Irizar UK pushes ahead with Blyth premises amid busiest ever year
Irizar UK is moving ahead with the development of a new four-acre headquarters site near Blyth in Nottinghamshire built on what it says is a record year in 2024 and strong orders to 2026.
Facilities there will include a showroom and coach handover facilities along with office accommodation and extensive coach parking. A planning application has been submitted and main contractors are currently being selected. Opening is expected in Q4 2025.
Purchase of the site – close to the A1 – was completed in 2018, but economic uncertainties because of the pandemic period and the UK’s departure from the EU saw the project put on hold, the dealership advises. Work is now moving forward again based on strong trading by the supplier of DAF-engined Irizar integral coaches.
Speaking about the progress, Managing Director Andrew Blundell says: “It is a major milestone for Irizar in the UK. We have reached a key transitional phase in the evolution of the business, and investing in our own premises will give us the capacity to further enhance our market position in the UK.
“Given the post-COVID turbulence impacting coach and bus manufacturers, customers should see this significant investment as not only a long-term commitment to our intentions for the UK market, but also a reflection on the stability of Irizar and its ability to weather changes and remain focused on the longer term.
“We have confidence in the UK, and a commitment to deliver for our customers," Mr Blundell concludes.
On success in 2024, Irizar UK says that by mid-November it had delivered more new vehicles that in previous full years and is on target to reach the 100 mark by the close of December with coaches for more than 35 operators.
Alongside retail buyers, those customers include the Ministry of Defence and First Bus. Relationships have also been formed with Mistral Bus and Coach and Dawsongroup that give access to Irizar integral coaches via operating lease and rental. Repeat orders with both those companies have been secured for 2025 “and beyond,” the dealership says.
Irizar UK is showing four vehicles at Euro Bus Expo, including an i4 integral, an i6S Efficient integral, and an i8 integral. They are joined by an ie tram battery-electric bus for Go-Ahead London on the Kent Fastrack network.
The latest generation i6S Efficient integral recently commenced production. In integral form it will offer a further 5% reduction in fuel consumption. The first example is expected to be completed in the coming weeks.
Euro Bus Expo: Day one gallery as trade show opens strongly
Euro Bus Expo saw a strong first day at the NEC Birmingham on 12 November. Around 190 exhibitors are on site until Thursday 14 November, with vehicles from small minicoaches and minibuses through to high-capacity coaches alongside a wide range of services, technology and other products being showcased.
Among vehicles making a first showing are the BYD B12 battery-electric single-decker bus; the UNVI L24 midicoach on DAF XB chassis; and a Ford E-Transit nine-seat battery-electric minibus from TBC Conversions. The Karsan e-JEST microbus also made its UK debut and will be sold here by EVM, while news of other pending arrivals was also to be had.
VDL Van Hool is making a strong showing as the Van Hool brand continues its resurgence under VDL ownership, with a T16 Astron and a TDX21 Altano on hand. while luxury small PSVs are prominent with displays from Apex Buses, Brian Noone and Jones Coach and Bus Sales, EVM, Ilesbus, John Hill Coach Sales and Cento, and UNVI.
The miniplus zone showcases accessible small products from multiple converters and dealers. Other vehicle exhibitors include Alexander Dennis, Ayats, BASE Coach Sales, Irizar UK, Mellor, Pelican Bus and Coach with Yutong vehicles, Scania, and Temsa.
A wide range of suppliers are also on hand, while the Masterclass Theatre programme of carefully-tailored content will continue on Wednesday and Thursday.
Winners of the 2024 routeone Awards will be announced to a 900-strong sell-out audience on the evening of Wednesday 13 November, with that event moving to a new venue of The Vox at Resorts World Birmingham.
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Ferqui supply in UK to transition from Connaught PSV to EVM
Supply of Ferqui small coaches in the UK will transition to EVM from Connaught PSV over the coming months with the pending retirement of Connaught Managing Director Steve Peach (pictured, second from left).
EVM already supplies Ferqui products in Ireland. Managing Director Danny McGee (pictured, second from right) says that taking up the same responsibility in the UK is a straightforward expansion of that existing work.
“I have had a good relationship with Steve and Connaught PSV for over 15 years and we know the Ferqui product well, having supplied it in Ireland for some time. Our discussions with Steve began in 2019 and they resumed more recently," adds Mr McGee.
The shift will see the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based Soroco and the Iveco Daily-based Sunrise supplied and supported here by EVM. Both are coachbuilt models. Connaught PSV has been the sole supplier of Ferqui products in Great Britain since 2011. Mr Peach has been involved with the Spanish marque ever since it first came here in 1997.
Connaught’s premises near Doncaster will close as part of the transfer. Ferqui parts will be held at EVM UK’s head office in Horsham and the dealership has already trained its mobile technicians on Ferqui products. EVM will also support any warranty claims.
Vehicles from Ferqui will be kept in stock by EVM. It has signed an agreement for 72 units split broadly equally across Sprinter and Daily for 2025 and for supply to both the UK and Ireland. No further examples of either are available to purchase from Connaught.
Mr McGee says that the Sunrise is a particularly important addition to EVM’s line-up in the UK. The chassis is fully warranted by Iveco with a 33-seat body thanks to Ferqui being able to achieve that capacity via close attention to weight and retention of the OEM 7,200kg GVW.
Ferqui CEO David Navarro Quince (pictured, right) explains that such a position has been reached via the use of lighter materials and removal of around 250kg from the body mass. In PSVAR compliant form, the Sunrise can seat 28. The lift is mounted behind the rear axle in that configuration.
The Ferqui product range will remain stable in the medium-term. Mr McGee says that while some early ideas of possible new products exist, they are “not for now.”