Fleet options abound

Variety was the order of the day when it came to choosing vehicles, with different options on display. Andy Izatt & Gareth Evans report on the vehicles at this year’s Coach & Bus UK show, along with plans for what might be on the way or under consideration for the UK market

Arriva: Temsa Maraton a step closer to UK
The big news from Arriva Bus & Coach (ABC) was that plans to introduce the Temsa’s premium Maraton product have now been described as “more than a possibility” by MD Ed Potter.

Commenting on the development, which was first mooted in CBW during Ed’s ‘Face to Face’ interview earlier this summer, he said: “Relationships with Temsa and Van Hool are better than ever. I believe the Temsa Maraton is now more than a possibility for the UK market. We’ve spent six months trying to build up momentum – we’re now showing we’re back up to full steam.”[wlm_nonmember][…]

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Asked how he felt about ABC’s presence at the show, Ed replied: “I am happy and very proud. My team has done an amazing job in creating a new look for ABC. In fact, this is the first look at Arriva Group’s new identity which is due to launch in January.”

In terms of vehicles, ABC’s substantial main stand featured a pair of coaches representing the West Yorkshire dealeriship’s two brands – a Temsa HD12 and a Van Hool EX15 H. A Temsa MD9 was displayed outside.

In addition to a hospitality suite, an attraction on ABC’s main stand was the opportunity to ‘drive’ model Temsa and Van hool coaches around a race track.

As part of its launch of ‘Expert Assured’ aftersales service, ABC had a second, separate stand, with technicians offering live demonstrations, along with information on the enhance range of services now offered.

Bespoke solutions from BASE
“The nice thing for us about shows is that we get to see lots of customers,” said BASE Director Mark Aspinall. “It’s nice to be able to stand back and let them talk amongst themselves about the products.”

On the stand was a 35-seat, DDA-compliant MOBIpeople Midi Explorer on a MAN TGL for Jamiesons Coaches of Cullivoe, Shetland. “They had the first Barbi,” said Mark. “It’s a lovely family firm that we have done business with for many years. They’ll be taking the coach home after the show.”

Next to it was a 57-seat executive MOBIpeople Explorer on a MAN RR8 for KB Coaches. “It’s their fourth MOBIpeople, but the first with this specification,” said Mark. “It has just over eight cubic metres of luggage capacity and they have the option when it’s five or six years old to up-seat to 70 seats. They already have two 74-seaters and a wheelchair accessible Midi Explorer.”

Completing the stand line up was a 12.42m Barbi Galileo-bodied MAN RR2 with a 420bhp engine and ZF EcoLife gearbox for Anderson Travel-owned Windsorian. “It’s a 53-seat exec with power locker doors and a huge amount of luggage space,” said Mark, adding that in the demonstration park was a 74-seat MAN RR8 Explorer for Alexcars of Cirencester.

“We’re a small independent dealership. We’re not going to compete on standard two-axle specifications. We have to be sensible and give people options that others aren’t offering. In the case of Barbi that could mean a 10.35m or a 10.8m coach or maybe a 53-seater on two-axles with a specification and high luggage capacity like no other. We also do 13.1m and 13.8m tri-axles and on those we can now go up to 460bhp with a ZF fully automatic gearbox. We’re offering bespoke, quality designs with options for operators that have particular requirements. Our 74-seat MOBIpeople is the highest capacity two-axle single deck coach on the market.

“We’ve just ordered our 100th chassis to be bodied by MOBIpeople,” he said. “We launched it and the Barbi product at the NEC in November 2014 so we’re very pleased with how it has gone. We expect to sell 100 vehicles this year, 40 of them new. We only have two body slots unsold now through to January and I’m sure they will be gone before the end of the show because we have had a lot of interest.

“Some of our customers who like the support they get through the MAN dealer network are also asking for a MAN minibus product because they think it keeps it all in house with one brand. Our understanding is that the MAN TGE will achieve ECE R66 first quarter next year and we’re talking to MOBIpeople about the possibility of converting it into a minibus.

“We’re still up-seating coaches and converting double-deckers. We’ve just taken a batch of Wrightbus and Alexander-bodied Volvos from London through Geoff Lister that will be converted to single-door. We’ve known Geoff for probably 40 years. We’re about to undertake a pull test at Millbrook so we can offer a seatbelt solution in the Wright’s.

