Highlights from Euro Bus Expo 2024: Karsan, VDL Van Hool, Mellor, Alexander Dennis, Yutong, Irizar

This week we attended Euro Bus Expo, the UK’s biennial bus and coach market exhibition. While the show offered limited product innovations, there were notable developments in industrial and commercial strategies.

Looking at the main manufacturers in UK, notable absentees included Volvo (that had a 14% market share in 2023), Daimler Buses (6% market share in 2023), and of course Wrightbus.

Euro Bus Expo 2024: the debut of the VDL Van Hool Brand

One of the major highlights was the first public appearance of the VDL Van Hool brand, led by CEO Marc van Doorn.

Around 250 former Van Hool employees from the Belgian headquarters have joined the new company. It was confirmed that the Van Hool double-decker coach now complements the Futura range, which will no longer feature the FDD2 model. However, a significant portion of Van Hool’s coach lineup remains available.

Euro Bus Expo 2024: Karsan enters the UK market

Karsan used Euro Bus Expo to announce the launch of its e-Jest range in the UK, entering the market through distributor EVM, already representing brands like Isuzu, Tremonia, and Altas. EVM employees around 35 people and is projected to close 2024 with sales of approximately 450 units and expect to reach 700 next year. Also at Euro Bus Expo 2024, EVM announced new dealing contract with Spanish bodybuilder Ferqui.

Mellor has peculiar plans for the future

Mellor, the UK-based minibus specialist, revealed a strategic reset under its new owner, Guido Dumarey. The company is abandoning its international ambitions and phasing out the Sigma range, previously delivered to markets like Germany and Sweden. Mellor is refocusing on van conversions for the domestic market.

Dumarey, known for investments in engineering companies with a hydrogen focus, also owns General Motors’ diesel engine competence center in Turin. His vision includes maximizing internal combustion engine technology, with plans for Mellor to produce diesel minibuses until 2026, followed by the launch of a range powered by hydrogen combustion engines.

Mellor’s production plans aim to maintain stability, with a projected output of 650 to 700 buses annually over the next year.

Alexander Dennis expands zero-emission offering

With a substantial stand at the expo, Alexander Dennis, the leading manufacturer in UK in 2023 with a 19% market share (excluding the further 16% covered by BYD-ADL partnership) showcased its Enviro400EV double-decker and Enviro100EV midi bus, while also announcing further details on the Enviro200EV range, set for launch in 2025. Configurations include lengths of 9.9m, 10.9m, and 11.7m, with an additional 10.4m variant for the capital London.

The Enviro200EV will feature Voith Electrical Drive System motors and CATL LFP batteries.

The separation of the Alexander Dennis and BYD strategies in the UK market is now a fact, albeit never made official. The two companies had been cooperating since the 2015 providing hundreds of jointly-built electric buses on the UK market.

Just as Alexander Dennis prepared an in-house range, so BYD now offers the UK market the 11.8-metre B12 single deck with Blade batteries integrated into the chassis and the 10.9-metre BD11 double-decker.

Yutong strengthens presence in UK

Represented by UK dealer Pelican, Yutong emphasized its growing footprint in the UK market, where it delivered 8% of the vehicles in 2023. According to Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK at Pelican Bus and Coach, there are currently 437 Yutong e-buses in operation in the UK, with an order book of over 450 units. Half of the Yutong vehicles sold in the UK are electric.

Scania showcased its Touring range, while Temsa presented the HD13 and MD9 coaches, further enriching the product offerings at the expo.

Irizar to establish new HQ in UK

What is also interesting, Irizar took the opportunity of Euro Bus Expo 2024 to announce they are going to move in a new facility in the UK in late 2025, located near Blyth in north Nottinghamshire.

The Spanish group had purchase a 4 acre site in 2018, but project was slowed down by Brexit and pandemic. Now the company states it has submitted a Planning application, while selection of contractors is underway, with the target of being in the new facility for early Q4 2025.

The project of moving to the new facility follows the good results achieved in the UK market in 2024, that Irizar claims being “its best ever year in the UK“. Also, order book is reportedly strong through to 2026.

In Birmingham Irizar showed three vehicles: one Irizar i8, a new generation Irizar i6S Efficient and a Irizar ie tram electric vehicle.

Also in Birmingham, the Italian-based axles and drives supplier BRIST, provider of Alexander Dennis among others, and e-bus telematics company Saga Tenix from Norway, fresh of establishment in UK where a dedicated sales director, David Rooney, has recently been appointed.