Review of intercity bus NefAZ 52996

VDL-NefAZ-52998 Transit

is a Russian three-axle large-class bus produced by the Neftekamsk Automobile Plant, created in collaboration with the Belgian-Dutch corporation VDL. Produced since 2009.

Bus structure

Chassis, interior parts and electrical equipment for the VDL-NefAZ-52998 bus are supplied. The body is completely manufactured in Neftekamsk. The design of the front plastic mask repeats the front of the city two-axle bus VDL-NefAZ-52997 and partly the intercity bus VDL-NefAZ-52996. Front and rear masks, as well as the frame and body trim are produced by NefAZ independently, with the participation of Russian partners.

The first and third axles of the bus are manufactured by the company, the second, driving, is produced by the Dutch company DAF.

The bus is equipped with a 6-cylinder in-line diesel engine DAF PE 265C with a displacement of 9.2 liters and a power of 360 hp. environmental standard Euro-3 and automatic transmission ZF 6HP602C Ecomat 2[4].

The bus suspension is independent pneumatic, electronically controlled, disc brakes.

The front doors open inward (with separate control for each leaf), the middle one is double-leaf, the rear door is single-leaf (swinging type, opens outward). Door control is electro-pneumatic.

The bus interior and driver's seat are heated by a liquid heating system that uses heat from the engine cooling system and a liquid heater, as well as by a front heater, a front door blower heater and convectors (in the passenger compartment and at the driver's).

Newbie in full compliance

In 2022, the 9-meter “baby” from Neftekamsk has a completely mature design: independent air front suspension ZF RL55EC, which does not steal the height of the cabin floor in the front part, disc brakes on all axles and a power unit in the rear overhang.

The body assembly is carried out according to the generally accepted canons of the world bus industry: the skeleton of a prefabricated welded frame is welded to the elements of the base of the electric arc floor. Then transmission units and pneumatic drives are attached to it, internal and external cladding and panels are mounted, and finally double-glazed windows are glued in. The internal cavities of the frame pipes are treated with an anti-corrosion coating, and the ends of the pipes are plugged with polymer plugs. The bottom and cavities of the arches are treated with anti-corrosion mastic. Thus, the estimated service life should be at least 10 years. The experience of cooperation with VDL and Mercedes-Benz was very useful here. The curb weight is quite consistent with modern analogs with a length of 9 meters - 8.1 tons.

The panoramic windshield falls to the right for fashion's sake, helping to maintain control of the problem area

Rear styling has recently been taken over by designers.

The 650 mm wide front door is quite convenient for not too intense passenger traffic. The seats in the front part of the cabin are pressed right against the partition of the driver's cabin - so they tried to use the space as efficiently as possible, and it turned out, in principle, not bad. The distance between the seats allows you to get quite comfortable for short city trips.

The base of the bus has a wide doorway (1245 mm). Opposite there is a spacious storage area, space for a wheelchair and a ramp for entry.

The rear part of the passenger compartment goes up in steps, since the KAMAZ-4297 drive axle is not a portal type. But the traditional design serves more reliably on bad roads. The layout of the cabin in the rear made it possible to accommodate 17 seats. Moreover, in the rear part of the cabin, all seats are located in the direction of travel. Now let's take a look at the power unit of a compact city bus.

The layout of the city salon with an upward gallery is determined by the design of the drive axle

Seats for passengers behind the driver are arranged in a cascade

The salon is equipped with air conditioning ducts, a blinker display with a ticker and a video camera

Big politics and the battle for millions

The prerequisite for the appearance of the new product was Russia’s accession to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in 2008. In 2012, when the process was given legal force in the form of ratification, a passport of the state program of the Russian Federation “Accessible Environment” was issued. The progress of implementation is monitored by 12 ministries, 3 agencies, 2 foundations and the state statistics service.

One of the key participants in the program is the Russian Ministry of Transport. In 2011, out of 33 million federal rubles, 17 million rubles were allocated to him. Subprogram 1 “Ensuring conditions for accessibility of priority facilities and services in priority areas of life for people with disabilities and other low-mobility groups” includes not only transport (buses, trams, passenger trains), but also station and road infrastructure. This can be considered the start of the introduction of new buses, electric buses and trams.

Folding ramp for wheelchair access

The city semi-low-floor diesel bus NEFAZ-4299-30-52 can be an excellent solution for routes with low passenger traffic (capacity 72 people). Moreover, the bus fully complies with the “Accessible Environment” program of the fifth environmental class, is equipped with an automatic gearbox, and the entry of a wheelchair, unlike high-floor buses of the PAZ “Vector 3” type, does not require complex manipulations with a hydraulic lift.