“What we do is try and find specifications that reflect operators’ needs and that shows in our increasing sales volumes. I know we’re not everyone’s cup of tea because we operate as well as trade, but some people see that as a benefit because when they have a breakdown they know we understand the urgency of dealing with the problem. Sometimes other suppliers don’t have the same understanding.”

Caetano ready across the range
After a seven-year absence, Caetano was back at the NEC with a vengeance – displaying two full-size coaches inside and premiering its new electric bus chassis on stand.

As would be expected, the National Express (NX) Levante III (CBW1311) for Edwards Coaches proved to be a talking point – it being the first opportunity for almost all show visitors to see it in the metal.

Also on stand was the striking 14.3m-long 86-seater Scania K410UB6X2*4-based Invictus double-decker for Northern Ireland operator Translink. Displayed outside was an Iveco Daily 70C17-based mega minibus.

Proud of the new NX body, Jorge Pinto, Caetano Bus CEO said: “Levante III has been in development for three years. We’ve had a relationship with NX for the last 15 years.”

Turning to the Invictus, he enthused: “I feel the double-deck segment will increase in popularity in the coming years, where people travel with less luggage – something which had previously been a handicap of double-deck coaches. We feel our product offers a good solution.”

The bus chassis has been developed using Cobus’ expertise. German-based Cobus is owned by Cobus Industries, which is 60% owned by Caetano and the remainder held by Daimler. With Cobus better known for its aviation sector involvement, Jorge stressed: “The electric chassis is not a derivative of the airport buses, which are very different. Dedicated airport buses are designed to meet their specific operating conditions, which normally means a front engine and huge air tanks operating in a less demanding environment.

“Cobus first started building chassis in 2007/8 and then decided to electrify. For us at Caetano, it’s been a long learning curve – our previous experience was trolleybuses in the 80s and eight electric buses with lead batteries in the early 1990s, which was a disaster in terms of reliability.”

Then came the big news – that Caetano is to offer its electric bus to the UK market as a complete (body & chassis): “We see the UK as a market for a complete vehicle with our own aluminum body. We’ve been here since 1967 and intend to stay,” Jorge enthused.

“Other target markets for the complete vehicle demonstrator include Spain, Luxembourg, Switzerland and Germany.

“We’ve got orders for 31 electric buses for a Portuguese operator, which will be disclosed in due course.”

While the prototype has been built to the standard 12m, the chassis can go from 10.5m up to 12.7m. The prototype, which has been bodied is now undergoing six months of testing.

Work has just started on the 12.5m example – and an artic is expected to be unveiled next year.

“The chassis will be available for sale next year. The 160kw motor has been supplied by Siemens, which co-operated with us on the vehicle’s development. We will offer a chassis for third-party bodybuilders for where local content is important. We’ve got one bodybuilder in mind already, but can’t we disclose any details yet.”

He concluded: “We see there is no future for diesel buses in Europe.”

Flexible Dawsonrentals
Prominent on the Dawsonrentals stand was a current generation Mercedes-Benz Tourismo with a special show offer – three years’ free servicing and maintenance.

“We’ve been championing the EvoBus product for the past few years,” said Managing Director Dawsonrentals bus and coach, Paul Sainthouse on the first day of the show. “We have had no issues with them at all. What we want is something that has broad appeal, high reliability, sensible engineering costs and good residuals. The Tourismo is ticking all those boxes for us and is going from strength to strength. We’re very pleased to have the association.

“The show service and maintenance offer is an EvoBus Mercedes-Benz service package, but exclusively available through us on our current remaining stock vehicles. We had 12 two-axles and 13 tri-axles, but we placed two of the two-axles this morning. They were genuine walk-on customers who had seen the value in the offer and it has justified our attendance at Coach & Bus UK.

“We’ll be ordering the latest generation Tourismo with the expectation of having stock availability from the Spring. We don’t flit from one supplier of vehicles to another. We’ve been telling people that the Tourismo is the tool of choice for the past four years and there’s no reason why we shouldn’t continue to do so.

“2017 has been a record year for us. All of our products have performed well. Coach, accessible and minibus have all far exceeded expectations and our finance offerings have found great favour with many operators.

