First places £70m Bus Order

[Stuharris 6360]

Just had the following come through on one of my other groups,

"Wrightbus, ADL and Optare are sharing £70m in orders from First for 425 buses, to be delivered in the 2014/5 financial year.

Significantly, it includes 274 Wrightbus StreetLite Micro Hybrids - a new product which saves around 10% of fuel costs, but at a premium of only £6,000-9,000 per bus, compared with around a typical 40% premium for a 'full' hybrid.

It is the first order that Wrightbus has won for its Micro Hybrid.

"Investment in our bus division continues apace," says Giles Fearnley, Managing Director of First UK Bus. "This order underlines our commitment to growing our business and encouraging more people to use our services, and use them more often."

Wrightbus' order is for 301 StreetLites (including 27 conventional diesel versions); ADL has won an order for 97 vehicles; Optare will deliver 21 and Volvo will supply six Plaxton-bodied coaches.
All buses will be Euro 5 with Wi-Fi and E-Leather seats. The rest of the order comprises: ADL (Enviro200 x 37; Enviro400 x 60) and Optare (Solo x 15; Versa x 6)."

[winston]

What is interesting, it that all the First Group orders are Euro 5 and Wright & Optare are still offering Euro 5 models. But the article below does suggest that all new vehicles will need to be delivered before the end of 2014

http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=8221&categoryid=0

The Streetlite Micro Hybrid concept is also interesting and saves a further 10% on fuel over a standard diesel equivalent

This suggests that NX could still buy more B7RLE/Wright for 2014 at least.

[BN]

No B7's on order for 2014/15

[winston]

No B7's on order for 2014/15

BN,

Are they switching to B8RLE then? or no new Volvo single deckers planned full stop?

[BN]

No Volvos full stop.

[Trident 4609]

No B7's on order for 2014/15

BN,

Are they switching to B8RLE then? or no new Volvo single deckers planned full stop?

It appears some garages are getting rid of their older buses such as Mercs and B6's via cascades. For instance Park Lane are planning to get rid of all of the mercs via cascades double deckers (Tridents)

[winston]

No B7's on order for 2014/15

BN,

Are they switching to B8RLE then? or no new Volvo single deckers planned full stop?

It appears some garages are getting rid of their older buses such as Mercs and B6's via cascades. For instance Park Lane are planning to get rid of all of the mercs via cascades double deckers (Tridents)

Sounds as though the order will comprise of E400's (to release Tridents) & E200's (to withdrawn B6LE & B10L) then

[CRP2012]

What is interesting, it that all the First Group orders are Euro 5 and Wright & Optare are still offering Euro 5 models. But the article below does suggest that all new vehicles will need to be delivered before the end of 2014

http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=8221&categoryid=0

The Streetlite Micro Hybrid concept is also interesting and saves a further 10% on fuel over a standard diesel equivalent

This suggests that NX could still buy more B7RLE/Wright for 2014 at least.

Volvo have stopped taking orders for Euro 5 Buses,its only Optare,ADL & Wright that are currently taking orders this year for euro 5 - If NX order volvo it will have to be the B8RLE

[winston]

What is interesting, it that all the First Group orders are Euro 5 and Wright & Optare are still offering Euro 5 models. But the article below does suggest that all new vehicles will need to be delivered before the end of 2014

http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage.aspx?id=8221&categoryid=0

The Streetlite Micro Hybrid concept is also interesting and saves a further 10% on fuel over a standard diesel equivalent

This suggests that NX could still buy more B7RLE/Wright for 2014 at least.

Volvo have stopped taking orders for Euro 5 Buses,its only Optare,ADL & Wright that are currently taking orders this year for euro 5 - If NX order volvo it will have to be the B8RLE

It appears the only Euro 5 buses still being sold during 2014 are Midibuses & smaller

[sconehead85]

Yet despite previous orders, First still hang on to 20+ y.o double deckers.  The only step entry double decks should be Volvo Olympians by now.

sconehead85

[winston]

Yet despite previous orders, First still hang on to 20+ y.o double deckers.  The only step entry double decks should be Volvo Olympians by now.

sconehead85

Even with 425 new buses ordered for this year & potentially every other year, based on a UK fleet strength of 6430, that is still implying a vehicle life of 15 years is required by First Group, which isn't that great.

Also to consider, will the lighter weight buses last that long?

[PM]

Yet despite previous orders, First still hang on to 20+ y.o double deckers.  The only step entry double decks should be Volvo Olympians by now.

sconehead85

Even with 425 new buses ordered for this year & potentially every other year, based on a UK fleet strength of 6430, that is still implying a vehicle life of 15 years is required by First Group, which isn't that great.

Also to consider, will the lighter weight buses last that long?

Streetlites are certainly built for it and to be fair, with bodies by wrightbus the bodywork will outlive the chassis eg b6/crusaders with corroded chassis and yet bodywork that has ages well and looks very modern.

[Tony]

Yet despite previous orders, First still hang on to 20+ y.o double deckers.  The only step entry double decks should be Volvo Olympians by now.

sconehead85

Even with 425 new buses ordered for this year & potentially every other year, based on a UK fleet strength of 6430, that is still implying a vehicle life of 15 years is required by First Group, which isn't that great.

Also to consider, will the lighter weight buses last that long?

Streetlites are certainly built for it and to be fair, with bodies by wrightbus the bodywork will outlive the chassis eg b6/crusaders with corroded chassis and yet bodywork that has ages well and looks very modern.

One member on here is in for a massive shock! Worcester are expecting some brand new buses this year!

[winston]

Yet despite previous orders, First still hang on to 20+ y.o double deckers.  The only step entry double decks should be Volvo Olympians by now.

sconehead85

Even with 425 new buses ordered for this year & potentially every other year, based on a UK fleet strength of 6430, that is still implying a vehicle life of 15 years is required by First Group, which isn't that great.

Also to consider, will the lighter weight buses last that long?

Streetlites are certainly built for it and to be fair, with bodies by wrightbus the bodywork will outlive the chassis eg b6/crusaders with corroded chassis and yet bodywork that has ages well and looks very modern.

One member on here is in for a massive shock! Worcester are expecting some brand new buses this year!

I wasn't expecting that this year, I would have thought it may be DF MAX Streetlites that are the most likely due for WR from the list of orders placed. Possibly to upgrade the 44 or 144?

[DD12]

Also to consider, will the lighter weight buses last that long?
[/quote]

Streetlites are certainly built for it and to be fair, with bodies by wrightbus the bodywork will outlive the chassis eg b6/crusaders with corroded chassis and yet bodywork that has ages well and looks very modern.
[/quote]

It has, in my opinion,  always been a trade-off between lightweight advances and durable strong+tough+reliable  (+heavy?) - engineering !
A lot of lightweight BMMO vehicles got scrapped when they were around 11 years old, despite any aspirations of designers who may have  been influenced  by advances in World War 2 engineering.

I believe that I read that some early Streetlites had a problem linked to corrosion/ a reaction between dissimilar metals.
Forgive Me if that's wrong Wrightbus!
(I believe that the people at Wrightbus are working incredibly hard and clever, to serve the people at the companies which are trying to advance the provision of buses and therefore profit!)