If the B7RLE’s had a major overhall inside, out and underneath including changing out there sqeaky brakes and lower-speed jerky Ecomat gearbox, im sure they could be operated until there 20 years old!
The older 54 B7TLs are really comfortable and still feel robust etc, may not be the best on fuel or emissions, but even Transdev in England had there B7TL fitted with new electric fans from Avid which made them better on fuel and more importantly done away with the roaring engine fans, even though bus geeks like the fan-roar.
the early upshifts, as you say, is a fuel saving tactic.
Generally speaking a modern B8 single will still outperform an older euro3 B7 single on fuel economy and emissions, as mentioned above, Avid can provide electrification on many older, unefficient components of older buses to modern ones, the whole idea is that more electrically efficient parts will reduce the load on the alternator and by extension the engine as well, the hydraulic engine fans run directly from a belt of the engine which again, is a physical load on the engine.
Streetlites are some of the absolute worst of modern buses, instead of streetlites operaters should buy Optare Solo’s and Metrocity’s, afterall Optare use the same mercedes OM934 engine as wrights use, yet optares tend to be rather good buses these days and get much less sales these days than wrights get.
