As part of Kiel Group, Kiel Americas has prioritised the comfort and safety of its passengers since 2009.
Kiel Americas offers a wide range of passenger seating systems for local, regional, and intercity transport for the cutaway bus market. This includes shuttles for hotels, airports, car rentals, employee travel, and even prison buses, as well as commuter, transit, paratransit/on-demand transit, and motorcoach applications.
In the best Kiel tradition, all our seats combine quality, individuality, cost-effectiveness, and safety with innovative ideas and attractive, lightweight designs. With a commitment to ergonomic design, durability, sustainability, and space optimization, we’re not just seating passengers; we’re elevating their experience.
Every operation is different, and our customers have diverse requirements for their seating. The development of new seating systems at Kiel Americas involves extensive specialist knowledge and years of experience, along with innovative ideas and a commitment to meeting customer requirements whenever possible.
During the start of the development process, Kiel Americas conducts thorough design and ergonomic studies. We begin by designing the new seating concept virtually. Using the CAD program, Kiel Americas creates an animated image of the product in a realistic environment. This ‘digital mock-up’ is a crucial component of the entire development process.
After the production of a volume or surface model in the software program, we conduct a finite element method (FEM) analysis. This analysis provides precise information about a component’s stability before it is constructed, as well as identifying any potential weaknesses. This step is crucial for optimizing the weight of the component. Our goal is to minimize weight without compromising quality or safety by using modern materials such as lightweight steel and specialized plastic structures. In the final stage, before going into production, the seat undergoes rigorous testing as a model or prototype, including various stress tests, fire protection tests, crash tests, and trial installations.
With safety always at the forefront of our designs, Kiel engineers have experience working and conducting crash testing in many different countries. Because they incorporate standards from various safety boards around the world, Kiel passenger seats have achieved high-quality standards.
We take environmental protection into account not only with the weight of our products but also with their modular construction. Kiel Americas utilizes modular, recyclable construction systems, aiming to conserve resources and provide as many environmentally friendly options as possible. Most importantly, a Kiel seat can be renovated after 10 years of use by simply replacing the fabric and foam without the need to scrap the entire seat and purchase a new one.
This article first appeared in the Bus-News Magazine Issue 1 2025. Download a PDF version here.
