Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

[Russel]

Wonder if they used photos of East Lancs for inspiration?!!

I knew the front reminded me of something!

 

[Great_Western]

Provincial-spec BD11s are in build for Arriva North East. Could be the first UK-bound single-door batch.

More EV buses I have been working on this time destined for the NE in the autumn . The photos are of the first vehicle of a batch of 14 currently at the BYD factory and the first in the Arriva… | Richard Yoxall

More EV buses I have been working on this time destined for the NE in the autumn . The photos are of the first vehicle of a batch of 14 currently at the BYD factory and the first in the Arriva regions specification which looks great. Further evidence of a huge acceleration and investment by...

www.linkedin.com

I rode a London spec BD11 for the first time at Imber on Saturday.

I have to say, I was really impressed by the ride quality and the interior. Certainly one of the nicest (if not the nicest) modern London spec vehicles I have ever been on.

The exterior look may not be everyone's cup of tea (I personally think it looks quite cool) but I hope they do well and sell more over here.

 

[scosutsut]

Okay, it was clearly designed during a power cut

Wonder if they used photos of East Lancs for inspiration?!!

Currently trying to decide which if these is the greater insult

 

[Mikey C]

I tolerate the BYD styling, but have never likes that style of opening window, where the hopper is only part of the upper window.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

14 buses, part-funded by ZEBRA 2.

Or it might actually be the Levelling Up Fund batch for Arriva Northumbria (also 14 buses).

I suspect it's the Levelling Up batch (of which, of course, there still hasn't been any announcement about the vehicles for Go-North East's route 21 yet - the 20 for Stagecoach Sunderland were the Yutong E12s and entered service months ago). But presumably more BYDs will follow for ZEBRA2 funded orders for Arriva Durham and Darlington.

I wonder, too, what Tamworth will be getting - they had funding for 11 vehicles for their prime route 110 into Birmingham. Bearing in mind Arriva Midlands have already had a large number of Wright StreetDeck Electroliners (49 of them) for Leicester, I wonder if they will be more of the same, or more BYDs?

 

[Russel]

I tolerate the BYD styling, but have never likes that style of opening window, where the hopper is only part of the upper window.

There is something about every window downstairs being an opening window that doesn't sit right, it's too different to the standard we've got used to of every other window being openable.

 

[N1]

The hopper vent placement in windows is being driven by TFLs New Bus Specification Page 85. (Even though it is Provincial spec)

8.3.2.5 Window Ventilation Provision for passenger saloon ventilation should be provided by opening (hopper vent) side windows. These opening windows shall:
• Be lockable
• Be capable of being fixed in a fully open position
• Shall not required the hopper window frame to be dropped if lower fixed glass is broken
At least 11% of the total surface side glass area (excluding door glass and destination glass) should be of the open hopper type, providing an open area air gap of not less than 3.5% of total glass area.
On single deck buses such windows shall be provided at all full-size bays.
On double deck buses ventilation windows shall not be fitted above the staircase, however, such windows shall be provided:
• Lower deck - At all full size bays
• Upper deck
o At foremost full size bay, nearside and offside
o At rearmost full size bay, nearside and offside
o At one other full size bay, nearside and offside

 

[Bayum]

Saw a BEE bus and 4 TfL single deckers travelling north on the M1 earlier. Didn’t catch whether they were new builds or not - what were they likely doing?

 

[Steve440]

Alexander Dennis Scottish lifeline?

Alexander Dennis to keep sites open after £4m furlough pledge

The company had set previously out plans to close the plant with the loss of 400 jobs and move production to Yorkshire.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[Resuwen]

Bloody good news.

I hear a couple of major orders have been placed for announcement soon.

 

[Whatshappin]

Alexander Dennis Scottish lifeline?

Alexander Dennis to keep sites open after £4m furlough pledge

The company had set previously out plans to close the plant with the loss of 400 jobs and move production to Yorkshire.

www.bbc.co.uk

Staff have been furloughed via Scottish government assistance for a number of months till production resumes

 

[Russel]

Let's hope ADL do have a sustainable future and this isn't just kicking the can into the long grass...

 

[Mikey C]

This highlights the imbalance caused by devolution.

If ADL had proposed closing Scarborough and moving all production to Scotland, I doubt Scarborough would have been given the same furlough help. Too minor for the UK government to intervene, and there's no equivalent English or "North of England" government.

