Volvo BZL bus and new 9700 coach for Euro Bus Expo
The new model Volvo 9700 coach (pictured) will be on display at Euro Bus Expo alongside a battery-electric BZL single-decker bus as part of a celebration of dealership Volvo Bus UK and Ireland’s 50th anniversary, it has confirmed.
Bound for operator Halpenny Travel of Blackrock, Co Louth, the two-axle Volvo 9700 to be at Euro Bus Expo will be powered by the 13-litre D13K engine developing no less than 500bhp coupled to the I-Shift automated manual gearbox.
Volvo says that the engine and driveline used in the 9700 have “several fuel-saving technologies” to reduce consumption by “up to 9%,” in addition to the aerodynamic qualities of a coach that “radiates attitude, elegance and safety.”
Meanwhile, the BZL battery-electric is a demonstrator vehicle with Volvo’s own driveline. The manufacturer says that the BZL range - which also includes a double-decker - comes with “flexible charging options to ensure seamless operation” and that through a partnership approach, it can work with customers on the transition to zero-emission.
Euro Bus Expo will be held between 1-3 November at the NEC Birmingham. Register for free tickets here. Volvo will be on stand D50.
Pelican Bus and Coach continues investment in Yutong
Pelican Bus and Coach has signed a new long-term agreement with Yutong capturing much of the remainder of the decade and it expects to supply around 250 vehicles from the manufacturer in 2023. That is further indication of the success of both brands in the UK passenger market.
News of the extended collaboration was revealed alongside details of other developments around Pelican’s sales and support provision for Yutong and planned updates to the vehicle range. January 2023 will see the opening of a new showroom and service centre that will be dedicated to Yutong. Staff numbers on the support side have been beefed up and the sales team has grown.
Meanwhile, a national Yutong parts distribution centre scheduled to open in October holds £2.8m worth of components and ultimately can accommodate £7.5m worth. It will also be the national hub for Pelican’s battery-electric chargers, stocking those rated at 20, 42 and 120kW, and house the growing team dedicated to supporting the Yutong range.
Additionally in place are nationwide service dealers and a growing number of regional service engineers. The scale of this investment has been made possible by the renewed long-term agreement with the Chinese manufacturer, says Pelican Managing Director Richard Crump.
All that complements range expansion. On the battery-electric bus front, the 8.9m E9 arrives in early 2023, and it will be followed by a 10.9m double-decker promising 385kW/h of energy storage. A first UK specification double-decker has been built in China and is undergoing testing. Once durability validation is complete, a demonstrator will be constructed and shipped to Pelican.
Head of Yutong Sales Ian Downie says that Pelican will be able to deliver the double-decker in 2023. It uses the established driveline from the E10 and E12 single-deckers, will carry a maximum of 80 passengers and builds on Yutong’s existing work with double-deckers in China and Singapore.
New coach demand mirroring electric bus, says Pelican
On the coach side, things are also developing. Simon Collins was promoted by Pelican to Sales Manager for Coaches earlier in 2022.
He reports that demand for new vehicles is “very strong” and that Pelican this year will see numbers close to those from 2019. That is partially caused by lower volumes during the intervening period and a resulting paucity of late used stock.
The breakdown of enquiries and sales is evolving. Since publication of the medium-term exemption approach to PSVAR, demand for compliant new coaches has slowed, Simon explains. The approach is now often to specify ‘PSVAR ready’. That entails fitment of an additional door and in most cases, destination displays, but no lift. It can be added later.
Equally significant is the growing traction for zero-emission coaches since late 2021. Simon explains that now, at least 30% of coach enquiries are for the battery-electric TCe12. The portable 42kW charger offered by Pelican that runs from a three-phase supply has opened more scope for the TCe12, he continues. That model recently received some modest styling tweaks.
On the diesel front, the TC9 midi has gained upgraded passenger and driver seats and an extension to the upholstery variants available ex-factory. The flagship GT12 tourer also has improved seats all round and it too has seen some modest styling changes. All GT12s arrive from China with a door to suit PSVAR in place.
Battery-electric technology continues to advance
A less well-known part of Pelican’s battery-electric range captures airside buses. It has introduced a new variant, the ABe14, and one has already been delivered to Newcastle International Airport, where it joins an earlier model. The ABe14 is 14m long on two axles and carries 110 passengers.
