26.10.2020
Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant and Ford Sollers JV will deliver 440 school buses based on the UAZ Profi and Ford Transit platforms to Russian regions on commission from the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation.
A directive prescribing sole suppliers of school buses purchased by the Ministry of Industry and Trade in 2020 was signed by Prime Minister of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin.
Some 60 regions of Russia will receive automobiles manufactured at SOLLERS Group plants. In total, the document envisions the manufacture of 362 buses based on the Ford Transit and 78 vehicles based on the UAZ Profi.
“Ulyanovsk Automobile Plant and Ford Sollers JV have presented various modifications of minibuses for children in their commercial range for a number of years now. In the near future educational institutions of the Russian regions will receive modern and safe automobiles,” said Adil Shirinov, General Director of UAZ LLC and President of Ford Sollers JV.
The regions will receive 14-seater UAZ Profi school buses and Ford Transit models with 14 and 21 seats. Both brands’ models will be available with “standard” or “north” climate modifications, the latter equipped with improved thermal insulation for use in colder regions.
The school bus on the all-wheel drive UAZ Profi chassis is equipped with a 2.7 liter (149.6 hp) ZMZ Pro engine coupled with a 5-speed manual transmission.
The 21-seat Ford Transit school bus is a special modification developed on the Ford Transit long-wheelbase rear-wheel drive platform, equipped with a 2.2 liter (136 hp) Duratorq TDCi diesel engine coupled with a 6-speed manual transmission. The 14-seater school bus is built on the standard wheelbase, front-wheel drive platform and has a 125 hp engine.
The buses meet all requirements applicable to children’s transportation under the Technical Regulations “On Safety of Wheeled Vehicles.” All vehicles are painted in yellow with the inscription “CHILDREN” and a “Children on Board” sign. In addition, the buses are equipped with 60 km/h speed limiters and devices that prevent driving when the doors are open or not fully closed. The buses are also equipped with devices emitting automatic sound signals when reversing and a tachograph, which makes it possible to record and store information about the driver’s actions.
It is worth noting here that this is not the first time UAZ and Ford Sollers have fulfilled a state contract for the Ministry of Industry and Trade. This last April, SOLLERS Group plants supplied medical institutions with more than 780 C class ambulances on the Ford Transit and UAZ Profi platforms.
