With more than a thousand vehicles in service throughout North America, ­TEMSA currently has four dedicated service centers already in place in four cities. TEMSA

With more than a thousand vehicles in service throughout North America, ­TEMSA currently has four dedicated service centers already in place in four cities.

TEMSA

TEMSA North America unveiled its revitalized TS30 30-foot coach at BusCon 2019 in September, which served as another step toward the company’s re-establishment in the market following its break from CH Bus Sales in 2018.

“The time period through part of 2018 and part of this year really taught us a lesson, so we’re focused now on rebuilding,” says Randy Angell, national sales manager for TEMSA North America. “With that said, it’s understandable that we are dealing with a little hesitancy in the marketplace, but with the updated TS30 and some other things we have planned, we are sending a clear message that we are here to stay.”

TEMSA’s road back to the North American market unofficially launched at January’s United Motorcoach Association (UMA) Expo, where the manufacturer announced it was working with bus operators to furnish parts, service, and warranty support, as well as to connect them with new vehicles from the company’s line of coaches.

With more than a thousand vehicles in service throughout North America, ­TEMSA currently has four dedicated service centers already in place in Florida, Georgia, New Jersey, and California. The company is currently focused on expanding that partner network, with third-party service and warranty locations.

“We’re working on adding facilities within the U.S., because we know it’s important to continue to do so,” Angell says. “In the meantime, we’ve smoothed out a lot of issues with being able to distribute parts, and the warranties issues are now pretty well under control.”

The new TS30
Ideal for both urban and long-distance travel, the newly redesigned TS30 features a Cummins B300 6.7L engine paired to an Eaton Procision transmission and a 34-plus-one seating capacity.

“The TS30 is appropriate for a lot of different applications,” says Angell. “It also really gives us an opportunity to have something unique in the industry, since no other manufacturer is offering a 30-foot coach.”

Aside from a smoother ride and increased comfort, highlights of the new TS30 include a 35% increase in luggage capacity, a 10% increase in fuel capacity, and a 25% larger driver’s cockpit. The driver’s cockpit has also been revamped to make it more user friendly, with the company looking to make the dash layout more uniform across its entire product line.

“The luggage capacity is now about 85 percent of the capacity we offer on the TS35,” Angell explains. “At first, I was told that new luggage capacity was magic, but it’s not. It’s real, and it gives operators who want to operate this size of a vehicle a real chance to utilize it for all of the services they offer.”

Angell adds that another major upgrade on the new TS30 is a fourth step in the entry way.

“We had a few complaints in the past that the entryway was too steep,” he says. “So, what we did was level it out a bit more and made it easier to get in and out of the coach, which increases safety for the operator and their customers.”

Another major update to the TS30 is a move to Mobile Climate Control HVAC system, which will also be the new standard on the TS35 and TS45 models as well.

David Thomas will probably take delivery of three more TS30s in 2020 as it continues its mid-size fleet refresh. David Thomas Trailways

David Thomas will probably take delivery of three more TS30s in 2020 as it continues its mid-size fleet refresh.

David Thomas Trailways

Philadelphia operator takes delivery of the first new TS30

Not only did TEMSA North America unveil the brand new TS30 on the BusCon show floor, it also re-wrapped the bus overnight, and on day two of the expo ceremonially presented the coach to David Benedict, president of Philadelphia’s David Thomas Trailways.

The operator has a long history with the TEMSA product, starting with the purchase of 10 vehicles — four TS30s and six TS35s — in 2013, which they are now refreshing with the addition of the new TS30, as well as the five TS35s they delivered earlier this year.

Benedict says the operation uses them for its college contracts and for smaller groups looking for a better price point for their trips.

"The TEMSAs have been the most utilized vehicles in our fleet. We have also found that with the price point of these mid-size coaches, our margins are much better,” says Benedict. “Because of that, we have the ability to go after smaller groups that are looking for reasonably priced transportation.”

Benedict adds that although David Thomas still operates 45-foot vehicles, the truth of the matter is that groups today have become much smaller.

“The senior market has dwindled a bit over the last few years, because baby boomers just don’t travel like previous seniors used to,” he says. “So, the groups are smaller, and they find they just don’t need a 45-foot coach for their trips.”

Benedict adds that he expects David Thomas will probably take delivery of three more TS30s in 2020 as it continues its mid-size fleet refresh.

After unveiling the updated TS30 on the BusCon show floor, the company re-wrapped the vehicle and presented the first one to Philadelphia’s David Thomas Trailways. Alex Roman

After unveiling the updated TS30 on the BusCon show floor, the company re-wrapped the vehicle and presented the first one to Philadelphia’s David Thomas Trailways.

Alex Roman

Looking ahead
Having a unique offering isn’t a first for TEMSA, since they arrived in the North American market with the industry’s first 35-foot coach in 2011. A couple of years later, the company introduced the TS45 to the North American market.

“If you’re looking at a forward vision from TEMSA, we are really focused on the products we are currently offering — the 30-, 35-, and 45-foot vehicles — and perhaps, we may go even smaller,” explains Angell. “The industry isn’t requesting that we go smaller, but if you look outside North America, TEMSA has done some innovative things like two-door applications in an even smaller size, so it is an opportunity for us to continue to excel at something other manufacturers aren’t currently offering.”

Looking ahead in the short term, Angell says the company expects to have an electric TS45 model delivered to its Burlingame, Calif., site by the end of November, which it plans to showcase at UMA Expo in January 2020. He adds TEMSA plans to market that vehicle to tech companies that provide shuttle transportation to their employees, which have indicated they would like to move away from their diesel vehicles within the next five years.

“We’ve been talking to those customers for the past two or three years to let them know that we have an electric coach on its way,” says Angell. “Now, it’s going to be here, it looks great, and we’re really excited about our opportunities with it as we move forward.”

0 Comments