The quality of life in the regions can be judged by the fleet of city buses. For the development of urban transport, especially in the outback, money is allocated on a residual basis. And locally, the municipality determines where to spend the funds provided. When it comes to Accessible Environment buses, they invest in the purchase of full-size minibuses such as GAZelles or Sprinters, or oblige them to have on line vehicles adapted for this program. Mayors, deputies, city assemblies understand that such vehicles, after operation, have high liquidity on the secondary market, while for a city low-floor midibus, a local passenger carrier will earn only a modest amount for disposal in 10 years. No one at the mayor’s office will want to offend a fellow countryman from an individual entrepreneur who is pulling out unprofitable routes on his own back and who knows well the difference between 1.5 million rubles for a “groove” and 3 million for a “low-floor”.

A separate seat to the right of the middle door is the most convenient place for a disabled person

Extensive middle storage area for door formula

The choice of individual entrepreneurs is not difficult to understand, since the leaf spring suspension is simple and unpretentious, and handy drivers at local car depots can easily repair such chassis literally during their lunch break. In addition, not every regional center has preserved convoys with a specialized city bus fleet designed for mass transportation. So rural “grooves”, Hyundai County service vans and office vans of Ford Transit, Peugeot, Mercedes-Benz and others like them travel along the bumpy routes of cities of 100, 300 thousand people.

That is why front-engine high-capacity buses operating on city routes in most Russian cities are ineradicable, and in some regional centers they recently accounted for up to a third of the fleet! In theory, in a normal Russian city with a population of under 100 thousand, there should be no vanbuses or frame buses on the chassis of commercial trucks with spring suspension on the routes. And in the age of the Internet, there can be no individual ticketing of each passenger by the conductor. Moscow managed to get rid of the rudiments of a developing economy on passenger routes and introduce turnstile-free service on buses through a validator. KAMAZ PJSC will have to work hard in this unplowed field. At least the contract resource of the new product is very rich.

As part of its obligations, the concern predicts high profitability for its brainchild: the company’s next proposal promises moderate maintenance costs and a long service life. Warranty – 24 months or 150,000 km.

Front suspension ZF RL55EC

The main lighting equipment is divided into two blocks, and not into one, like the large NEFAZ-5299 buses

Rear drive axle of KAMAZ-4297 model

Duet with German and American roots

Localized at production in Naberezhnye Chelny, the Cummins ISBe4.5e5 185B turbodiesel, an in-line 4.5-liter “four,” is well known and widespread. This engine is easy to maintain, quite durable and has already taken root in domestic cars. Power setting 185 hp for a compact city car it seems sufficient, except that this is achieved already at 2100–2300 crankshaft revolutions. The maximum torque of 700 Nm remains in the range of 1200–1500 rpm, when the developed power only increases from 120 to 149 hp. Therefore the parity is 180 hp. you need to look in the green zone of the tachometer at a value of 1800–2000 rpm.

The engine compartment contains a Cummins ISBe4.5 turbodiesel, a cooling system, all pneumatic receivers and an AdBlue tank.

Since the environmental class is fifth, there was a “tank with a blue lid”. The AdBlue container is located on the right, right in the rear overhang near the fire extinguisher.

The engine is coupled with a quiet and popular 6-speed automatic transmission Allison T270R, which is specially designed for passenger transport and is actively used by various manufacturers; it is also found on Mercedes-Benz buses.
This automatic transmission model is designed for engines with power up to 240 hp. (179 kW) and maximum torque up to 900 Nm. Technical characteristics of the NEFAZ-4299-30-52 bus

Notes

1. [www.kamdetal.ru/auto/1574/ KAMAZ: cooperation for the benefit of the consumer]. www.kamdetal.ru (2006). Retrieved June 12, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6HLsTSwH0 Archived from the original on June 13, 2013].
2. [www.auto-svoboda.ru/obzor/150.html The first three-axle bus from Neftekamsk]. www.auto-svoboda.ru (September 23, 2009). Retrieved June 12, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6HKzHmfaN Archived from the original on June 13, 2013].
3. [www.autocentre.ua/tr/tracks/news/neftekamskiy-dlinnomer-15968.html Neftekamskiy dlinnomer]. www.autocentre.ua (October 19, 2009). Retrieved June 12, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6HLsUJk3A Archived from the original on June 13, 2013].
4. [www.is-matrix.ru/index.php?mID=6&kmID=1&artID=134 VDL-NefAZ-52998: Between classes]. www.is-matrix.ru (2009). Retrieved June 12, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6HKzIkVcD Archived from the original on June 13, 2013].
5. [fotobus.msk.ru/list.php?mid=2226 List of buses model VDL-NefAZ-5298]. www.fotobus.msk.ru. Retrieved June 12, 2013. [www.webcitation.org/6HKzLq9qv Archived from the original on June 13, 2013].

Small Deeds Theory

KAMAZ experimented in the middle and small classes more than once, but fortune did not favor its projects. The suburban-urban NEFAZ-3299, which appeared in 2003, never went into large production, even despite the favorable attitude of the government of Bashkortostan, which ordered a batch of these vehicles for Ufa. Its design did not imply a low floor level, which is so important today for participation in government procurement.

