Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

[Mikey C]

I don't think Wrights will be too bothered about poor sales of the GB Hawk, when the electric GB Kite is doing so well. The shorter GB Kites have replaced the larger Streetlites too.

 

[Snex]

Essentially it was too late into the market and doesn't really have a clear niche, it appears to be heavier and more expensive than a Streetlite but doesn't seem to offer the capacity advantages of a true heavyweight. It appears to have effectively been designed to meet a need from Translink. I also think it got caught by the financial issues at Wrights around the time of launch meant it never really got pushed into the general market.

The Daimler engine probably doesn't help either, especially if, from what I've heard, the dire parts service from Mercedes is true.

 

[py_megapixel]

The Daimler engine probably doesn't help either, especially if, from what I've heard, the dire parts service from Mercedes is true.

The Daimler engined Streetdecks seem to have been quite successful. Gigantic fleets of them seem, as an outsider, to be fairly reliably plying their trade in Leeds and Manchester, among others.

 

[m79900]

Essentially it was too late into the market and doesn't really have a clear niche, it appears to be heavier and more expensive than a Streetlite but doesn't seem to offer the capacity advantages of a true heavyweight. It appears to have effectively been designed to meet a need from Translink. I also think it got caught by the financial issues at Wrights around the time of launch meant it never really got pushed into the general market

Do you think there's much hope of it getting any more sales now?

 

[Snex]

The Daimler engined Streetdecks seem to have been quite successful. Gigantic fleets of them seem, as an outsider, to be fairly reliably plying their trade in Leeds and Manchester, among others.

Wish I could say the same up here in the North East. They've got horrid reliability with GoNorthEast, mind whether that's the buses fault or an engineering fault who knows but the 21 is being bailed out by 15 year old B9TL's on a daily basis nowadays.

 

[joieman]

The Daimler engined Streetdecks seem to have been quite successful. Gigantic fleets of them seem, as an outsider, to be fairly reliably plying their trade in Leeds and Manchester, among others.

Until recently it was mainly First who were buying Wrights en masse. As far as I can tell, the other big groups mainly went down the ADL path. But that seems to have changed with the introduction of electric buses to Wrightbus's range. Now in Leicester, 128 (137 by the time Arriva finish delivery of their latest batch) of the electric buses in the city are new Wright electric buses, with a small minority of presumably council-owned Yutongs.

 

[Bornin1980s]

In the South West, at least, First now seems to be switching from Wright to Yutong, even for double deckers.

 

[dmncf]

Basically the presser could have said:

King Long are pleased to announce the new xyz coach for 2025. Blah, blah..., aftersales support will be provided through the extensive UK based Wrightbus network.

I would worry about Wrightbus support staff having little familiarity with the Contour, particularly if it doesn't sell in big numbers.
It's strange that Wrightbus is selling this King Long diesel coach, while the Wrightbus hydrogen coach will be "developed entirely in-house", because this strikes me as not giving any economies of scale for developing the hydrogen coach. It doesn't sound like the hydrogen coach will share any parts with the Contour.

 

[nick291]

I would worry about Wrightbus support staff having little familiarity with the Contour, particularly if it doesn't sell in big numbers.
It's strange that Wrightbus is selling this King Long diesel coach, while the Wrightbus hydrogen coach will be "developed entirely in-house", because this strikes me as not giving any economies of scale for developing the hydrogen coach. It doesn't sound like the hydrogen coach will share any parts with the Contour.

The bodywork to the Contour range looks suspiciously similar to that of Setra's S53X range of coaches sold across Mainland Europe too...

 

[Bungle965]

I would worry about Wrightbus support staff having little familiarity with the Contour, particularly if it doesn't sell in big numbers.
It's strange that Wrightbus is selling this King Long diesel coach, while the Wrightbus hydrogen coach will be "developed entirely in-house", because this strikes me as not giving any economies of scale for developing the hydrogen coach. It doesn't sound like the hydrogen coach will share any parts with the Contour.

