission utilises new technology including more efficient gear ratios, Neutral at Stop, Neutral at Coast, Acceleration Rate Management and DynActive Shift Technology, and Grand Toro offers three operating modes to improve fuel economy, which are super eco, eco and normal power. These options should be enough to suit any operators needs who are in the market for a midi coach, EVM UK believes.

The Visigo RHD has a passenger capacity up to 39 seats, depending on interior layout, and its independent air suspension should offer a high level of comfort to its crew and passengers, just like a full-size coach. The standard layout of the rear-engined model is for 37 passengers with a crew and drivers seat, with a rear, offside powered continental door, or 39 passengers with a standard offside door and crew seat as an option.

The Grand Toro is a new model to the Anadolo Isuzu range and features the new face of the brand. This smaller of the two options is ideal for the operating territory of places like the Shetland Islands or the narrow B-roads of Cornwall and Scotland, EVM says, making it an ideal choice for operators that are looking for something narrow but with a higher seating capacity than a Mercedes-Benz Sprinter or Iveco Daily.

The Grand Toro is fitted with a standard emergency door behind the rear offside wheel which has two steps that fold out as your open it, meaning that maximum boot space is achieved. Another difference to note is that the Grand Toro features leaf springs to the front and air suspension to the rear, whilst its big brother has air suspension all around, with the front being independent.

There is also a notable difference in tyre size, with the baby of the range being fitted with 245/70 R17.5 tyres and the Visigo RHD 265/70 R19.5s. Gross vehicle weight comes in at 11,480kg and 13,500kg respectively.

Convection heating and digital air conditioning is standard on both models, as is double glazing. A WC unit can be specified on either vehicle as an option, as can preparation for a wheelchair lift and full PSVAR-specification.

EVM UK says that both models will be competitively priced, and will offer more seats and space than similarly priced van-based models that exist in the market at present.

In summary

Whilst EVM UK has already successfully completed a decade of supplying minibuses to the industry, it is now setting out its stall for the next decade with an increased range of vehicles and a new partnership that means the sky’s the limit in terms of both access to zero-emission technology and the vast range of vehicles in the Anadolu Isuzu portfolio.

The models destined for the UK have already built up significant orders throughout Europe, so there is no doubt that they will also find favour here.
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