Euro Bus Expo 2026 registration opens as event momentum builds
Registration for Euro Bus Expo 2026 has opened ahead of the UK coach and bus industry’s premier meeting place returning to the NEC Birmingham on 3-5 November.
Maintaining its position as the sector’s leading opportunity to connect, learn, and see the latest vehicle displays, technology showcase and industry insights, the trade show is expected to welcome more than 200 exhibitors.
So far, 22 vehicle exhibitors have confirmed their places across the coach, bus and mini vehicle segments. They will be joined by an ever-growing lineup of technology, infrastructure, product and service suppliers, covering everything from fleet management and charging to passenger systems, driver training, and finance.
For visitors, the show will capture everything the coach and bus industry could need, all under one roof. Organiser Diversified UK and Europe says that will deliver time and travel efficiencies, productive conversations with suppliers, and opportunity to condense months of research into a matter of days.
Whether planning fleet renewal or expansion, exploring zero-emission options or reviewing operational technology, visitors will be able to assess their choices, ask the right questions, and move decisions forward across three focused days that are dedicated entirely to the passenger sector.
This year will see the return of Euro Bus Expo Connect. Launched in 2024, it is the event’s dedicated networking platform. Attendees can search for exhibitors and products ahead of their visit, schedule meetings directly with suppliers, and build a personal itinerary of appointments and theatre sessions.
Euro Bus Expo Connect will open in September, allowing registered attendees to confirm meetings early and maximise their time at the event. A hosted meeting lounge at Euro Bus Expo will provide dedicated space for key business discussions.
Currently under development is the Masterclass Theatre programme. Sessions will address the operational, commercial and regulatory priorities for the sector.
Via a call for speakers, the organiser is inviting industry professionals to apply to share their real-world insight and experience. Submissions can be made via the show website, ahead of a 19 June deadline.
Speaking about progress made already with Euro Bus Expo 2026, Event Director Helen Conway says: “Euro Bus Expo is where the industry comes together to meet suppliers face-to-face, see the latest innovations, and make informed business decisions.
“The 2026 exhibitor line-up is building at pace, with a packed and broad-ranging showcase set for November. We are looking forward to welcoming the industry back to the NEC.”
The 2026 edition of Euro Bus Expo is supported by show partner the Confederation of Passenger Transport.
Registration to attend is free of charge. It is open to industry professionals via the Euro Bus Expo website. Registering early means being among the first to receive event updates, theatre announcements, and access to Euro Bus Expo Connect when it launches.
With new exhibitors joining the event line-up every week and the show now over 80% sold, businesses interested in exhibiting should contact Commercial Manager Martin Laverton by email at [email protected] or on +44 (0)1733 405735, or visit a dedicated page explaining the benefits of exhibiting.
Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus gain technology grant funding
UK bus manufacturers Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus are each part of separate projects that have been awarded grant funding for technology development. They will advance electric repower and autonomous driving, respectively.
Alexander Dennis via its AD Repower venture in partnership with KleanDrive will receive money from the DRIVE35 Demonstrate programme. It falls under the Department for Business and Trade (DfBT) and is delivered via the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC) UK.
That support will enable the parties to continue to develop what Alexander Dennis says are “modular electric powertrains” to repower diesel buses to zero-emission. A first prototype conversion, of an Alexander Dennis Enviro400, is due for completion in 2026.
Repower work under the arrangement is built around a ‘plug and play’ approach for the electric drivetrain and software.
A skid system incorporates a Vehicle Electrical Drive System from Driventic and power electronics, with no post-conversion compromise on the Enviro400 interior layout and “allowing existing buses’ full seating capacity to be retained,” says the bus manufacturer.
APC information on the wider scheme notes that 18 projects will share over £29.1 million via the DRIVE35 Demonstrate programme. That includes £14.3 million of grants, matched by industry funding.
Meanwhile, Wrightbus is lead partner in ASPIRE. It is one of eight projects selected under the Feasibility Studies 2 competition that is part of the £150 million Connected and Automated Mobility Pathfinder programme, which also falls under DfBT in collaboration with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
Wrightbus is joined by academic partners Loughborough University and Queen’s University Belfast on the project.
It will examine how self-driving vehicles could help to solve what the bus manufacturer says is “a critical UK mobility challenge – addressing structural driver shortages, rising operational costs, and the need to maintain connectivity in communities while meeting zero-emission mandates.”
The collaboration is not pursuing immediate full-scale autonomy, but is adopting a phased, evidence-driven approach to test what works, measure results, and use learnings to make introduction of self-driving passenger services in the future safer and easier.
Speaking about the work, Wrightbus Head of Research and Data Analytics Dr Andy Harris says: “Driver shortages and the pressure to decarbonise are the two biggest challenges facing UK public transport operators today.
“ASPIRE gives us the opportunity to explore how autonomous technology, combined with our world-leading zero-emission vehicles, could offer a genuinely transformative solution not just for operators, but for the communities we serve.”
Dr Harris adds that the funding “reflects the confidence the UK government has in Wrightbus as an innovative leader” and that the manufacturer is proud to work alongside its academic partners “to develop a credible, commercial business case for the future of autonomous public transport.”
Coach Services adds its first 10.8m Volvo B8RLE MCV Evoras
Coach Services of Thetford has taken delivery of a further two Volvo B8RLEs with MCV Evora bodywork, supplied by Volvo Bus UK and Ireland.
While they join earlier examples in the Norfolk fleet, the latest vehicles are the first 10.8m variants to be purchased. The existing models are all at 12m.
Every new single-deck bus bought by Coach Services over the last five years has been the Volvo MCV combination. Director Rob Crawford says that the type is favoured largely due to reliability.
“This time we have opted for a shorter length as it gives us better manoeuvrability – something our drivers appreciate on the narrow routes they operate on,” he adds.
Usage for the latest pair will be on the T1, T2 and T3 Thetford Rangers services. They run through the town and its surrounding forest corridor. Suitable branding is carried, including a stag logo to represent that landscape. Each bus has 35 seats and an overall capacity of 84.
Support from Volvo Truck and Bus Centre Thetford was another positive, says Mr Crawford. The operator is close to that dealership, with three further locations within 30 miles.
Such coverage “is incredibly convenient for parts supply or getting technical assistance when needed,” he continues. “That level of support is a big part of why the partnership has remained so strong – it makes it far easier to provide a consistent, dependable service for our passengers.”
Power in the B8RLE Evora is from the 7.7-litre D8K engine coupled to a ZF EcoLife automatic gearbox.
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