I seem to recall, though my memory may be playing tricks on me here that part of the reason that King Long really struggled in the UK the first time round is that the spare parts availability was practically none existent coupled with some build quality issues, companies had enough of them.

Perhaps their hope is that with coming back in with a name like Wrightbus will help them in this regard, Pelican appear to have done very well out of their partnership with Yutong and created a good customer base. On that note it does appear to be something that Chinese builders are doing more and more, the Sigma range from Mellor was another example.

 

[GusB]

I would worry about Wrightbus support staff having little familiarity with the Contour, particularly if it doesn't sell in big numbers.
It's strange that Wrightbus is selling this King Long diesel coach, while the Wrightbus hydrogen coach will be "developed entirely in-house", because this strikes me as not giving any economies of scale for developing the hydrogen coach. It doesn't sound like the hydrogen coach will share any parts with the Contour.

I can see why Wright is taking this approach; acknowledging that there's still currently a market for diesel coaches, but also that it's a market that will ultimately reduce in size over time. If you're building a new coach from the ground up, a diesel driveline from the outset will incur more development costs. Why spend that money when it's uncertain what the market will be like in a few years' time? There's a certain amount of compromise with a diesel driveline because components like the engine, transmission etc. have to be in a certain place - there aren't the same constraints with an electric drivetrain.

By pairing up with King Long for the diesel option, there's no cost to develop the product and Wright can either continue to supply it after a few years or, if the demand isn't there, drop it from the range.

 

[ClydeCoaster]

Volvo is to offer the B13R with UNVI XL coachwork in the UK and Ireland from 2026.

Volvo and UNVI to bring B13R-based XL coach to UK and Ireland - routeone

Volvo will offer the B13R chassis with UNVI XL coach body in the UK and Ireland from 2026, the two manufacturers have confirmed.

www.route-one.net

Volvo will offer the B13R chassis with UNVI XL coach body in the UK and Ireland from 2026, the two manufacturers have confirmed at the UK Coach Operators Association conference at Volvo Group UK’s head office in Warwick.

It is described as a luxury product exclusive to those markets and follows the signing of a bodybuilder agreement between Volvo and UNVI. The XL will initially be offered as a 12.8m two-axle model with 53 seats or 49 and one wheelchair user in PSVAR compliant form.

Volvo Bus UK and Ireland Managing Director Domenico Bondi has described the B13R-based UNVI XL as “one of the most important new product announcements” since he joined the business three years ago.

Mr Bondi adds that “a massive amount of work” from both manufacturers has gone into developing the coach and that news of its debut is “a hugely exciting moment.”

The XL represents a significant addition to UNVI’s existing presence in the UK and Ireland via smaller front-engined minicoaches and midicoaches that are sold here by Coachtraders.

CEO Eloy Pérez says that the opportunity with Volvo is “huge.” He notes that from opening exploratory conversations with Mr Bondi and colleagues in 2024, “we knew we wanted to be a part of this project.”

Continues Mr Pérez: “It comes at an incredibly exciting time for UNVI. While this year we celebrate 30 years in coach and bus bodybuilding, our eyes are always on the future. We have developed a hard-earned reputation for product quality, style and comfort – match it with the Volvo B13R chassis, and we have a truly winning formula.”

Fitted as standard will be the Brusa Create 120 ‘top flair’ seat with three-point belts, aisle-side armrests, twin-position footrests, magazine nets, drop-down tables and what Volvo says is “enhanced upholstery in automotive fabric and contrasting faux leather.”

USB-A and USB-C charging points will be included along with LED interior lighting, curtains, and “generous” overhead luggage space. A Bosch entertainment system will feed to twin 22-inch monitors, and a coolant pre-heater is to be included.

Shades Technics will provide a centre sunken toilet, and an estimated 9.5 cubic metres of space will be under the saloon.

The UNVI XL on Volvo B13R chassis will initially be offered as a 12.8m, two-axle model, the manufacturers advise
The B13R chassis will have the Volvo Active Safety Platform that is compliant with EU General Safety Regulation 2 requirements. It includes Driver Alert Support, Intelligent Speed Assist, Side Collision Avoidance System, Front Short Range Assist, Lane Change Support, and a tyre pressure monitoring system.