The ABe14 and TCe12 come with the Yutong Electrical Safety Standard (YESS), as do the E10 and E12 and as will the battery-electric double-decker.
In conjunction with lithium iron phosphate chemistry, Yutong believes that YESS offers great protection to the batteries.
YESS includes structural, thermal and parts protection and a constant nitrogen ‘blanket’ to mitigate any fire risk.
In addition to YESS, 24/7 monitoring of batteries has been introduced. Data is transmitted to Yutong in China and any abnormality can be flagged to the operator immediately. Work to prolong range in colder months has also been undertaken, with a fix installed to prevent the demister from being left running when vehicles are idle. Ian is thus confident that energy use will be lower this winter than the last.
Customer support at heart for Pelican Bus and Coach
A lot of positivity is coming from Pelican around its work in coach and bus. Richard is clear that a safety net through the pandemic period came via the dealership’s longstanding work with HGVs, but he says Pelican is particularly proud of the support it offers to customers. “We believe that it is as good as anywhere else, and in some cases, better,” he says.
Further bulk deliveries of battery-electric buses are in hand, including to First Bus, McGill’s Buses and Stagecoach in Scotland and Newport Transport, while two batches have arrived for the TrawsCymru network in Wales. All will be fitted out here; around 30% of the value of a Yutong battery-electric bus stays in the UK under that arrangement.
When a growing range and customer base is combined with major investment in support and a long-term deal with Yutong, the future for Pelican Bus and Coach looks stronger than ever. The full range of its vehicles will be on show at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham between 1-3 November.
EVM grows range with AOS-branded additions
Growth of the EVM range has been steady over recent years. Recently it entered the integral realm with a pair of larger AOS-branded midicoaches from Anadolu Isuzu: The Grand Toro and the larger Visigo. Likely to complement them later is the Novociti Volt battery-electric small bus.
Those models join the existing products for which EVM has a good name. The Grand Toro is a cost-effective 8.5m product with up to 35 seats. It has a four-cylinder Cummins ISB4.5 engine behind the front axle driving through an Allison six-speed automatic gearbox. The 9.7m Visigo is also taller and wider. It can carry up to 39 passengers and is powered by the six-cylinder ISB6.7 coupled to a ZF EcoLife transmission.
The Grand Toro satisfies various coach requirements and it can also be customised to suit local authority requirements. The Visigo suits applications for a higher specification vehicle. EVM sees each fitting well into a typical coach fleet. It has already has orders in hand with existing customers for both models, and believes that the AOS midicoaches will open new doors.
Alongside them the Novociti Volt. It is a compact vehicle for which work on a possible UK variant will soon be underway. Unlike the Grand Toro and the Visigo, no right-hand drive Novociti Volt is yet built, and the first is likely to be around a year away.
However, EVM will show a left-hand drive model at Euro Bus Expo on 1-3 November to source industry feedback. It will sit at the NEC Birmingham alongside the Grand Toro and Visigo and five members of EVM’s established range.
Steady hand on the AOS tiller for EVM
Sale of mid- and rear-engined coaches represents a departure for EVM. Recruited recently to head its work with AOS products was Steve O’Neill.
He is known to many in the industry through time as Managing Director of Kent operator The Kings Ferry and as a founder Director of Irizar UK.
As an established coachman who is familiar with the operating and vehicle supply sides of the sector, Steve brings gravitas to the AOS offering. But keys to its success in the UK are a strong product and well-resourced support. He believes that the former is already there, and that the latter is well on the way to being in place ahead of the first deliveries.
After some time away from the coach industry, why has Steve elected to return? “Coaches have always been in my DNA,” he explains. “I was first involved with The Kings Ferry as my father’s business when I was a child. I have always enjoyed the industry and the people in it.”
Steve and EVM Managing Director Danny McGee had been in discussion for some time before Steve came onboard. He was already familiar with many members of EVM’s customer base and believes that the SME part of the coach industry has a prosperous future ahead of it.
Danny and Steve are also on the same page when it comes to the quality of service and vehicles. Both AOS-branded midicoaches are integral models that are built on a dedicated coach production line.
Products assembled in Turkey by other OEMs are already commonplace in the UK market and the country has established itself as a credible supplier of coaches.
Other products exist within the AOS range that could subsequently come to the UK, Steve continues, although he notes that there is little interest in entering the 12-13m, 53-seat market at this stage. Instead EVM is keen to maintain its core focus at the smaller end of the coach sector.
