Based on his experiences of driving and riding it, Gareth Evans offers his thoughts on MCV’s new Volvo B8RLE-based eVoRa single-deck bus
It is often said that ‘beauty is in the eye of the beholder’ and it’s fair to say that applies to MCV’s new single-decker body style. The interior is what appealed to me most – but the outside has many features to like too.
I always think the external appearance of a coach or bus starts with the headlights – the ‘eyes’ if you like. The eVoRa has a ‘face,’ the look of which is enhanced by the LED lights when illuminated – including the v-like shape beneath the headlights. LEDs, which are used for indicators and marker lights alike, give the bus a welcome contemporary, almost Audi-like design feature.
Perhaps another more modern design cue is the use of top-hung wipers, which I believe alters the appearance at the front in a good way. It frees up the area beneath the windscreen for branding, aids visibility for the driver and gives the bus a cleaner look, while also allowing water to naturally fall down.
The rear styling looks particularly smart, while also being practical, with panels broken down into smaller sections, such as the vulnerable bottom corners and middle pillars. Checking the coolant, which is located on the offside rear pillar, is straightforward, thanks to the press button system, which then illuminates a green or red light according to whether a top-up is required. The top-up point itself is a good height. The fuel filler, which is located on the offside behind the back axle, is also at a good height. [wlm_nonmember][…]
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The smooth opening two-piece passenger doors are glazed for about as much as they can be – the edge at the bottom is not too thick thankfully. This allows in natural light and maximises visibility for the driver when pulling up at the roadside.
On-board, the environment is welcoming in a familiar bus manner, but with a contemporary twist, thanks to the clean curves. A striking feature is the wealth of natural light and the welcome feeling of space, helped by the vehicle’s 3m (9’ 10” in traditional money) height and the two sky lights – in middle front and rear of the saloon respectively and augmented by mood lighting, which was blue on this particular bus.
There are no emergency hammers on-board – the press button Safe-T-Punch system being used instead. This is integrated into the large windows, which maximise the views for passengers, assisted by the non-intrusive pillars.
A practical feature is the angled flat panel between the window and the ceiling, enabling operators to fix adverts, should they wish.
A belted seat can be found to the front of the wheelboxes on both the offside and nearside. The decency screen which protects the latter is a dark-coloured panel.
On top of both wheelboxes is a luggage pen. On the offside, this is followed by a row of priority seats located on a raised platform – the latter being a requirement of the chassis. An armrest is fitted on the aisle seat, also a requirement for priority seating. The emergency door is located to the rear of two rows of seats fitted to the flat main saloon floor. Another row of priority seats can be found on the nearside to the rear of the wheelchair bay, with its trio of flip-down seats. I was pleasantly surprised to find the flip-down seats were most pleasant to sit on. They were softly cushioned and positioned at a good height – they were not, as I had feared, like the hard, uncomfortable ‘perches’ akin to those found at some austere bus shelters.
The blown convector heaters appeared to be highly effective on what was a cold, blustery February day. One of these can be found beneath two of the flip-down seats. The set-up results in a neat, clean finish, minimising clutter and removing a dirt trap that normally arises with traditional radiators mounted on the sidewall.
I found the regular seats to be comfortable too, with good legroom and practical three-point belts that worked well, but at the same time would not irritate passengers who do not wish to make use of them.
As in the home, where the choice of flooring can set off a room, it was nice to see the use of contemporary laminate-style finish on the eVoRa. A welcome touch is that the floor curves upwards where it joins the sidewalls in several locations, removing a dirt trap and making cleaning much easier. On that note, based on my experience of cleaning coaches and buses, the floor can be swept and mopped with ease – the lips on the edges of the edges of the raised seating bays for example, would not inhibit brushing. Also, where the seats are mounted on a raised area rather than fixed to the floor on their ‘legs,’ there is sufficient room to run a brush and mop. Inspection hatch lips in the rear half of the saloon are non-intrusive, so should not inhibit cleaning either.