Volvo advises that the D13K engine will be available in ratings of up to 500bhp and 2,500Nm of torque. It will drive through the 12-speed I-Shift automated manual gearbox that includes an overdrive top ratio.

Mr Bondi continues: “An exceptional coach requires first-class build quality, excellent chassis geometry, a smooth-riding suspension and a driveline offering industry-leading performance and efficiency.

“That is precisely what we bring with the B13R chassis – and when paired with this new UNVI body, we are confident that we have got a fantastic product that will set the benchmark for coach travel.”

Volvo will assemble the B13R chassis in Spain before shipping them to the UNVI factory at Ourense in Spain. Body parts for the XL will be available for next-day delivery via the Volvo Coach Part Sales Centre in Loughborough. Body and chassis warranty coverage will be three years/300,000km. Structural warranty will be 12 years.

 

[Bornin1980s]

A uk exclusive bodied in Spain? Still, I wonder if they will have more products bodied there, seems to make more sense for the European market than Egypt.

 

[Edvid]

Arriva Midlands, Go North West and Diamond Bus have each sent a StreetDeck to NewPower for conversion. Vehicles are 4600 (I think), 2201 ex-3501 and 40725 respectively; the latter two are already repowered.

Wrightbus NewPower StreetDeck repower gains pace and orders - routeone

Work to repower Wrightbus StreetDeck diesel double-deckers to battery-electric by the manufacturer’s NewPower arm is gaining pace.

www.route-one.net

Work to repower Wrightbus StreetDeck diesel double-deckers to battery-electric by the manufacturer’s NewPower arm is gaining pace, with a belief that 150 such conversions can be completed this year and 250 in 2026.

An initial batch of 32 such repowers for First Bus is underway, with the first handful of those buses back in use. Arriva, Go-Ahead and Rotala are among other confirmed customers, each for one seed conversion to start.

Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales says that the NewPower business “has taken time to get up to speed” from start in 2024. He notes that “every single bus order is bespoke; along with the conversion from diesel to electric, operators also want refurbishment – from paint to seats and everything in between.”

Mr Gales adds how that depth of work means vehicles take longer to turn around, but he notes that the process “is becoming more streamlined each week, and we believe we can get 150 buses out of the door this year with 250 following in 2026.”

[...]

NewPower notes that its engineers can repower buses from manufacturers other than Wrightbus, and that Volvos have already been completed. Trucks and vans are on the agenda for later.

On scope for repower of the StreetLite single-deck, Mr Gales says that those “prove a greater challenge” than double-deckers “simply because of the battery weights needed to fit the space we have available.”

He continues: “If we did have more space for batteries, we would then run into problems with the axle weight, so for the meantime we are concentrating on double-deck buses.”

 

[Leyland Bus]

Arriva Midlands, Go North West and Diamond Bus have each sent a StreetDeck to NewPower for conversion. Vehicles are 4600 (I think), 2201 ex-3501 and 40725 respectively; the latter two are already repowered.

Wrightbus NewPower StreetDeck repower gains pace and orders - routeone

Work to repower Wrightbus StreetDeck diesel double-deckers to battery-electric by the manufacturer’s NewPower arm is gaining pace.

www.route-one.net

Voila!

Images show Bee Network 2201 after conversion to electric.

 

[liamf656]

Custom Denning have, I believe, made their debut in the UK now. Diamond Bus have taken delivery of a few of the Element buses

 

[Edvid]

The Element 2 demo is currently waiting on DVLA paperwork for registration to be issued, and the trio of production models are going through individual vehicle approval.

Source - Simon Dunn post on WM Bus Photos forum

 

[PG]

Voila!

Images show Bee Network 2201 after conversion to electric.

Whats with the warning electric diamonds above the cab window and next to the destination screen?

 

[MotCO]

Whats with the warning electric diamonds above the cab window and next to the destination screen?

I think it is to advise fire fighters what type of engine the bus has, since they would treat EV, diesel and hydrogen propelled vehicles differently in the case of a fire.