“Our bus offering has been steady and consistent throughout the year. Where we’re providing a product that to an extent is residual value based, we’re like most operators. We’re still trying to work out what the bus industry will look like in five to 10 years. There are still some questions to answer. Overall, certainly a very good performance and I think we have got a very strong position in the market looking forward to 2018.

“One of our strengths is the diversity of product. We’re not linked to any one manufacturer so we’re able to offer the right tools for the right job. While the Tourismo is our coach of choice, there’s no reason why we wouldn’t provide another manufacturer’s product if someone particularly wants it. This year, for example, one particular customer wanted Van Hool. Our fleet size is over 2,000 units now – as large as it has ever been – and within that just about every premium brand you would expect to find in the industry is represented.

“We exhibit at Coach & Bus UK rather than Euro Bus Expo because this is more of a services and support show. We’re pleased that we’re here. As a company we’re moving forward positively in a market that isn’t always positive and I think that proves that we’re doing a lot of things right for a lot of people. We’re very much open for business.”

Mercedes-Benz Tourismo RHD is here
Not only was EvoBus UK centre stage at Coach & Bus UK, centrepiece of the stand was the first right-hand drive Tourismo RHD, the same 12.3m, 51-seater that made its debut at the new model’s Brussels launch in June.

“We knew the launch date for the new coach a long time ago,” explained EvoBus UK CEO Michael Thielmann. “We were discussing the position of our stand with the organisers in 2014. We wanted to be in this location. From a volume point of view, Tourismo has been our bestselling product and, with the new model and additional variants that are available, it’s the start of a new era for us.”

“All the specifications we promised with the new model have been confirmed,” said Director Mercedes-Benz Sales, Marcus Watts. “The 12.3m two-axle comes with up to 53 seats with a toilet, 55 without. On the 13m two-axle and tri-axle it’s 57 and 59 respectively. At 13.9m, it’s 61 with a toilet and 63 without. In addition to the new Softline seat, all existing options are available.

“More than 70 of the new model have already been ordered, with the 13m two-axle 57-seater taking the lion’s share. There’s only one fleet order in that total. The rest are orders for one and two coaches at a time.

Said Michael: “Our order intake is higher than last year, underlining that the product line-up we’re offering is the right one, but our 10 demonstrators are due by Christmas and we’ll be getting them out as soon as possible so operators can try them for themselves and see how fuel efficient they are.”

Talking about the new Citaro mild hybrid that Daimler will publically launch at Busworld Europe, Kortrijk next week, Michael said: “While city bus is a niche for us in the UK, it will help that customers will be able to invest in a technology with a lasting life. While Daimler is focused on developing an electric drive, there won’t be a clear switch to that from diesel. A full hybrid is probably not the best solution, but what we’re offering recognises that it’s not automatic that diesel will go completely out of fashion.” Marcus added that 25% of EvoBus UK’s bus sales over the last year – nine vehicles – have been Citaro G artics that have gone to customers at airports.

As well as the Tourismo RHD, there were two Sprinter City 45 low-floor minibuses on the stand – one of 22 for Arriva while the other was part of a stock build of 10. The Arriva vehicle (this particular one is destined for Arriva Southern Counties) has a driver’s seat that swivels and there’s also a hinged lockable ‘attack screen’ that enables the driver to stay inside the vehicle if he or she needs to deploy the manual wheelchair ramp. Both vehicles were Daimler factory conversions undertaken at Dortmund.

“There’s a lot of interest in the Stagecoach Sprinter City 45 trial in Ashford,” said Marcus. “It’s going well. Operators are interested in more fuel efficient vehicles and don’t forget, the new Sprinter will be launched next year.”

Said Michael: “Walk round the show and you’ll see how much competition there is in this sector. Customers can have confidence that everything about our factory conversion has been done properly and is documented. Aftersales support will be there and therefore maybe it’s worth investing a little but more to have all of that.”

“We have a strong, stable team at EvoBus UK now that has benefitted from some new faces,” said Marcus. “With our partners a lot has been done to improve our aftersales support. We’re listening to customers and we try and give them what they want. That has all helped us to achieve record sales over the past three years.”

