Neoplan N 416
| Neoplan | |
|---|---|
|
|
| N 416 SL | |
| Manufacturer | Neoplan Bus GmbH |
| design type | Public bus |
| Production period | 1982-1992 |
| axes | 2 |
| power | 204 hp, 211 hp, 240 hp, 256 hp |
| length | 11.475 m / 11.850 m |
| width | 2.5 m |
| height | 3.1 m |
| Seats | 38 or 51 |
| Standing room | 63 or 46 |
| Empty weight | 10 500 kg |
| Previous model | Neoplan N 814 |
| successor | Neoplan N 4016 |
| Similar models | Mercedes-Benz O 405 , MAN SL 202 |
At the end of the 1970s, the Association of Public Transport Companies (VÖV) presented specifications for the second-generation standard bus to be developed . Like the predecessors of the first generation, the buses should be largely standardized in terms of dimensions, door arrangement, driver's seat design, etc.
The bus manufacturer Neoplan , previously mainly active in the field of touring buses , participated in the project as one of initially five German manufacturers. Even if no large numbers had been produced so far, they still had experience there in the construction of line vehicles , for example with the first German series-produced Neoplan N 814 low-floor bus , as well as the predecessor high-floor line buses N 416 solo bus & N 420 articulated bus . Much knowledge from this vehicle flowed into the prototypes of the designations S 80 ( city bus ) and Ü 80 ( intercity bus ), which were initially built in the form of a pilot series , a designation that, by agreement, also the other competitors MAN , Daimler-Benz and Magirus Deutz and Kässbohrer chose Setra for their pre-series vehicles.
In 1980, Neoplan was able to present the first S-80 and Ü-80 vehicles and hand them over to the first transport companies. In 1982 series production began under the designation N 416 SL for the city bus and N 416 SÜ for the overland type. This put Neoplan ahead of its big competitors Daimler-Benz and MAN. Magirus-Deutz had completely given up bus production in Germany in 1982, and Kässbohrer Setra abandoned participation in the Standard II bus after a small series of test vehicles.
Minor corrections to the Neoplan N 416 SL were made until 1985, when the final shape was found. Air- cooled diesel engines from Deutz and water-cooled machines from DAF were initially used as engines , as the originally planned Mercedes-Benz and MAN engines were not available due to a boycott of these manufacturers, who did not want Neoplan to participate in the Standard II bus stood. However, this boycott was later abandoned. As an experiment, a double-decker bus based on the N-416 was also built, as well as some articulated buses of the type N 421 SG. In terms of sales success, Neoplan only landed in third place, far behind its big competitors Daimler-Benz and MAN. Nevertheless, the type N 416 SL was a success, after all, it was now a major player in the bus sector.
The Neoplan N 416 SL was also the starting point for the low-floor models N 4014, 4015, 4016 and 4021 NF, which were mass-produced from 1988/1989 and which initially took over large parts of the car body and also the front design. The Neoplan N 416 SL and its derivatives were found in larger numbers in Munich , Cologne transport companies and in the northern Ruhr area ( Vestische trams ), as well as in smaller numbers in Berlin and Bochum and initially on the Deutsche Bundesbahn . Today, the Neoplan N 416 SL have largely disappeared from the fleet of public transport companies, and some examples are still in use by private bus companies.