Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

[Goldfish62]

Does that go for Yutong's single-deckers as well?

Yes.

 

[Bornin1980s]

While their single deckers are decent vehicles overall, I feel like there's still some room for improvement for their double decker, it's based on an older design and I feel like they have made too many compromises on the interior, the lower deck is quite cramped towards the rear like the BYD E400EV and there's a small step towards the rear of the upper deck as well.

The U11DD is newer than the E Series single deckers. Its new features include the odd '60s retro front end.

 

[Goldfish62]

The U11DD is newer than the E Series single deckers. Its new features include the odd '60s retro front end.

Personally I think it would have looked a lot better if the front had the same styling as the E Series.

A step at the back upstairs, how very peculiar!

It's to increase the headroom at the rear of the lower deck. So like the original low height Weymann-bodied Altanteans!

 

[Edvid]

One full year since the product line reached the UK, an Element 2 finally entered service here.

39004, BX25GNZ, Route BL2, Hatton Cross Station

Diamond Bus South East 39004 BX25GNZ seen at Hatton Cross Station on Route BL2. A long time waiting but today saw the entry of the UK first? Australian built Custom Denning, Element 2 electric bus enter service today. Tracking on Bus Times as withdrawn Plaxton Centro 30804 - WET859 for anyone...

www.flickr.com

 

[Edvid]

Someone filmed a BYD B12 (LF25 SZD) passing through Elephant & Castle. Not sure what the colours represent but it must be the London-spec demo seen out and about recently.

 

[GusB]

Sunsundegui has gone into liquidation.

Sunsundegui enters liquidation with 341 job losses

Alsasua based manufacturer and bodybuilder Sunsundegui entered liquidation on 14 April 2025, threatening the jobs of all 341 employees.

www.route-one.net

Alsasua (Navarre)-based manufacturer and bodybuilder Sunsundegui entered liquidation on 14 April, culminating in an employment regulation file for its 341 employees.

The liquidation follows the withdrawal of the only potential investor, Belgian-based Dumarey Group, which failed to present a formal offer.

It closes insolvency proceedings that began in November 2024. Local news reported at the time that the proceedings began owing to a “lack of liquidity” and debts of up to €48.8 million — €8.9 million owed to suppliers and €39.9 million to financial institutions.

The problems started during the COVID-19 pandemic due to production woes. Compounding that was Volvo’s withdrawal from a planned partnership with Sunsundegui on its 9700 and 9900 coach series in 2024.

Sunsundegui reportedly still holds an order book of 530 buses for 2025, but “lacks liquidity, organisational and technical capacity” to meet production demands profitably. With the withdrawal of Dumarey, the insolvency administrator has informed the works council that unless a last-minute solution emerges, asset liquidation and dismissal of all 341 employees is the only route.

Essentially this just leaves MCV as the only coachbuilder supplying the UK market with a product based on Volvo chassis. There's still the full integral 9700, of course, and the situation with Plaxton is still uncertain; it's still quite a sad state of affairs, nonetheless.

 

[Blindtraveler]

This is maybe the time for plaxton to suddenly realise that there might be demand once again and regroup? I know that ADL are in trouble with quality control and delivery time scales for a lot of the electrics. They're building for the bus market but whilst not perfect the coach end of things is something that they actually can definitely do and do to a standard that is acceptable

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Sunsundegui has gone into liquidation.

Sunsundegui enters liquidation with 341 job losses

Alsasua based manufacturer and bodybuilder Sunsundegui entered liquidation on 14 April 2025, threatening the jobs of all 341 employees.

www.route-one.net

Essentially this just leaves MCV as the only coachbuilder supplying the UK market with a product based on Volvo chassis. There's still the full integral 9700, of course, and the situation with Plaxton is still uncertain; it's still quite a sad state of affairs, nonetheless.

The Mexican built 9700 and then the UNVI bodied coaches aren't due until 2026.

 

[GusB]

The Mexican built 9700 and then the UNVI bodied coaches aren't due until 2026.

That makes the situation even worse!

It seems to me that Volvo has given up on the UK market completely. How the mighty have fallen!

 

[MotCO]

That makes the situation even worse!

It seems to me that Volvo has given up on the UK market completely. How the mighty have fallen!

The Yutong seems to have taken the market by storm, and seems to be the default option. Either that, or the Mercedes Tourismo. Does the Yutong have a significant price advantage over European models?

 

[Dfatcontroller]

The Yutong seems to have taken the market by storm, and seems to be the default option. Either that, or the Mercedes Tourismo. Does the Yutong have a significant price advantage over European models?

Yutong seems to have the shortest lead time from order to delivery.
I don't know if it's got any better but Mercedes was 2 years for delivery when talking to operator friends last year.

 

[Trainman40083]

Yutong seems to have the shortest lead time from order to delivery.
I don't know if it's got any better but Mercedes was 2 years for delivery when talking to operator friends last year.

Last I heard was about 1 year for a Yutong.