Irizar covering all bases
Irizar showed its determination to future proof its product range with i6S, which is a new diesel-powered coach appearing in the UK for the first time, a hybrid coach in the shape of the i4H and a new 10.8m version of its all-electric i2e bus. Show visitors also had the opportunity to view a 10.8m i6 midi and, at the other end of the size range, an i8 tri-axle. Both were stock vehicles, although an important development for the i8 highlighted at the event was that it’s now available with a wheelchair lift, the first two having already been sold to Ellisons Travel in St Helens.

“The i6S is our new launch product,” explained Irizar UK Managing Director, Steve O’Neill. “What we’re showing is a 12.92m two-axle, 53-seater powered by a DAF MX-11 271 369bhp engine driving through a ZF EcoLife six-speed automatic. It’s for customers that want more than an i6, but don’t want the four-metre high i8 grand tourer.

“We’re not expecting the i6S to suddenly overtake the i6. I think in the near future the ratio between the two will be around 80/20 in favour of i6. The i6 is still such a strong product, but the i6S is an evolution. It’s fully multiplexed and has i6plus passenger seats. The HMI (Human-Machine Interface) is an option and that offers the driver touchscreen and joystick control over all systems in addition to a sat-nav facility.

“The i4H parallel hybrid is a concept vehicle and it encapsulates beautifully the intelligence network within Irizar. We wanted it so we could test the market for a hybrid coach because I believe that’s the way the market will go. We need to think differently about coaches and how they’re used. It’s going to be horses for courses – vehicles built for particular purposes. If we’re going to find ways to stop damaging the planet, cost will be a problem, but everyone will have to deal with that. If you say you can’t afford to do it, you’re out of the game.

“We have another product in development, an i6 with a high power hybrid unit. We expect that in the market the latter part of next year, but we needed the i4H so we could start listening to what people felt the solution needed to be. It reduces fuel consumption by around 20% and Lucketts Travel, Stewarts of Reading, Travel de Courcey and Prospect Coaches of Stourbridge are amongst those that have said they want to try it.

“With over 80 units sold, we’re having our best year ever. We’re offering good range of aggressively priced leasing packages and more operators should perhaps consider this option. If they’re generating the cash to pay for it they know they’re profitable. It enables them to be much fitter as businesses. The leasing deal on the 12.9m i6 57-seater is particularly attractive because it’s the optimum product to run and it has brilliant residual value.

“I think Irizar UK has the most coach focused team. Everyone is passionate about what they do. I think we’re hard to beat on our quality of service and support.”

The 10.8m all electric i2e, a dual-door vehicle built to Transport for London specification, was demonstrated outside the hall. It’s an early product of Irizar’s new e-mobility factory at Aduna in Spain. In publicity Irizar now refers to the i2e as simply the ie.

“Our product segmentation is in three lengths,” explained Irizar e-mobility Managing Director, Hector Olabe – 10.8m, 12m and 18m articulated buses. We already have a 12m in right-hand drive, but most of the tenders that are going to come out both inside and outside London are going to be for 10.8m. We wanted to show our customers that we can build that size of vehicle.”

Added Strategic Bus Advisor, Mike Weston: “Because everyone is new to electric bus operation we needed to be able to demonstrate how the bus performs and the only way to do that is to put one into real service.”

“Not everybody will buy just one product,” Hector continued. “Maybe our bus won’t be the biggest seller in the market. We’re a premium brand, but that means we bring added value. We’re not just looking to sell a bus. We can provide the whole package and there will be customers – cities and operators – that want that help.”

“Electric buses force operators to do more,” said Mike. “Thinking about the total operating costs becomes even more important. The capital price of the vehicle is only one element. There’s infrastructure, recharging and battery life to consider. It’s all those elements that influence the total cost and that’s something we can help operators to understand. Once they have had a chance to try the vehicle they will understand better how it performs and the maintenance requirements.”

Said Hector: “We could have built our e-mobility factory in Morocco, but we’re from the Basque country. From Spain is where we want to tackle the European industry. For us that’s an important message to get across. It’s important that politicians realise that and support European industry. Otherwise we will stop being competitive. Price is important but it’s not everything. Buying electric is a political decision.

“There is a demonstration programme in place for the vehicle. We have a clear strategy. What we say at Irizar is all customers are important.”

