Turkey: 100 City Buses with Voith DIWA for Izmir

June 27, 2012
High traffic density, hot climate and hilly roads: these are the conditions in Izmir, Turkey, for which the operator Izulas has ordered 100 new buses from Otokar.

High traffic density, hot climate and hilly roads: these are the conditions in Izmir, Turkey, for which the operator Izulas has ordered 100 new buses from Otokar. As a partner of Voith, the bus manufacturer relies on the proven DIWA.5 transmission for its low-floor buses.

With nearly three million inhabitants, Izmir is Turkey's third-largest city. It is situated at the Turkish coast along the Aegean Sea on the Gulf of Izmir. The operator Izulas would like to offer comfortable and reliable transport in the city center of Izmir to its high numbers of passengers. For this reason, Izulas has ordered 100 new low-floor buses type KENT 290LF from the Turkish manufacturer Otokar in April this year.

DIWA.5 Automatic Transmissions Specifically for Citybus Applications

Voith Turkey and Otokar have been enjoying a close business partnership since 2009. As with previous orders, the manufacturer relies on the DIWA.5 automatic transmission for the new buses. The transmission has been developed specifically for citybus applications with numerous stops in congested inner-city traffic, and it has proven itself in thousands of buses on Europe's roads. The DIWA principle allows smooth start-ups across a wide speed range, where conventional automatics already need two to three gear shifts. The DIWA.5 automatic is ideally suited for the high traffic density and the hilly roads in Izmir.

With their low-floor boarding and alighting facilities and a high-performance air conditioning system, the KENT 290LF buses are optimally suited for the climate in Izmir, which can get extremely hot in summer. Voith will deliver the 100 transmission to Otokar for the 12-meter buses from July/August 2012. The buses will enter service by the end of this year, and they are expected to cover between 80 000 to 90 000 kilometers per year in Izmir's city center.
Voith Turbo, the specialist for hydrodynamic drive, coupling and braking systems for road, rail and industrial applications, as well as for ship propulsion systems, is a Group Division of Voith GmbH.