So cynically, ADL made the right call...

 

[computerSaysNo]

From the Lothian Buses thread:

Methinks the news from Alexander Dennis today would suggest pressure will be put on local operators to buy their products.

Can see potentially some new Lothian orders going through ADL.

Alexander Dennis bus maker jobs rescued in £4m furlough deal

Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), which has eight sites across the UK including Falkirk and Larbert, announced in June that up to 400 jobs could be axed.

news.stv.tv

I can only see it if for some reason they started bodying Volvo again. This seems very unlikely given Volvo’s partnership system and ADL’s desire to stick to integrals only.

Political pressure may mount, but that’s no reason for buying what is in my opinion, an inferior product. I can see an E400H style order albeit repeated with E400EV’s, much like 201-215. This would be a one off order, albeit in this case to get the orders rolling.

There’s a wider discussion to be had on tariffs on the Chinese market, which is the biggest reason why we’re in this situation with ADL. It can’t be forgotten how poor ADL has gone too. However, that comes with some major consequences if it was ever decided to go down that route.

I can't comment on chassis quality issues nor on quality of the most recent EV iteration of designs, but regarding the MMC and pre-MMC (Dart? Trident? Was there ever a common name for the bodies ADL built in the roughly 2006-2015 period?) - if it was known there were unacceptable rattles and flexing of facade panels, how difficult would it have been to send a few members of staff to find out why these were occurring, and then make small tweaks to the design to reduce them? Stuff like screws undoing themselves due to the vibrations, plastic panels being too brittle and cracking in certain places - buses are absolutely not going to be the only products with those issues; it ought to have been very easy, compared to designing a whole bus from scratch, to design out those issues?

 

[Russel]

I can't comment on chassis quality issues nor on quality of the most recent EV iteration of designs, but regarding the MMC and pre-MMC (Dart? Trident? Was there ever a common name for the bodies ADL built in the roughly 2006-2015 period?) - if it was known there were unacceptable rattles and flexing of facade panels, how difficult would it have been to send a few members of staff to find out why these were occurring, and then make small tweaks to the design to reduce them? Stuff like screws undoing themselves due to the vibrations, plastic panels being too brittle and cracking in certain places - buses are absolutely not going to be the only products with those issues; it ought to have been very easy, compared to designing a whole bus from scratch, to design out those issues?

These build quality issues shouldn't be happening though, it's as if they have no quality control...

Let's not forget, Wright also had serious quality issues just before they went into administration a few years ago with, if I remember correctly, a batch of buses from First Leeds (?) even being rejected?

 

[Volvodart]

These build quality issues shouldn't be happening though, it's as if they have no quality control...

Let's not forget, Wright also had serious quality issues just before they went into administration a few years ago with, if I remember correctly, a batch of buses from First Leeds (?) even being rejected?

That is a myth, they were built to the wrong specification.

 

[Resuwen]

Surely concerns about rattles etc would be fed back by operators to manufacturers

 

[Russel]

That is a myth, they were built to the wrong specification.

Ah right.

Where did the wrong spec come from, did First spec them wrong or did Wright build them incorrectly?

 

[MotCO]

Surely concerns about rattles etc would be fed back by operators to manufacturers

Do EV vehicles rattle so much - the engines don't idle in the same way diesels do?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Do EV vehicles rattle so much - the engines don't idle in the same way diesels do?

EV's rattle due to the poor quality of the roads!

 

[Volvodart]

Ah right.

Where did the wrong spec come from, did First spec them wrong or did Wright build them incorrectly?

I think they were built when Wright's did not have work to do, before they were due.

 

[Leyland Bus]

I think they were built when Wright's did not have work to do, before they were due.

So you're saying FirstBus rejected them because they were built too soon??

 

[Volvodart]

So you're saying FirstBus rejected them because they were built too soon??

The specifics changed, for instance First wanted the bandit screen that allowed for the short mirror arm. There were likely to be other things that First wanted changed from the earlier models.

 

[37114]

Bloody good news.

I hear a couple of major orders have been placed for announcement soon.

Great news for the employees who have some job security in the short term at least.

I always read the original ADL press release as "We want rid of Falkirk whatever, we want Larbert is a site for the future but not enough work now" so do wonder if the future will see a convergence around Larbert for EV chassis (Which is what I understand it was opened for) and Scarborough for bodies with Falkirk quietly falling by the wayside.