 

[Dfatcontroller]

Last I heard was about 1 year for a Yutong.

Last article I read was 9 months.

 

[Wyrleybart]

That makes the situation even worse!

It seems to me that Volvo has given up on the UK market completely. How the mighty have fallen!

Not too surprising when the media have widely reported that the UK is giving up on fossil fuels in 2030 2035 insert latest plan here.
Do Volvo offer battery or hydrogen options ?

 

[Glasgowbusguy]

Yutong produce 500 electric buses every day which shows just how big of a company they are.

 

[Trainman40083]

Not too surprising when the media have widely reported that the UK is giving up on fossil fuels in 2030 2035 insert latest plan here.
Do Volvo offer battery or hydrogen options ?

Volvo offer the electric BZL, some of which are in use in Harrogate and Warrington. Wrightbus does have a hydrogen bus, but for that to take off, the country needs a reliable and plentiful supply of hydrogen....No hydrogen? But there is insufficient demand. A chicken or the egg scenario.

 

[Mikey C]

The coach market seems to be the first one where Chinese vehicles have taken a massive share. They are growing strongly in other areas (buses, cars, vans) but it's coaches where they have had the fastest impact.

 

[Titfield]

The coach market seems to be the first one where Chinese vehicles have taken a massive share. They are growing strongly in other areas (buses, cars, vans) but it's coaches where they have had the fastest impact.

Coaches in the UK is such a small market and therefore given the number (or rather lack) of competitors the easiest to attain market dominance.

 

[scosutsut]

Coaches in the UK is such a small market and therefore given the number (or rather lack) of competitors the easiest to attain market dominance.

Indeed, they've been able to deliver when others can't so rather than be a risky unknown choice they are becoming a default

 

[Goldfish62]

Indeed, they've been able to deliver when others can't so rather than be a risky unknown choice they are becoming a default

Plus Pelican, Yutong's UK dealer has a very good reputation for aftersales support.

 

[Trainman40083]

Plus Pelican, Yutong's UK dealer has a very good reputation for aftersales support.

Does ADL have a good reputation for after sales support?

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

Volvo offer the electric BZL, some of which are in use in Harrogate and Warrington.

Not quite. The Harrogate vehicles are 7900e's, the model from which the BZL was developed. And in this particular field are very much yesterday's technology with a disappointing level of reliability nowadays.

 

[Wyrleybart]

Not quite. The Harrogate vehicles are 7900e's, the model from which the BZL was developed. And in this particular field are very much yesterday's technology with a disappointing level of reliability nowadays.

I have a feeling the same type are used at Birmingham airport for car park shuttles. They have an inverted pantograph charging system outside the airport terminal, and we had to wait for our bus to charge before moviong onto the stand to pick us up in March.

 

[stevieinselby]

Volvo offer the electric BZL, some of which are in use in Harrogate and Warrington.

Not in Harrogate, the Volvos there are 7900Es, which are a much older design than the BZLs.
Lothian and Stagecoach in Cambridge have both got double-decker BZLs, as well as the single and doubles now making up the majority of Warrington's Own, and I'm sure there are others out there as well.

 

[Shaw S Hunter]

I have a feeling the same type are used at Birmingham airport for car park shuttles. They have an inverted pantograph charging system outside the airport terminal, and we had to wait for our bus to charge before moviong onto the stand to pick us up in March.

Correct. The other batch of 7900e's is with Stagecoach in Ayrshire, also with the "OppCharge" facility. Nothing wrong with opportunity charging other than batteries continually being topped up are likely to have shorter lives than those charged just once a day. Doubtless this is a technology that will continue to be improved.

 

[GusB]

Not too surprising when the media have widely reported that the UK is giving up on fossil fuels in 2030 2035 insert latest plan here.
Do Volvo offer battery or hydrogen options ?

The Volvo BZL is currently available in the UK in single- and double-deck form with MCV bodies.

Volvo BZL Electric

The Volvo BZL Electric comes in both double deck and single-deck versions

www.volvobuses.com

The Volvo BZL Electric comes in double-deck and single-deck versions, both with MCV bodies. And the single-decker can be specified to no less than seven different lengths, from 9 to 13 metres. All share the all-Volvo driveline, which means excellent energy efficiency and swift maintenance. Furthermore, we see the vehicle as a system component in the public transport architecture. The system approach gives possibilities to optimise the entire operation on a route, beyond the basics of battery capacity and charging times. And this is why we work together with the operator, to find the optimal solution for the entire service period.

There is also a BZR, based on the B8R chassis, but it hasn't made it over here so far.

Volvo BZL Electric

A premium bus for truly sustainable public transport

www.volvobuses.com

Volvo BZR Electric is a productivity platform for city, intercity and commuter operations. Low-entry or medium floor, single or dual motors, modular energy storage, and two- or three-axle versions make for outstanding versatility.

As far as I'm aware, Volvo isn't taking the hydrogen route.