King Long keen to do business
Garretts Green, Birmingham-based King Long Europe UK was keen to promote its stock range of pre-owned King Longs that also currently included an Autosan and a Plaxton-bodied Volvo B10M. The Plaxton had been taken in part exchange from Walsall-based JKT International for a new King Long XMQ6130C.

“We’ve been working on buying more second-hand King Longs because we were concerned about market confidence and prices dropping,” said King Long Europe UK Managing Director Chris Cassar. “Some we buy. Some we have taken in part exchange. If we see one for sale, we contact the owner. It has kept our garage very busy refurbishing them and we’ve been selling what we have. Coach, midi coach and city bus are all available and customers are very happy because we’re giving them good prices. It’s giving us some control over the market for King Long, has increased confidence and it’s also helping to make our business more solid.

“There was an accident damaged XMQ6127 that we’ve rebuilt and, sponsored by our company, is going to Kenya where it will carry children who can’t get to school. The project is the result of a priest I know – a big investment for us, but I think it’s a good cause.

“One of the new vehicles we’ve delivered is a XMQ6129Y, one of two more for Belfast-based McComb’s Coach Travel which is a high specification team coach for the Northern Ireland national football team. We’ve also delivered a pair of 6129s to Hunters of Leeds that have ZF automatic transmission rather than AS-Tronic.

“King Long will be launching its third generation coach range at Busworld Europe in Kortrijk. There will be 9m and 12m coaches on the stand and a city bus. As well as an exterior facelift there’s a new interior and it will be coming to the UK next year.”

Mistral and ADL working in partnership
ADL and Mistral Group had a joint presence at this year’s show, which the two organisations said highlighted how the manufacturer’s vehicles can be bought and leased through a range of finance options.

“We’ve done a joint stand with ADL for the first time,” explained Steve Low, Group MD. “ADL was originally not going to attend, but we felt it was vital to have a retail presence here – we work closely with them.

“We do a lot of joint business with ADL. Almost all new vehicles to join our rental fleet are ADL products. In short, ADL is our supplier of choice – and ADL refers its finance customers to us.

“This show is not driven by the big groups – it’s SMEs, where we work best. Small companies need fiance – they’re the sort of operators which tend to buy one to two new vehicles per annum.”

Two vehicles were on stand – an unregistered 53-seater Plaxton Panther-bodied Volvo B11R and an ADL Enviro200 MMC for Thamesdown. The latter had a horse-shoe seat arrangement which created a lounge-type environment at the back of the bus.

“The social seating has had positive response so far,” enthused Steve.

Displayed outside was a 14m tri-axle Panther demonstrator, which has just completed a promotional tour of Scotland – which included attending Lothian’s recent depot open day (CBW1310). The coach was 61-seater centre demountable WC variant.

Also outside was a Euro 5 Enviro200, one of the few stock vehicles of its kind still available – which were to be sold on a ‘first come, first served’ basis.

More options from Moseley
Moseley occupied its familiar position just inside the entrance with a healthy display of coaches representing a cross-section of its range.

Something of a surprise vehicle on stand was an Indcar midicoach, which was based on an Iveco CC100E22FP chassis, powered by a 220bhp Euro 6 engine, coupled to an automatic gearbox with Telma retarder.

With its heated panoramic windscreen, the air-conditioned vehicle offered 29/31 seats and 4.5 cubic metres of luggage space.

Describing it as “an old friend who’s returned,” Karl Moseley took up the story: “Mago is its continental name – we of course, knew it ‘back in the day’ as the Maxim. It’s very much here to test customer reaction and to gauge interest, which is why it’s one we’ve borrowed from Indcar. I would like to think there’s possibly enough interest to do an initial production run, something we will review after this show.”

Flying the flag for VDL at the show was Hemmings’ new Futura FHD129. “The Devon operator is a new face in the Futura fold, which we’re proud and pleased with,” Karl enthused. “Somewhat unusually, the 440bhp engine has been specified in place of the more common 370bhp – and an AS-Tronic has been chosen rather than our standard fully automatic transmission. The coach has got a beautiful interior.

“The Futura continues to be the mainstay of our business – it remains a popular choice for operators. While there are some new competitors this year, the Futura is still the lightest constructed coach in the market and remains consistently amongst the most fuel efficient.

