Carrosserie HESS AG is a

bus A bus (contracted from omnibus, with variants multibus, motorbus, autobus, etc.) is a road vehicle that carries significantly more passengers than an average car or van. It is most commonly used in public transport, but is also in use for cha ...

, trolleybus and commercial vehicle manufacturer based in Bellach,

Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...

. Their products can be found operating in several countries, including the United States and Canada.

History

The company was founded in 1882, when Heinrich Hess set up business in Solothurn to build customised car bodies. The company first began building buses in 1919, and production reverted to aluminium products in 1933. It produced its first trolleybuses in 1940 for the Swiss cities of Basel and Biel/Bienne. In 1961, it commenced building of articulated vehicles, some of which were supplied to operators in the United States and Canada in 1975. The company soon began to expand, and businesses were set up in Portugal and

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

in 1957 and 1978 respectively. The U.S. business was set up in 1996. The company began production of low-floor buses and trolleybuses in 1991, and in 2003 built its first double-articulated trolleybuses.

Products

Buses

*N UB 2-2: A low-floor, two-door bus with 10 m, 11.3 m and 12 m variants, which can accommodate approximately 82, 86 and 95 passengers, respectively. *N UB 2-2-1: Identical to the N UB 2-2 with the addition of an extra door at the rear of the vehicle. *N UA 2-2-2-2: A low-floor, 18 m four-door

articulated bus An articulated bus, also referred to as a banana bus, bendy bus, tandem bus, vestibule bus, wiggle wagon, stretch bus, or an accordion bus, (either a motor bus or trolleybus) is an articulated vehicle used in public transportation. It is usua ...

, which has a capacity of around 150 passengers. * Hess LighTram : A 24.69 m bi-articulated bus with a duraluminium body. Hybrid version available.

Trolleybuses

*Eurotrolley 3: A 9.7m long half-low-floor trolleybus with a capacity of approximately 80 passengers. Built for Lyon with Kiepe electrical equipment and a Skoda traction motor. *Swisstrolley 3: An 18m long articulated trolleybus which can accommodate not less than 140 passengers. It and LighTram have a duraluminium body. *LighTram 3: A 24.7m long double-articulated trolleybus with a capacity of around 192 passengers. *Trolleyzug: A 23.3m long trolleybus and trailer with a capacity of around 180 passengers.

Bus kits

As well as building complete vehicles, Hess also manufactures bus kits for its worldwide customers. These kits are imported and then assembled on reaching their destination.

Minibuses

Hess also builds smaller buses, mainly for the transportation of school children and persons with disabilities.

Commercial vehicles

Hess builds vehicles designed for commercial purposes, such as vans, some of which are fitted with tipper equipment, loading ramps and trailers.

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Hess, Carrosserie Bus manufacturers of Switzerland Trolleybus manufacturers Swiss brands Electric vehicle manufacturers of Switzerland Companies based in the canton of Solothurn