Transport UK London Bus Electroliners funded by Asset Alliance
Transport UK London Bus has seen the arrival of 12 Wrightbus GB Kite Electroliner battery-electric single-deckers that have been financed by Asset Alliance Group.
The 10.9m buses each have 454kWh of energy storage and are on seven-year operating leases. They are in use on Transport for London (TfL) route R70 between Hampton and Twickenham and can carry up to 60 passengers.
Almost one-third of the Transport UK London Bus fleet of 900 is now battery-electric. The latest arrivals continue the business's procurement of such vehicles manufactured by Wrightbus.
Commercial Director Alastair Willis notes that the seven-year operating lease duration benefits the company as it aligns with the TfL contract length. The deal is the operator’s first deal with Asset Alliance Group.
The supplier "has impressed us, with Martyn Bellis and Anthony Jones listening and understanding our specific needs, proposing a flexible, competitive option at an attractive rate that does not tie us in long term,” adds Mr Willis.
The buses are to a high specification and have high-backed seats with additional padding, wood-effect flooring, and USB charging points. High-resolution passenger information displays are fitted and the driver benefits from a seat that is heated and cooled.
Mr Bellis, who is Asset Alliance Group Commercial Director for Coach and Bus, says: “We were pleased to be able to assist Transport UK London Bus with its ongoing transformation. This latest deal underlines the key role that Asset Alliance Group is playing in facilitating the uptake of electric buses in the capital on behalf of the major bus operators and TfL.”
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UNVI L24 midicoach on DAF XB underframe coming to UK market
UNVI and dealership Coachtraders will use Euro Bus Expo to debut a new L24 front-engined midicoach on the DAF XB chassis at 16,000kg GVW.
It will be built at 9.35m with a maximum of 35 seats or 37 in a more basic arrangement, and at 10.5m with space for 41 or 45 passengers.
PSVAR compliance will be available on each variant and manufacture of the first vehicles was well underway in late September. Coachtraders has already sold 16 of the type, Director Gordon Robertson advises.
While the L24 has echoes of a left-hand drive midicoach already built by UNVI, the model has been developed and uprated specifically for right-hand drive requirements.
The XB underframe will be powered by the Paccar PX-7 engine developing 257bhp in the shorter L24 and 287bhp in the longer variant. Power will be taken via a ZF PowerLine fully automatic gearbox.
Of the L24 midicoaches sold already, Mr Robertson advises that seven are for one customer. “We wanted to adapt the existing body, which is smaller, to suit our needs and the XB was the frontrunner for that,” he continues. “We will build the L24 only on the DAF for the UK market.”
The L24 acts as a replacement for Touring GT and Voyager GT bodies previously produced by UNVI on the Mercedes-Benz Atego. That chassis has been dropped from the line-up and when combined with the DAF underframe and automatic gearbox, dealer Coachtraders is confident of sales success for the newcomer.
Use of a 16,000kg base vehicle will bring 19.5-inch wheels, air suspension on the rear axle, a large fuel tank and excellent luggage capacity, Mr Robertson says. He adds that particular care at the design stage has gone into the entrance around the engine area.
In addition to the L24, Coachtraders expects to have other members of the UNVI small coach line-up present, including the M20 on Iveco Daily chassis as a replacement for the Compa, along with examples of Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based products from both UNVI and Paramount Conversions.
Euro Bus Expo is the UK's only dedicated coach and bus trade show. To register for free tickets, visit the show website.
Torbay Minibuses adds a pair of EVM Cityline low-floors
Torbay Minibuses of Brixham has taken delivery of a pair of Mercedes-Benz Sprinters with Cityline low-floor conversions, supplied by EVM UK.
Each has 16 seats trimmed in synthetic leather with additional padding and plastic backs. Six standing passengers can also be carried. USB charging points are fitted along with a luggage drop-cage to the left of the Masats 120cm-wide two-piece sliding passenger door.
Within the low-floor area is tracking to secure a wheelchair user, and side windows are double-glazed and panoramic. The OEM rear doors are retained, while on the roof is an Auto Clima 12kW saloon air-conditioning unit. It is complemented by convector heater radiators.
Other elements of the passenger specification are wood-effect Tarabus flooring and speakers that are connected to a multimedia system with a seven-inch screen. The driver benefits from a reversing camera.
Externally, the Torbay Minibuses pair have colour-coded skirts, bumpers, side mouldings and grille. Euroliner wheel trims are also fitted. The 517CDi base vehicle has been used, with the 2.0-litre OM 654 engine coupled to a 9G-Tronic nine-speed automatic gearbox.
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