Stagecoach, one of the United Kingdom's largest coach and bus operators, has given Volvo Buses an order for in total 189 BZL e-buses. It is the first order under the new business model Volvo has chosen in which it delivers the e-bus chassis with a MCV body.
The order includes delivery of 170 BZL electric buses for operation in the region and city Stockport commencing summer 2024. The 150 double deckers and 20 single deckers will feature MCV bodywork built to Transport for Manchester specifications. This is Volvo Buses biggest electric bus order ever. The other 19 Volvo BZL Electric single deckers Stagecoach has ordered are destined for operation in London. All 19 buses are expected to enter service between late 2023 and early 2024. These latest orders take Stagecoach’s investment in Volvo BZL Electric buses up to 244 vehicles. This follows the delivery of 25 single deck Volvo BZL Electrics to Stagecoach in Scotland in
March, and with 30 double-decks due to enter service in Cambridge during May. “Stagecoach was our first Volvo BZL Electric customer in the UK, so it’s an honour to now be supplying these buses at scale,” says Anna Westerberg, President of Volvo Buses. The Volvo BZL Electric is since beginning of 2022 offered in the UK with bodywork developed in partnership with MCV. In April 2023 Volvo Buses signed a Letter of Intent with MCV with the intention to expand the relationship further, taking the successful formula adopted for the UK and expanding it to produce electric buses for the wider European market, in the city and intercity segments.