Eavesway Travel takes delivery of a high-spec Yutong TC9
Eavesway Travel has taken delivery of a customised, built to order Yutong TC9 midicoach in what represents conquest business for both supplier Pelican Bus and Coach and the Yutong marque.
The TC9 has been produced to the Ashton-in-Makerfield operator’s specification by Yutong, including paint finish and its 26 cream leather seats with blue trim.
Two tables are fitted at the rear, while behind that is a large walk-in kitchen and servery area that includes running water, storage and food warming facilities among other amenities. That area of the coach was completed by AD Coach Systems.
Pelican UK Coach Sales Manager Simon Collins explains that a dialogue between the operator and supplier during the COVID-19 pandemic led to the order being placed. “Eavesway was looking for a tailored vehicle solution with a special interior, and we were happy to oblige,” says Mr Collins.
“The high standard specification of the TC9 and backup from Pelican that the team there had heard about helped to secure this order. All parties involved are very impressed with the fantastic outcome.”
The TC9 for Eavesway is powered by a Cummins ISB6.7 engine coupled to a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox. It also has an additional nearside door as pre-preparation for any future need for PSVAR compliance.
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First Scania Irizar i6S Efficient for UK breaks cover
The first Scania Irizar i6S Efficient for the UK market has been revealed by the chassis manufacturer. In addition to debuting the new, lighter body in right-hand drive form, it utilises Scania’s next-generation coach chassis.
Relatively minor alterations have been made to the driveline of the new underframe, which adopts a revised nomenclature; the first Scania Irizar i6S Efficient is thus built on a KNI 410 chassis.
When in tri-axle form, the KN 410 retains the existing 12.7-litre DC13 engine and Opticruise automated manual gearbox, although both have been tweaked; the latter now comes with 12 ratios as standard rather than eight and its shift programme has been updated. Combined, they deliver what Scania says is a 6% fuel efficiency gain.
In the chassis designator, 410 denotes the first coach’s horsepower, with 450bhp available as an option. Wider driveline changes will follow later when the DC13 in its recently unveiled Super form comes to coaches, but for now, many of the principal other changes with the next generation underframe are to be found in the cab area.
Customer orders already in hand for Scania Irizar i6S Efficient
Once in production, the Scania Irizar i6S Efficient will be built on two and three axles. To the former layout, 12.9m will be standard, with a 12.2m variant available to order. Those coaches will come with the 9.3-litre DC09 engine, with the DC13 as an option. On three axles, only the DC13 will be used, and lengths will be 13.2m or 14.1m.
Customer orders for the Scania Irizar i6S Efficient are already in hand for the UK. Delivery should a deal be signed by a buyer now would be in March 2023. The latest generation of the OEM's coach chassis is already in service in the UK with several operators, carrying established models of Irizar bodywork including the i8.
The demonstrator of the new model is a 14.1m tri-axle. It has 59 Irizar i6S seats and it is PSVAR compliant thanks to a Hidral Gobel lift over the tag axle.
17% fuel consumption reduction claimed by Swedish operator
For the Scania Irizar i6S Efficient, the chassis manufacturer’s work sits alongside significant efforts by Irizar to develop the i6S Efficient from its existing i6S.
The Spanish manufacturer earlier presented the new product in detail, and its fuel economy promises – driven by the removal of weight and drag among other efficiency gains – are already on a good footing. When that is combined with driveline advancements, one Swedish operator that has compared the Scania Irizar i6S Efficient to a like-for-like Scania Irizar i6S has reported an overall 17% reduction in consumption.
A contributor to that improvement is the removal of rear-view mirrors and the drag that they create in favour of cameras. Scania UK is aware that for aesthetic reasons, not all customers will want to lose the trademark mirror arms, and they remain an option on the i6S Efficient.
Deciding whether to order stock examples with or without mirrors is proving difficult, says Retail Sales Manager Lee Wale. Customer feedback will be key to that choice. However, the Scania demonstrator has the digital replacements and routeone was recently able to put the coach through its paces on both Scania’s test track near Sodertälje and the surrounding public roads.
The type fitted is a model of clarity and delivers a superb view to the monitors mounted on each A-pillar. A useful touch is the addition of three fixed, coloured lines to the display; they denote the location of the drive axle, the tag axle and the rear of the coach, respectively. Selected operators will have the chance to try the vehicle in Sweden in September before it is show at Euro Bus Expo in November.
Also fitted to the demonstrator is a system to detect vulnerable road users on each side of the coach. It uses slightly bulbous units that are mounted on the bodywork behind each front wheel and first generates a visible warning. If that goes unheeded, it vibrates the respective side of the driver’s seat.
Scania Irizar i6S Efficient work sits alongside Touring update
The dashboard of the latest generation coach chassis is completely new. Scania can supply such underframes with either a complete or partially complete dash. Irizar takes the latter and adds its own elements of the driver’s workstation; the Scania Touring uses a complete unit.
The Touring has also seen changes internally to go with the latest generation chassis. In addition to its overhauled cab area, lighter colours have been introduced to the luggage rack units and around the windscreen. 20 of these coaches – 10 each of the 12.1m two-axle and the 13.7m tri-axle – are on order with Scania UK for 2023 delivery. All will be PSVAR compliant.
In addition, the first next generation Scania coach chassis with Caetano Levante bodywork will be delivered to the UK soon, while dealership BASE has ordered 10 of the new model to be mated to MOBIpeople Explorer bodywork. The latter underframes will be powered by the DC09 rated at 320bhp coupled to the ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox. Meanwhile, production of the Interlink has ceased.
For more in-depth coverage of the Scania Irizar i6S Efficient, including a thorough assessment of its on-road capabilities, and news of other development work to the chassis manufacturer's coach and Fencer bus range in the UK, see the July issue of routeone published on Wednesday 13 July.
Barnes Coaches takes delivery of an Irizar i6S integral
Barnes Coaches of Swindon has taken delivery of a 12.9m, two-axle Irizar i6S integral, supplied by Irizar UK.
The coach carries 53 passengers in i6 classic seats that are trimmed in synthetic leather and which come with three-point belts and drop-down tables. Entertainment is from a Bosch Smart Series radio, CD and PA system with Bluetooth compatibility.
Delivery of the latest i6S integral means that Barnes Coaches has now taken 11 new vehicles from Irizar UK. It is powered by the DAF MX-11 engine developing 408bhp driving through a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox.