The US government and defence sector market opens up to Prevost H3-45

A further sales opportunity has opened up for Prevost, the North American bus manufacturer belonging to the Volvo Group, after its H3-45 luxury coach was added to the vehicles available for ordering through the US federal government's procurement system. This enables US government agencies and players in the defence sector to acquire the Canadian manufacturer's flagship model through a simplified procurement procedure. Fellow Volvo Group company Mack Defense is also involved in the programme, bringing significant experience in government and military vehicle procurement.

According to Prevost’s announcement of 6 October, the H3-45 has become available through the system of the US General Services Administration (GSA), the federal government’s central procurement organisation. Among other responsibilities, the GSA coordinates and streamlines procurement by various government institutions, meaning that the system allows eligible organisations to order vehicles under pre-defined contractual terms without having to conduct an entirely new public procurement procedure for each individual purchase.

The H3-45 has been added to the offering under the GSA 2025 Main Bus Program, a bus procurement programme launched in 2024. The programme enables the purchase of vehicles suitable for a range of passenger transport tasks, from school buses and employee transport buses to shuttle and commuter buses, as well as long-distance coaches and touring coaches.

The arrangement is based on a five-year, multi-supplier framework contract system of the so-called IDIQ (Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity) type. Its essence is that the procuring organisation does not enter into a contract for the one-off purchase of a pre-determined number of buses, but establishes a procurement framework from which eligible government institutions may subsequently order according to their actual requirements. The programme also provides up to two new bidding periods annually, during which additional manufacturers and distributors may join, while companies already participating may expand or amend their offerings.

Vehicles can be ordered through the GSAFleet.gov electronic platform, where procurers can also compare offers from different manufacturers, available equipment options and procurement prices. In addition to the purchase price, factors including fuel consumption, delivery lead time, country of origin and the supplier’s previous performance may also play a role in vehicle selection. Buses offered under the programme must comply with the technical and equipment requirements of Federal Vehicle Standard 833T, which applies specifically to federal bus procurement.

For Prevost, joining the programme may be advantageous primarily because it allows the company to reach US federal institutions, including organisations responsible for military passenger transport, through a centrally regulated procurement system. However, inclusion in the GSA system does not in itself represent a specific vehicle order: Prevost has not yet disclosed either the number of vehicles ordered, the contract value or a specific government buyer.

The market for US government vehicle procurement is not unfamiliar territory for Prevost, however. The Canadian manufacturer also supplied the base vehicles for the two specially configured buses based on the X3-45 that the United States Secret Service ordered in 2010 for presidential transport duties. The armoured vehicles, known as Ground Force One and entering service in 2011, joined the federal vehicle fleet during Barack Obama’s presidency and have since been used on the travels of several US presidents.

An important role in the programme is also played by Prevost’s sister company Mack Defense, the Volvo Group’s North American defence industry arm, which operates primarily in the field of military vehicles and related services. According to the manufacturer’s statement, the H3-45 is available through the GSA system with the involvement of Mack Defense.