 

[PG]

I think it is to advise fire fighters what type of engine the bus has, since they would treat EV, diesel and hydrogen propelled vehicles differently in the case of a fire.

Ah right, that makes sense, thanks.

 

[Leyland Bus]

Whats with the warning electric diamonds above the cab window and next to the destination screen?

I think it is to advise fire fighters what type of engine the bus has, since they would treat EV, diesel and hydrogen propelled vehicles differently in the case of a fire.

Absolutely right.

 

[ClydeCoaster]

Wish I could say the same up here in the North East. They've got horrid reliability with GoNorthEast, mind whether that's the buses fault or an engineering fault who knows but the 21 is being bailed out by 15 year old B9TL's on a daily basis nowadays.

A direct quote from the RouteOne article on Wright NewPowers is hardly a ringing endorsement for the Daimler engined StreetDecks...

The Rotala repower is a 20-plate bus. It is part of the group’s Diamond Bus West Midlands operation. Chief Executive Simon Dunn says that Rotala has found maintenance costs and reliability “a concern” on all Euro VI diesel buses. He adds that the Daimler OM 934 engine has proved to be problematic in the StreetDeck application.

“When we consider the whole life cost of these products against what we believe an electric will be, we believe the cost increase to be marginal,” continues Mr Dunn.

So basically it's the same cost to convert it to EV than suffer the reliability issues!

 

[Blindtraveler]

A lot of the street decks that I've been on see m and sound very underpowered and like the engine is straining. Is this bus companies under specifying or is it simply unfit for purpose across the board? The quotes above would suggest the latter

 

[joieman]

A lot of the street decks that I've been on see m and sound very underpowered and like the engine is straining. Is this bus companies under specifying or is it simply unfit for purpose across the board? The quotes above would suggest the latter

With more powerful engines being available from around 2021, it would suggest that the former is also an issue to some degree. That said, as far as I know, only six Streetdecks were fitted with Mercedes-Benz OM936 engines instead of the regular OM934 engine: one for Go North East and five for Bus Vannin in Mann.

 

[nick291]

With more powerful engines being available from around 2021, it would suggest that the former is also an issue to some degree. That said, as far as I know, only six Streetdecks were fitted with Mercedes-Benz OM936 engines instead of the regular OM934 engine: one for Go North East and five for Bus Vannin in Mann.

The Ex KMB/Sun Bus one that went to Ensignbus/First Essex has an OM936 engine.

 

[MotCO]

A lot of the street decks that I've been on see m and sound very underpowered and like the engine is straining. Is this bus companies under specifying or is it simply unfit for purpose across the board? The quotes above would suggest the latter

The OM934 engine is only 5.1 litres; the OM936 is 7.7 litres . https://www.mercedes-benz.com/conte...gates/brochures/MB_Powertrain_Bus_VI_2020.pdf. was always a bit dubious about a 5.1 Litre engine, even turbo charged, being effective. I remember Brighton & Hove using them on the their coast routes, and they seemed to struggle up the hills.


Edit: corrected URL link

 

[Blindtraveler]

Yes, the smaller size is certainly underpowered, the larger size shouldn't be but doesn't sound like either a great

 

[Worm]

The OM934 engine is only 5.1 litres; the OM936 is 7.7 litres (file:///C:/Users/micha/Downloads/MB_Powertrain_Bus_VI_2020.pdf) . I was always a bit dubious about a 5.1 Litre engine, even turbo charged, being effective. I remember Brighton & Hove using them on the their coast routes, and they seemed to struggle up the hills.

Your hyperlink is a Windows file path not a web link

 

[Leedsbusman]

So basically it's the same cost to convert it to EV than suffer the reliability issues!

While that was presumably the point - such result is highly dependant on the life of the batteries.

 

[Voyager 2953]

Everything I’ve seen suggest that’s the problem with the Streetdeck owes to the Daimler unit. It’s very unreliable and very underpowered. Wright should have stuck with Cummins and it’s interesting that they are now offering a Cummins unit for the Streetdeck which bus vannin have ordered.