“An additional benefit is lots of luggage space.

“The ever-popular Futura 2 has been available in the UK for about six years. A well-supported, proven product with tremendous residual values. It offers a seating capacity of 53/57 on two axles and can carry 830 litres of fuel. With that specification and weight, there’s a lot going for it.”
With the advent of 19.5 tonne, Karl revealed an exciting new development: “We’re going to offer a 13.5m two-axle Futura with 59 seater WC or 61 without. The turning circle remains inline with other shorter coaches.”

Turning to the smart Beulas Aura for North Shropshire operator Bensons (see p12), Karl said: “Being a touring vehicle, Clive Benson has specified it up with a large amount of legroom – he’s downseated it to 48 – and a high degree of luxury.

“Beulas is delighted to be able to meet specific requirements. It’s a great match – an owner operator with exacting specification meets a bespoke manufacturer.”

The high standard of finish on the paintwork included Beulas’ familiar hand-painted lettering – no vinyls have been applied to the coach.

Mechanically, the 13m long coach for the Whitchurch-based operator is based an MAN RR4 chassis, powered by a 500bhp engine, coupled to AS-Tronic transmission.

Another full-size coach displayed was a Van Hool Astron in a special livery celebrating the Belgian manufactuer’s 70th anniversary. The coach has been acquired by Westway and it is expected the well-known Greater London-based operator’s own livery will be applied after the show.

Also looking the part was the Mercedes-Benz Atego-based Indcar Next L8, a repeat order for Buckinghamshire operator Commonwealth Coaches. While this vehicle is a 33-seater 10T variant, Moseley also offers the L9, a 12T 37-seater.

“We are selling the Next coaches in reasonably good numbers,” said Karl. “Atego offers good residual values. Amongst the conversions, it’s the most attratctive in my opinion.”

Not to be forgotten was the 12.2m Beulas Cygnus-bodied MAN RR2 for Heyfordian, which was parked in the outside display area.

Asked about any deals confirmed at the show, Karl replied: “Tynedale has ordered a Van Hool TDX21 Altano, which will be a VIP football team coach. It will come to the UK as a seated vehicle, before being converted by AD Coach Systems. This will be the fourth vehicle of its kind – three last year for the same kind of work. The premium segment is where Van Hool is these days in terms of market position. The product comes at a price, but what you get for that is the very best.”

Full range of Yutong electrics on the way
As well as exhibiting its Yutong TC9 and TC12 coach range, Castleford-based Pelican Bus & Coach showed a LDV minibus conversion underlining the relationship the dealer established with Excel Conversions earlier this year. Pelican Sales Manager, Bob Elliott explained that the minibus project was a partnership with the Doncaster-based convertor. Four had already been sold and the vehicle on display had found a buyer by the end of Coach & Bus UK.

“We had a busy show,” explained Bob. “Yutong just keeps going from strength to strength and I think by the end of 2017 we will have sold more than 80 vehicles.”

Available for demonstration outside the exhibition hall was Pelican’s Yutong E12 all electric 12m bus. Extensively demonstrated to Arriva and Tower Transit-owned Whippet Coaches throughout the year, it was going on to Nottingham Community Transport after the show.

“Our E12 has covered more than 20,000km in service and there have been no reliability issues,” explained Richard Crump, Pelican Managing Director. “It has been averaging 1.05kWh/km and in relatively flat Cambridgeshire with Whippet’s, it was even lower at 0.8kWh/km.

“It’s taking time to build operator confidence. There’s a perception that electrics are complicated, but once they’ve experienced operating one they can see that essentially it’s no different to diesel. We shouldn’t forget that Euro 6 diesels have their issues. The engines run very hot and that can be a problem. There’s none of that with an electric.

“The first of two E10 10.8m demonstrators to be built for us is finished and will undergo a month’s testing in China before shipping to the UK. We expect it early next year. It’s two-door to a Transport for London (TfL) specification and we have a demonstration programme lined up for it.

“We plan to offer a full range of electric vehicles that all share the same driveline so a right-hand drive all-electric E18 articulated bus will follow towards the end of 2018 and there will be an electric double-decker late in 2019.

