Volvo Buses awarded 189 e-buses for Stagecoach in the UK (for Manchester and London)

Volvo Buses has secured two orders for a total of 189 new electric buses from Stagecoach, a leading coach and bus operator in the UK. One of these orders, comprising 170 electric buses (we have already covered it), is the biggest electric bus order to date for Volvo Buses.

Volvo Buses has announced in March its plans to stop production of complete buses (and e-buses) in Europe. In April 2023, Volvo Buses signed a Letter of Intent with MCV to expand their partnership, taking the formula adopted in the UK to produce electric buses for the wider European market, in the city and intercity segments.

However, the UK has been since the beginning one of the market addressed with the new BZL electric bus chassis.

MCV – Volvo electric buses for London

Stagecoach will receive 170 Volvo BZL Electric buses for operation in Stockport starting from summer 2024. The fleet will consist of 150 double-decker and 20 single-decker buses featuring MCV bodywork built to Transport for Manchester specifications. Additionally, Stagecoach has ordered 19 Volvo BZL Electric single-decker buses for operation in London, to be delivered between late 2023 and early 2024.

With these orders, Stagecoach’s investment in Volvo BZL Electric buses has reached 244 vehicles, making it Volvo’s largest electric bus customer so far, the manufacturer says. In March, Stagecoach had received 25 single-decker Volvo BZL Electrics for operation in Scotland, and 30 double-deckers are scheduled to enter service in Cambridge in May.

The Volvo BZL Electric is available in the UK with MCV bodywork that can be customized to meet the specific requirements of local fleets. The buses are offered in lengths ranging from 9.7m to 12.9m and feature either single or twin door configurations, with a low-entry full low floor option. The buses provide a quiet and comfortable experience for passengers and a calm and quiet workspace for drivers.

Volvo Buses – Stagecoach partnership gets intense

Anna Westerberg, President of Volvo Buses, said, “The strengthening of this partnership illustrates how our product and expertise can support public transport networks to reduce emissions. We offer the world’s most responsible electric bus systems, and I’m pleased that Stagecoach’s passengers are amongst the first in the UK to experience Volvo electric buses first-hand.”

Sam Greer, Engineering Director for Stagecoach, commented, “We’re excited to be announcing our largest electric vehicle order to date, which will be a major step forward in improving air quality locally. This builds further on the investment being made by Stagecoach across the country to support the transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.”

Domenico Bondi, Managing Director of Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, said, “Our industry is transforming to electromobility, and that’s why we’re focusing on making our processes, from material sourcing and manufacture to operation and recycling, as sustainable, safe, and reliable as possible.”