I wonder if the E200ev is now going to be fully built in the UK. I remember reading an article where they were leaning towards making it partly in China and fit out in the UK like the E100ev

 

[Simon75]

I guess the Optare/Switch UK factory is still closing (even though it wasn't really that old)
What happened to the old factory ?

 

[Mollman]

This highlights the imbalance caused by devolution.

If ADL had proposed closing Scarborough and moving all production to Scotland, I doubt Scarborough would have been given the same furlough help. Too minor for the UK government to intervene, and there's no equivalent English or "North of England" government.

So cynically, ADL made the right call...

Indeed, see the demise of Optare which seems to have barely been mentioned by politicians.

 

[scosutsut]

Indeed, see the demise of Optare which seems to have barely been mentioned by politicians.

I dare say the owners of ADL have been far more, let's say, tactical in their approach to force government reaction. The timing of Grangemouth helping no end.

 

[Mikey C]

The hopper vent placement in windows is being driven by TFLs New Bus Specification Page 85. (Even though it is Provincial spec)

TfL specs must dominate the design of most UK buses. It's a lot easier to standardise the basic structure of the bus (like the new windscreen style) with TfL rules than have separate designs for London and elsewhere.

 

[Edvid]

Amongst the products featuring at Busworld this coming week is a battery-electric version of the Levante. The first example is right-hand drive; will National Express go for this?

Scania Caetano eLevante battery-electric coach breaks cover - routeone

Scania has debuted a battery-electric coach chassis at Busworld, with the first example in right-hand drive form with a Caetano eLevante body.

www.route-one.net

Scania Caetano eLevante battery-electric coach breaks cover​

Swedish OEM's first electric coach is for the UK market; up to 600km range promised of tri-axle​

Tim Deakin
Published: 3 October 2025

Scania has debuted a battery-electric coach chassis at Busworld, with the first example being in right-hand drive, tri-axle format at 14,3m and carrying a Caetano eLevante body.

To that layout the product comes with up to 534kWh of battery power. In a suggestion that energy efficiency will be a strong point, Scania claims a range of up to 600km. Charging can be undertaken at up to 325kW.

A 330kW electric motor is fitted, which drives through a four-speed gearbox. Scania says that all driveline technology at the heart of its battery-electric coach “has been tried and tested” and that the chassis will also suit high-floor bus applications. It will be compatible with various bodies.

The Scania Caetano eLevante is described as “our showstopper” by Scania UK Bus, Coach and Power Solutions Sales Director Mark Oliver. He advises that the opening example will arrive here in 2026 to start a demonstration programme. A two-axle chassis will follow.

Use of the eLevante body on the first Scania electric coach shows that scheduled service interest in the chassis is expected to come first, but the UK business plans to also offer an eLevante to suit retail buyers.

Mr Oliver adds that battery packs are biased towards the rear bogie on the eLevante, with most of those on or around the chassis. As a result, the electric model delivers an underfloor luggage capacity that is on a par with a diesel Levante equivalent.

Scania also used Busworld to unveil its plug-in diesel-electric hybrid coach chassis. The first of those is in left-hand, tri-axle drive form with an Irizar i6S Efficient body. Scania UK already has a hybrid coach chassis in build.

A claimed engine-off range of up to 80km comes with the hybrid package, which uses an 89kWh traction battery. Electric drive is taken via a pair of 145kW motors. Scania notes how it represents a straightforward route into zero-emission coach capability while retaining long-distance versatility of diesel operation.

Coupled to the hybrid unit is the new 13-litre Super driveline package. That will deliver an up to 8% reduction in fuel consumption over the existing driveline that uses Scania’s current 13-litre unit. It is Euro 7 ready, and the Super platform is described as “our best combustion powertrain ever” by the manufacturer.

 

[Eyersey468]

Amongst the products featuring at Busworld this coming week is a battery-electric version of the Levante. The first example is right-hand drive; will National Express go for this?

Scania Caetano eLevante battery-electric coach breaks cover - routeone

Scania has debuted a battery-electric coach chassis at Busworld, with the first example in right-hand drive form with a Caetano eLevante body.

www.route-one.net

Maybe for stuff like the airport runs but no good for the long distance runs, we need coaches that will do Hull to London and back on a charge