“The articulated bus will come before the double-decker because Yutong sees potential for it in the wider European market. However, we believe there will also be demand for it in the UK and we’re already having a good level of discussion with several airports that might be interested.
“Now that we have the 19.5-tonne weight limit we’ll be pushing ahead with introducing the high-specification HTC coach and we hope to launch that in the UK next year. It was designed to be introduced in ‘high value’ markets such as the UK, France, Israel and Australia first before China. There is greater use of composites and plastics to help reduce weight.

“We haven’t made a final decision yet on lengths, but the idea is to offer a 12.9m on two axles possibly complemented by a 12.2m. Whether we offer the lower height LTC or continue to make the TC12 available has also to be decided.

“We think being at Coach & Bus UK was important. What’s good about shows is that it gets people together in one place. If I put sales guys into cars to go out and talk to all the people we saw on the stand, it would take weeks. We flew nine engineers over from China especially for the show and that underlines how committed we are.”

Volvo’s bigger picture
“This year is the 45th anniversary of our partnership with Plaxton,” pointed out Volvo Bus Managing Director Nick Page.

“Plaxton is a vital part of our business so that’s why there’s the high specification Acklams Coaches of Beverley Elitei Volvo B11R on the stand. It’s a really nice vehicle to show. Our message is the safer choice is Volvo.

“We have seen a really strong year in new coach sales. I would expect our penetration to be around 35% of the market – 360 vehicles – but the art is not in selling new. It’s managing the used.

“The issue at the moment is the uncertainty brought about technology and the drive to introduce low emission zones. Where will a Euro 5 vehicle that’s only two or three years old be able to go in 18 months time? There’s a lot of uncertainty, not just for us but for operators as well. We’re very focused on that because that’s where we could lose a lot of money. We’ve traded vehicles a long time and we’re not going to drive new sales through used business.

“Volvo Bus has always covered both UK and Ireland. The Irish market is an important part of what we do and this year we’ve probably put in 35 units out of that 360.

“I think we’ll do just shy of 800 buses this year. Of that 550 will be hybrids, nearly all the rest B5TL diesels. B8RLE will probably account for 15-20 vehicles – mainly MCV-bodied stock that we feed out.

“Wright’s is still by far the largest bodybuilding partner for double-deck. We’ve brought MCV in and operators have been evaluating them to see how they operate. Initial feedback is excellent. ADL bodywork is an important part of our portfolio as well.

“Probably 80% of the hybrids we supply go into London. Route replacement is cyclical, but Transport for London (TfL) has not changed its tendering process and there’s no view that it will. It’s still five years with a two-year extension and that will continue to drive replacement. What they have said is there will only be hybrids or electric vehicles going in going forward. We still believe there will be opportunities in the capital and investment will continue to be made by TfL.

“Our 7900 electric bus has just started demonstrating in Manchester. It’s there with our mobile charging station for eight weeks. There’s a 12-month plan for its operation in different cities across the UK and that’s just being finalising at the moment. It will spend two months in each location so that a proper evaluation can be made. The 7900 electrics for Harrogate are just going into build now and are on plan for a start early next year. I’m expecting more orders to come through shortly.

“There are a lot of discussions as to what is the price of an electric bus compared to a diesel, but it’s not about the price of the vehicle. It’s about the infrastructure and everything else that goes with that. It’s what is the price of this transport solution, almost compared to something like a tram. It affects infrastructure and planning for the next 20-25 years. There are so many possibilities for cities if they want to get involved – a game changer.

“Electric may be appropriate for city centres, but not necessarily for outer areas and Volvo offers a range of options that are already available. We have what we call our toolbox – hybrid, electric hybrid and electric products. We also initiated OppCharge to ensure a common interface for the charging infrastructure.

“There are a lot of manufacturers getting into electric at the moment, but Volvo has a global presence and that will become more important as electrification grows. We’re not just a bus manufacturer. We build trucks, distribution vehicles, refuse trucks – all types that at some stage will have to go down the electrification road. I do believe there will be a shakedown and there will be some key global players that emerge that can support all of this and the infrastructure for many years to come because it’s all about the whole package.

“We’re in a good place at the moment. We’re working on a lot, but that’s for next year.”[/wlm_ismember]