Which raises the point about do Volvo have an all electric double deck chassis available or planned? I recall Lothian have some BYD ADL Electrics on order for trial so Volvo risk losing their last major bus company in the future if they can't provide a non diesel alternative.
Volvo did say (about 3 years ago in a Trading or annual report) that plan was to phase out hybrid and diesel chassis for Europe, did not intend to update the designs any further. The same update indicated Volvo planned to move to full electric complete buses in Europe.
It kind of implied that there were no plans to sell an electric chassis for other body companies. Wrightbus had opened its own chassis factory (built with public money from the New Routemaster development), the Streetdeck chassis is identical (except behind rear wheels). With the phasing out of orders for hybrids Volvo are only left with some B8 chassis orders (and trickle of B5 orders)
As ADL have given notice of closure of Dennis chassis plant in Guildford, I do wonder if they intend to start making them, even if in kit form at the Malaysia factory or a NFI factory in Canada. Possibly ADL don’t see a long term future for big diesel buses (although smaller low cost rural buses likely to stay diesel)
Just totalling up the London requirements for 2021 (based on tender announcements) and majority of the 400 BYD chassis could be committed. (Don’t know if ADL have the orders), but even if some slip into 2022, I struggle to see where all the electric bus chassis are coming from especially if other Cities start ordering lots of electric buses as well.