New low emission buses for Singapore built with Rio Tinto Alcan aluminium lightweight technology

Alcan Extruded Products, part of Alcan Engineered Products — a business unit of Rio Tinto Alcan, is pleased to announce that it is supplying the aluminium extrusions, sheets and joining elements for a series of 500 low-floor city buses for Singapore. This significant order is the starting point for the on-going replacement of SBS Transit, the local public transport company’s bus fleet of 2,700 vehicles.

"We are very pleased to have been selected to supply the innovative aluminium EcoRange^® body structure system," said Reinhard Fleer, president of the Alcan Extruded Products.
"Due to its high-end technical characteristics, it offers multiple benefits to our customers."

"This important supply contract demonstrates the bus builder’s and operator’s confidence in Rio Tinto Alcan’s advanced lightweighting technologies to deliver weight and cost improvements without compromising safety and performance", he added.

The EcoRange^® body structure system, developed by Alcan Extruded Products, includes high-performance aluminium extrusions, aluminium panels, as well as aluminium bolted connections for fast and easy assembly.

To the operator, the EcoRange^® lightweight all aluminium solution will result in considerable weight-savings and thus in less fuel consumption and reduced CO2 emissions of the vehicle. Additional significant emission reductions will be achieved with the modern Euro 4 EGR Scania engine.

The Alcan Extruded Products EcoRange^® system also meets SBS’s stringent demand for a strong body structure for improved passenger safety through innovative design. The bodywork for all buses is produced by Scania’s and Rio Tinto Alcan’s local partner Gemilang Coachworks in Malaysia.

Alcan Extruded Products is a key player in Europe with a focus on specialty products for the mass transport sector. It includes production facilities in France, Germany, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Slovakia.

About Rio Tinto

Rio Tinto is a leading international mining group headquartered in the UK, combining Rio Tinto plc, a London and NYSE listed company, and Rio Tinto Limited, which is listed on the Australian Securities Exchange.

Rio Tinto’s business is finding, mining, and processing mineral resources. Major products are aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc) and iron ore. Activities span the world but are strongly represented in Australia and North America with significant businesses in South America, Asia, Europe and southern Africa.