Electric MCV / Volvo

[randyrippley]

Two of the single desk buses in the linked press release photo in Stagecoach colours heading north up the M6 past Preston 4pm today on trade plates so clearly a delivery run. The article says MCV and Volvo have just signed an agreement to build them, that's clearly old news.
With the deep roofline presumably holding the batteries, they look massively ugly, the paintwork doesn't help.
Presumably the BZL?

MCV to build electric Volvo bus bodies - Bus & Coach Buyer

Volvo Buses has signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) with bodybuilder MCV with the intention to produce bodies for its electric buses for the city- and intercity segments in the European markets. Serial production is planned to start in the summer of 2024 and the first electric buses are expected to...

www.busandcoachbuyer.com

 

[OptareLover]

Thoughts on how the Volvo BZL looks?

Stagecoach West Scotland have quite a few of them.

 

[WibbleWobble]

Having seen them in the flesh (I've seen a fair few on delivery runs up the M3/A34), they look like a double decker with the top deck missing - it was kinda like an Atlantean / Fleetline that had been converted to single deck after being deroofed.

I don't think the very high positioning of the destination equipment helps, which is down to the very high set wiper arms.

 

[OptareLover]

Having seen them in the flesh (I've seen a fair few on delivery runs up the M3/A34), they look like a double decker with the top deck missing - it was kinda like an Atlantean / Fleetline that had been converted to single deck after being deroofed.

I don't think the very high positioning of the destination equipment helps, which is down to the very high set wiper arms.

I agree with the missing-top deck comment.

 

[Snow1964]

Volvo seem to use a designation of BxL where x is normally a rounded number of the litres in the engine size, eg B8L, appears Z is substituted for zero emission buses giving BZL

Attaching links to BZL details for those interested

Volvo BZL Electric

A premium bus for truly sustainable public transport

www.volvobuses.com

This link has specifications (and there are links to data sheets)

Volvo BZL Electric in details

Enjoy Volvo BZL Electric in facts and figures

www.volvobuses.com

 

[Jordan Adam]

Having seen them in the flesh (I've seen a fair few on delivery runs up the M3/A34), they look like a double decker with the top deck missing - it was kinda like an Atlantean / Fleetline that had been converted to single deck after being deroofed.

I don't think the very high positioning of the destination equipment helps, which is down to the very high set wiper arms.

This is a common theme among recent MCV single deckers. Even the previous Evora and Evoseti 2 looked somewhat like double deckers with the top deck missing. I'd imagine the main reason they do this is so that single deck and double deck vehicles share the same windscreen helping to reduce development and production costs.

 

[Trnsprt4Sctlnd]

Personally I think the best looking EV has always been Volvo's own product,. Unfortunately it seems that no other body builder has seemed interested in Volvos BZL chassis apart from MCV and, from what I’ve been reading recently, Volvo is completely doing away with bodybuilding and outsourcing of this; perhaps MCV is the exclusive build partner for the UK Market.

I’ve noticed that in recent times loads more Volvo/MCV products have became more popular, especially the Evora at 10.8m but now seeing the MCV/BZL, I guess these new electric vehicles have less of a cost difference compared to other EV models.

Have travelled as a passenger and driven B8RLE models with MCV bodywork I can only presume that this new BZL/MCV Combo is a good one. I do like Volvo alone never mind the body builder.

Is this simply a sign that UK bus builders are only interested in keeping “everything” in-house?