Another welcome touch is the blower vent located just above the floor level by the fire extinguisher where the dash curves round towards the cab. This may go some way to helping to dry a wet floor on a cold, damp day.
For a bus of this kind, I was delighted to find that there was no steeply-graded ‘ski slope’ floor up into to the rear saloon. The steps are nicely spaced – the steepest being that into the back row. It’s pleasing to report that the back row is far from dingy and claustrophobic – it’s spacious, airy and headroom is plentiful. I didn’t feel the need to squat. While the back row is not normally my position of choice on a bus, I wouldn’t feel relegated if I had to occupy one of those seats on the eVoRa.
Behind the wheel
The cab door was sturdy but not unduly heavy. I found the cab itself was spacious – and I made use of the coat hook on the bulkhead.
The wing mirrors, which provide excellent visibility, can easily be adjusted and replaced when required in the traditional manner.
A great view of the road can be enjoyed thanks to the comfortable driving position, which is also an ideal height to engage with passengers. Sightlines from the driving seat and general airiness are helped by the quarter lights, i.e. the glazed vertical panels in the front corners between the passenger door and corner pillars. Demister blower vents can be directed to help keep it clear. It’s also pleasing to report that the interior rear view mirror offers excellent visibility. Part integrated into the destination blind box, its location means it’s not intrusive and at risk of being knocked.
The majority of the controls can be accessed without stretching from the comfortable, trusty Chapman driver’s seat. On the well-designed binnacle, the exterior light control can be found to the left of the steering wheel, with the hazard light button beneath.
Switches for other lights, including interior and cab can be found to the right of the steering wheel. Gear selection switches – for drive, neutral and reverse – are on the right-hand side too. I found the speedometer clear to read.
The steering wheel was a comfortable size, pleasant to handle and responsive. The indicators are controlled by the left-hand stalk on the steering column, with the right-hand one for the wipers. Air vents can be found on either side of the binnacle, as well as that which points at the driver’s feet.
Both halves of the cab window can be opened – something I feel is important as a driver. The panes both above and beneath the main cab windows are glazed, allowing in welcome natural light.
Handbrake and door control buttons are conveniently located on the shelf in a position that means no stretching or leaning for the driver.
The heating for the main passenger saloon and cab can be controlled by the driver with ease using a three-stage button – off, middle and fast. Located in a channel that curves down from the ceiling to end near the line of the upper edge of the windscreen, it is non-intrusive. The sun visor is of the retractable-type blind.
However, the destination control is located behind driver in awkward position. Changing it means getting out of the seat and standing by the cab door. It’s a little touch that I admit would irritate me if I was driving it in service. This, after all, in an age where the sometimes cumbersome ‘joy’ of winding stiff roller blinds and adjusting route number tracks, with the leaning and twisting it can require, is largely the exception rather than the norm. I would prefer it if the destination control could be moved to be next to the heating controls.
The dash appears easy to keep clean – something that is especially important for the independent sector this bus is intended to appeal to, with their coach-like attitude to cleanliness.
The eVoRa drives lovely – it’s a Volvo after all. With that in mind, type training for drivers and maintenance staff alike should be straightforward to operators of Volvos. That said controls are intuitive regardless of whether or not you’re fortunate enough to have previously driven a Volvo.
Acceleration was swift but smooth – the bus cornered easily and rode well. Reversing was easy – I turned the bus around and manoeuvred it into various positions for photos, much as would be the case while on a typical rural or interurban route.
Ride quality and on-board noise was as would be expected on a Volvo – it was glued to the road. As is evident in the video on CBW’s YouTube channel, the footage is remarkably steady, which is indicative of how well the bus absorbed the undulations of the road surface.
In conclusion, the eVoRa has much to offer. Mounted on proven Volvo running gear, it’s a heavy duty product, which doesn’t feel ‘cheap.’ As a seatbelted vehicle, it also offers the versatility to be used on duties that encompass home-to-school transport, as well regular bus service work.
Watch the video here.
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