DAF wins major awards

During last week’s Bus World Asia exhibition in Shanghai, DAF was honored with two major awards: ‘Best Bus Engine Producer of the Year 2008’ and ‘Best Coach Engine Producer of the Year 2008’. DAF won the awards thanks to the outstanding reliability and durability, as well as the low fuel consumption of the 9.2 litre PACCAR PR- and 12.9 litre PACCAR MX engines. “That makes the DAF developed and produced PACCAR engines ideal for buses and coaches,” said jury chairman Martial Benoot.

The vote for ‘Best Bus Engine Producer of the Year’ and ‘Best Coach Engine Producer of the Year’ is held annually during Bus World Asia, one of the world’s most prestigious bus and coach exhibitions. The jury comprises 25 members, including representatives of the exhibition organization and also Chinese as well as international journalists.

“DAF has not won the awards only because of the outstanding reliability and durability, and low fuel consumption of the PACCAR engines,” commented Martial Benoot. “DAF’s excellent name in China also played an important role in the choice for DAF.” Last year DAF also won the award for ‘Best Coach Engine Producer of the Year 2007’.

Position in China
Since 2001, DAF has delivered several hundred engines for buses and coaches in China. “Many of these have already covered more than 1.5 million kilometres under difficult conditions to the complete satisfaction of their users”, said Marcel de Vries, director of DAF Components and responsible for sales of engines and axles to bus and coach producers throughout the world. “We supply engines to the Chinese bus producers Zhongtong and Higer, and negotiations with other manufacturers are at an advanced stage. The fact that we have won this important award will act as an extra stimulus to build on our position in China. In this respect, the recently opened PACCAR Shanghai office will also play an important role.”

DAF Trucks N.V. – a subsidiary of the American PACCAR Inc, one of the largest producers of heavy trucks in the world – is a leading producer of light, medium and heavy duty trucks with a market share in Europe*) of around 14% in above15 ton class. Last year the company supplied a total of almost 61,000 trucks to markets within and outside Europe. Moreover, DAF leads the pack in the services behind the product: Multi Support Repair and maintenance contracts, financial services of PACCAR Financial and a first class parts supply. In addition, DAF develops and produces components such as axles and engines for bus and coach producers throughout the world. DAF Trucks N.V. has production plants in Eindhoven and in Westerlo (Belgium) and more than 1,000 dealers and service locations in Europe.