The plant made its next attempt to enter the midibus class in 2007, when it introduced the 7-meter vanbus VDL-NEFAZ-32997 Procity. However, the project did not go beyond the prototype due to the high cost.

Excerpt characterizing VDL-NefAZ-52998

“I would not have fulfilled my duty, Count,” he said in a timid voice, “and would not have justified the trust and honor that you showed me by choosing me as your second, if at this important moment, a very important moment, I had not said tell you the whole truth. I believe that this matter does not have enough reasons, and that it is not worth shedding blood for it... You were wrong, not quite right, you got carried away... - Oh yes, terribly stupid... - said Pierre. “So let me convey your regret, and I am sure that our opponents will agree to accept your apology,” said Nesvitsky (like other participants in the case and like everyone else in similar cases, not yet believing that it would come to an actual duel) . “You know, Count, it is much nobler to admit your mistake than to bring matters to an irreparable point.” There was no resentment on either side. Let me talk... - No, what to talk about! - said Pierre, - all the same... So it’s ready? - he added. - Just tell me where to go and where to shoot? – he said, smiling unnaturally meekly. “He picked up the pistol and began asking about the method of release, since he had not yet held a pistol in his hands, which he did not want to admit. “Oh yes, that’s it, I know, I just forgot,” he said. “No apologies, nothing decisive,” Dolokhov said to Denisov, who, for his part, also made an attempt at reconciliation, and also approached the appointed place. The place for the duel was chosen 80 steps from the road where the sleigh remained, in a small clearing of a pine forest, covered with snow that had melted from the thaws of the last few days. The opponents stood 40 paces from each other, at the edges of the clearing. The seconds, measuring their steps, laid traces, imprinted in the wet, deep snow, from the place where they stood to the sabers of Nesvitsky and Denisov, which meant a barrier and were stuck 10 steps from each other. The thaw and fog continued; for 40 steps nothing was visible. For about three minutes everything was ready, and yet they hesitated to start, everyone was silent. - Well, let's start! - said Dolokhov. “Well,” said Pierre, still smiling. “It was getting scary.” It was obvious that the matter, which began so easily, could no longer be prevented, that it went on by itself, regardless of the will of people, and had to be accomplished. Denisov was the first to step forward to the barrier and proclaimed: “Since the opponents refused to accept the name, would you like to begin: take the pistols and, at your word, begin to converge.” - G...'az! Two! T’i!...” Denisov shouted angrily and stepped aside. Both walked along the trodden paths closer and closer, recognizing each other in the fog. Opponents had the right, converging to the barrier, to shoot whenever they wanted. Dolokhov walked slowly, without raising his pistol, peering with his bright, shining, blue eyes into the face of his opponent. His mouth, as always, had the semblance of a smile. - So when I want, I can shoot! - said Pierre, at the word three he walked forward with quick steps, straying from the well-trodden path and walking on solid snow. Pierre held the pistol with his right hand extended forward, apparently afraid that he might kill himself with this pistol. He carefully put his left hand back, because he wanted to support his right hand with it, but he knew that this was impossible. Having walked six steps and strayed off the path into the snow, Pierre looked back at his feet, again quickly looked at Dolokhov, and, pulling his finger, as he had been taught, fired. Not expecting such a strong sound, Pierre flinched from his shot, then smiled at his own impression and stopped. The smoke, especially thick from the fog, prevented him from seeing at first; but the other shot he was waiting for did not come. Only Dolokhov’s hurried steps were heard, and his figure appeared from behind the smoke. With one hand he held his left side, with the other he clutched the lowered pistol. His face was pale. Rostov ran up and said something to him. “No...e...t,” Dolokhov said through his teeth, “no, it’s not over,” and taking a few more falling, hobbling steps right up to the saber, he fell on the snow next to it. His left hand was covered in blood, he wiped it on his coat and leaned on it. His face was pale, frowning and trembling. “Please...” Dolokhov began, but couldn’t say right away...” “Please,” he finished with an effort. Pierre, barely holding back his sobs, ran to Dolokhov, and was about to cross the space separating the barriers when Dolokhov shouted: “to the barrier!” - and Pierre, realizing what was happening, stopped at his saber. Only 10 steps separated them. Dolokhov lowered his head to the snow, greedily bit the snow, raised his head again, corrected himself, tucked his legs and sat down, looking for a strong center of gravity. He swallowed cold snow and sucked it; his lips trembled, but still smiling; the eyes sparkled with the effort and malice of the last collected strength. He raised the pistol and began to take aim.

Advantages

The spacious tourist bus will pleasantly surprise passengers at first sight. It has an impeccable appearance, and the varied color scheme creates a wonderful mood.

NefAZ-52999-VDL is a comfortable and modern type of vehicle that will not spoil the travel experience for passengers. NefAZ-52999-VDL is designed for 55 passenger seats, 1 driver’s seat and 1 courier seat.

The seats are specially designed to ensure comfortable and safe transportation of tourists on long routes.