Volvo Bus UK & Ireland Commercial Sales Director, Phil Owen, has outlined the manufacturer’s multifaceted product strategy going forward to maintain and develop its business. Andy Izatt details what he had to say
As highlighted in the news, Volvo Bus has announced a string of new product developments ranging from more interurban coach options in conjunction with Plaxton and Sunsundegui to a new high capacity tri-axle double-decker bus and a hybrid single-deck chassis including a 10.8m body. Arguably most significant, it is also developing an all-electric platform for the UK that will be bodied both as a double and single-deck bus. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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“If we can, we don’t build for one specific market because we’re a global organisation,” explained Volvo Bus UK & Ireland Commercial Sales Director Phil Owen. “When we build a double-decker for the UK, it’s probably with the Far East in mind as well, and vice versa. We might also look at Europe and how it’s developing interurban transport. If there’s something we can pick up on, we will do that.
“Our product range is simple and effective, catering for all areas of operators’ requirements. The B5TL (diesel) and the B5LH (hybrid) are our double-deck offering. We build with MCV and Wrightbus on the B5TL, and with MCV, Wrightbus and ADL on the B5LH. Last year the B5LH was our best selling product, reaching a record high of 550 units.
“On single-deck bus we have the B8RLE. However, the heavy-duty single-deck market has been in decline and we sell between 20 and 50 in any one year. Around half that is supporting what James Hyde (Retail Sales Director) does through his side of the business. The 7900e is our complete electromobility product built in Poland, but that will change going forward as I will explain later.”
Accessible interurban
“Stagecoach, Plaxton and Volvo identified an opportunity with the B8RLE 6×2 chassis for an interurban vehicle,” said Phil about the 54-seat Panther LE, which was launched earlier this year alongside the B11RLE-based Plaxton Panorama double-deck coach.
“Stagecoach in Scotland had found that it had a growing requirement to carry disabled people and we jointly designed a low-entry coach that fulfilled that segment perfectly. There’s no complicated wheelchair position, just easy access through the front axle. It’s about utilising a product that we already had in the portfolio to work in another type of operation. It’s really a coach body on a city bus chassis. Certified to Class 3, it’s fully seat-belted and the driver has all the support systems required.
“We’ve tendered more recently for some other right-hand drive business that had a specific requirement for accessibility. The operation had some very rural bus stops so a complex wheelchair system wouldn’t have been right, so we offered the B8RLE 4×2 with Wrightbus, Plaxton and Sunsundegui and was successful with Sunsundegui and the SB3. Again, what we have done is take what we currently have, given it to a coach body builder and it has built (in this case) what it normally supplies into Europe.
“When what we have done in the interurban market becomes better known, I think we will see a growing requirement for it. We could build a 6×2 Sunsundegui or a 4×2 Plaxton, and Wrightbus is another option. I think operators understand the complexities of high-mounted wheelchair lifts that aren’t often used. We’re offering the same type of vehicle with a very uncomplicated type of accessibility system.”
Capacity double-decker
Said Phil: “We have also looked at what we can do to enhance our double-deck product offering. In the past, we sold the B9TL tri-axle both in the fleet and retail sectors for multiple applications. Primarily developed for the Far East, the B8L is the product that Volvo has developed to replace the B9TL and following some tender enquiries we see an opportunity to introduce it here. There was very little investment and development required to bring it to market. Wrightbus and MCV are already bodying it for the Far East, although for the UK there will be our normal three body options, so it was really just about getting it through a UK certification programme.
“The B8L chassis is 600kg lighter than its B9TL equivalent and a minimum of 10% more fuel efficient. The driveline is the same as the B8RLE although the engine is offset inline rather than central inline. It’s available in the same horsepower ranges – 280, 320 and 350hp – but in this instance because it’s such a large vehicle, it’s at 350hp with a ZF gearbox as standard.
“The chassis is already in production, although we’ve made slight changes to make it more suitable for a UK bodybuilder for the UK market. We used the front end that we have on the B5TL and the same centre frame. That means the modules they build on to are a direct fit.
“In some configurations we can accommodate up to 100 seats, so it gives us a little niche market that no one else is in. It won’t sell in huge numbers – maybe 20 to 50 a year – but we feel it will fulfil a number of requirements. It will be built using conventional bus bodies, but the specification is up to the customer. It can be a school bus, for scheduled operation or for private hire. We’re only building to order and lead times will be 24-26 weeks.”
Growing hybrid
“As I’ve already mentioned, we already have our own double-deck hybrid product, the B5LH which is built in Borås, Sweden,” said Phil. “Again, taking advantage of what’s happened in the Far East, one of our body partners MCV has already secured an order from the Singapore Land Transport Authority for 50 hybrid single-deck using the same platform, and we believe there’s an opportunity to bring that product to the UK either at 12m or 10.8m.
“The body is the same style as what MCV is building on the B8RLE so commonality of components is very high. Given some of the fuel performance figures we’re seeing on our double-deck hybrid, we are consistently being told that ours is the best performing in the market and we believe at single-deck we can probably improve that by 10-15%.
“While the 10.8m might be an expensive vehicle to a point, we’re still working on the commercialities. There are cities that need to make the change. Are hybrids just a stepping stone from diesel to electric? I don’t think so. I think the industry and product range should evolve naturally.”
Volvo is looking at how it can extend the electric range of the B5LH so that it can better meet any on-street geofencing requirements for zero-emission running. As part of its electromobility range, it offers an electric hybrid which is selling well in Europe, but that is not being taken forward in the UK where the market is looking for either hybrid or all-electric solutions. For that reason, there are no plans for any more B5LHC double-deckers like the two Wrightbus-bodied examples built for a London trial of the opportunity charging infrastructure.