AOS examples – and orders – already in place with EVM
Examples of each of the Grand Toro and the Visigo are at EVM’s new premises near Horsham. More are in build. The Grand Toro occupies a particular spot that was briefly filled in the UK by the Otokar Navigo T.
For a retail price of £130,000, the buyer gets a well-specified midicoach that will suit private hire and contract use. With the small Cummins engine and a GVW of 11,480kg, it promises good economy. That will be furthered by the Allison gearbox. It is part of the manufacturer’s latest xFE range that is optimised for fuel efficiency.
The first Grand Toro in the UK is a right-hand drive development vehicle, but much of its specification will follow into production. While the Grand Toro may be cost-effective, it still has a good specification; USB charging points are standard, as is wood-effect flooring and saloon air-conditioning.
Seats will be from a range produced for EVM by Sege. They will become standard across EVM’s line-up, from minicoaches to the Visigo, and come in two styles, to which trim level and colours are added.
The Visigo will be targeted at the higher end of the midicoach market. In addition to 39 seats, it will also be available with 35 and a toilet.
Without a washroom, 39 has been achieved by using an emergency door. The seat pair adjacent to it have tip-up bases to create the required space. Other options to downseat further in a luxury specification will be offered.
PSVAR option on Grand Toro and Visigo in 2023
Opportunity was taken recently to drive both the Grand Toro and the Visigo. The former has springs on the front axle and air suspension at the rear. It is a strong performer, although engine noise is predictably more obvious than for the Visigo. The Grand Toro drives nicely and is a ‘point and shoot’ vehicle. A retracting step at the door will stay for UK examples. The saloon is deceptively large and the cab is well laid out.
The Visigo has been driven before by routeone and garnered a positive review then. Changes to the specification on production vehicles for the UK will see a different ceiling trim and the addition of wood-effect flooring. It too drives well. While the EcoLife gearbox is in an economy setting to keep engine speeds low, the 320bhp on tap is ample. Offside mirror positioning on the evaluation vehicle creates a blind spot. Anadolu Isuzu expects to have a rear-view camera option in the medium-term.
A question that will be on many potential buyers’ minds is PSVAR. Presently it cannot be offered on either AOS midicoach, but the factory is working to deliver compliance. The Visigo will come first, with a PSVAR variant in spring 2023. The Grand Toro will follow in the summer.
Steve notes that all PSVAR work will be done in Turkey and that the two models will also be available in a ‘PSVAR ready’ configuration where the additional door is present, but no lift is included.
Such an approach is increasingly popular under the government’s medium-term approach to the Regulations, and it represents cost-effective protection of residual values, he notes.
Potential buyers showing interest in AOS range already
The AOS-branded coaches have generated a positive response from potential buyers that have seen them, and EVM is confident that they will prove successful. Its existing sales team will be responsible for enquiries for the Grand Toro and Visigo. They will be supported by an EVM aftersales team that has recently been strengthened and which will soon gain further resource. Knowledge will be transferred from Anandolu Isuzu to back the new products.
EVM is also working to enhance its dealer network, which is made up of a mixture of coach operators with suitable facilities and standalone engineering support businesses. Relationships with suppliers including Allison, Cummins and ZF are also being “layered up,” says Steve.
Finalisation of parts holding is in process, including glass, and the midicoaches will be further supported by a large distribution centre to be opened in Germany by Anadolu Isuzu later this year.
AOS Novociti Volt: A possibility for the UK market
The AOS-branded Novociti Volt is an 8m battery-electric bus that EVM is currently evaluating for the UK market.
A left-hand drive example will be present at Euro Bus Expo for that purpose with feedback to then be passed to Anadolu Isuzu.
If EVM pursues the Novociti Volt, it will bring in bus sector expertise to sell the product, Steve explains. Any debut of the model in right-hand drive form will be a year away, but there is a belief that the product could potentially carve out a niche in that segment.
Anadolu Isuzu offers up to 268kW/h of energy storage on the Novociti Volt, which when combined with a GVW of 11,600kg gives a claimed maximum range of 350km. Charging is via a CCS2 connector and when DC is used, power can be taken at up to 150kW.
The direct drive motor has a peak rating of 270kW and the monocoque body structure can carry up to 21 seated passengers. Two doors are fitted with the wheelchair user ramp at the centre. The battery warranty provided by the manufacturer is eight years to 80% state of charge.