LUXEMBOURG
Luxembourg operator Demy Schandeler has ordered 15 Volvo 7900 Electric buses to operate on inter-city and regional routes. The order will be the first for Volvo electric buses with its 7900 Electric bodies built by Egyptian manufacturer MCV. The buses set to be delivered in spring 2025. The 12-metre buses will feature a 470kWh battery configuration.
Volvo chose to change its bus building business model to supplying chassis for third parties in 2023, and is to close its own production facility in Wroclaw, Poland, where it builds complete buses early this year. The company says the Polish factory has been loss making for a number of years, and that the order from Demy Schandeler confirms that operators will continue to buy the product once production transfers to MCV, which will build them under licence.
“We are of course very pleased that we can already take the first order of our Volvo 7900 Electric, built in partnership with MCV. It shows the confidence that our customer has in our brand and organisation and that we will continue to be a strong player in the European market, offering a wide range of buses in the premium segment for public transport,” said Dan Pettersson, Senior Vice President at Volvo Buses.
Demy Schandeler has been operating 10 Volvo 7900 Electric buses since the beginning of 2023. “This order is a great achievement! The trust in our partnership with Demy Schandeler has been built over the year, based on excellent uptime and the reactivity of the aftermarket organisation, with the strong support of our local dealer,” said Laurent Bravetti, Director of Volvo Bus Luxembourg.
CEO of Demy Schandeler Laurent Schandeler added: “Included in our total fleet of around 400 urban buses, coaches and electric buses as well as 160 minibuses, Volvo has become one of our pillars in the transition to electromobility. Having successfully driven 800,000 kilometres in eleven months with the 10 Volvo 7900 Electric buses has strengthened confidence in the product.”
“With our strong partnership with MCV in full swing and our first order already underway, everything is now in place to fulfil the high demands of our European customers. What’s more, we can now drive our premium electric solutions forward, with new possibilities in the near future,” added Dan.