“We believe what we’re offering will be more economically viable based on what the legislation says today,” said Phil. “We want to evolve what we currently have because the parts remain the same, there’s no additional training required and the customer knows what it is getting. We believe the industry needs stability to move forward before it gets to the next level of change which will be electrification.”
UK electromobility
“Harrogate is where we have our first UK electric transport solution and it came about as a result of OLEV (Office for Low Emission Vehicles) funding,” said Phil. “There are three charging stations installed at Harrogate bus station. Our commitment was to deliver eight 7900es to Transdev Blazefield and we have undertaken all the technical and driver training. Full traffic operation is estimated from quarter four this year.
“We invested £1.25-1.5m in our own 7900e demonstrator because our belief was if you’re asking customers to pay for something, the only way is to feel, touch and experience it. It was a huge investment.
“We targeted five ‘cities’ over 12 months with the bus operating for two to two and a half months at a time depending on the changeover period. We started in Manchester in August 2017 and it was very successful. It then went to Heathrow and was the first vehicle to ever be trialled airside, although it was predominantly used landside at car parks. There is a current tender in with Menzies and Heathrow for them to look at electrification going forward.
“Our 7900e was used on Fastrack in Kent and, again, performed very well. It then went to Cardiff, important because the trial was driven by the Welsh Assembly which is being very proactive when it comes to moving technology and air quality forward in Wales. It was the first electric bus to operate in Wales in public service. Then it went to Stagecoach North West for operation in Liverpool.
“Yes, there were hitches, but each one we’ve learnt from. It wasn’t just about proving the vehicle’s reliability and performance. It was about showing its zone management capability. We can set a specific speed where all of the control is taken away from the driver. It’s partially on the way to autonomy by supporting, not hindering what he or she does.
“We also looked at passenger counting as there was a facility available on the vehicle, as it is on all our Euro VI buses, that enables us to do that. The unladen weight is measured on certification. As people board, there are sensors in the suspension that detect the weight at any one time and taking 75kg as the average, it enables the number to be calculated. Operators can detect where their peak vehicle requirements, are when they’re running light, and plan accordingly.
“What we summarised from the 7900e demonstration was that not one size fits all. The industry is never going to be full opportunity or full overnight charging. There will be bespoke requirements for certain opportunity charge routes and there will be others for just overnight charging. We believe that both will complement each other, not replace each other.
“The 7900e demonstrator is a Volvo Generation 1 electric utilising four x 19kW lithium-ion phosphate batteries. Generation 2 comes out in 2019, and will have four times 50kW. In that short period of time battery technology has moved to the point where we can run for longer on one charge. The battery pack is virtually the same size, but density is greater and it’s slightly heavier.
“We balance battery usage to give a minimum five year life. We wouldn’t use more than 65% on opportunity fast charging so range is still limited. However, as we move forward, the more kWs we have available, the greater our ability work on depot charging only. For certain routes, we can do it.
“For us, the UK market is primarily double-deck and that is something that we need to commit to going forward long-term. What we’re developing now is a modular electric chassis that can be bodied as a double-deck or single-deck with minimal changes.
“Our next generation of battery, available from 2021, will be four x 66kW and we have challenged the project to give us a minimum range of 100 miles on one charge. That will be based on an average three to four hours overnight charging or during the day depending on the operation. That 100 mile range may not fulfil every operation in the UK, but it will go some way to fulfilling 70-80%. Three batteries will be at the rear and the fourth will be on the offside in front of the rear axle for better weight distribution.
“We’re not saying that opportunity charging has gone. We have evolved to a position where they complement each other and the customer can choose. However for overnight charging, the battery window is 80% because it’s much more progressive. We think average efficiency will be 1.2kWh/km.
“We’re already eight months into the project working with MCV as the bodybuilder. Weight is a key issue and we have said to it, research what will be available then, not now. We’re challenging them to deliver something different. TfL is aware of what we’re doing and our vehicle will meet that organisation’s new specification. Because we will modularise, we will be able to build a 10.9m twin-door double-decker with a capacity of 95 passengers and with full electric heating.”
A demonstrator is planned for quarter two in 2020 with the product, which will have a high degree of commonality with the 7900e, being market ready by 2021.
“On the single-deck version we will be able to offer three, four or five battery solutions,” said Phil. “There will be the capacity and flexibility to go three-battery all opportunity charging or have five batteries for all overnight charging. Batteries will be on the roof and so will the cooling pack. The saloon layout will be very similar to a low-floor bus because the components can be packaged much better.
“When we bring in the single-deck variant, we anticipate that demand for our 7900e will become more limited – and by that time the Polish factory’s capacity will be fully committed to Europe, so that’s one of the drivers for us. We can focus on a UK based model with a UK supplied bodybuilder. 10.8m will be an option as will 12m.
“We believe there must be legislation to define the parameters (of electric bus development) because we have to cost over the life time of the vehicle to get our return on investment. Operators are saying they’re happy to make the investment, but they want some security. That’s why sustainability is so important to us. If we can upgrade what we have as new technology comes in, we have continuity. It’s not a question of park one design up and jump to the next one because, if it was, the Government will end up forking out to support the investment. It has to be planned accordingly.
“Opportunity charging is where Volvo started, but battery technology has naturally evolved and we’re now in a position where we can work towards overnight and opportunity depending on what customers want. I think DC will become a European standard, and hopefully sooner rather than later. Someone has to set a standard. Otherwise it leaves the door open for others coming in and saying they can offer a solution at a fraction of the cost. There has got to be a standard that everyone can work towards.”
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