Volvo B7RLE
Encyclopedia
Volvo
B7RLE is a low-floor
single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia
in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom
in 2003 to supplement the B7L
single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE
. In essence the B7RLE is the front section of the B7L chassis mated with the rear section of the B7R
chassis.
Originally, the B7RLE featured the D7C 6-cylinder, 7-litre diesel engine with a turbocharger
and intercooler
, producing 290 bhp and meeting the Euro3 incentive emission standard. This was replaced by the Volvo D7E engine, to Euro4/Euro5 incentive emission standards. Unlike the B7L, the B7RLE's engine is mounted at the centre of the rear overhang as opposed to the nearside, resolving the issue of engine intrusion into the saloon. The Volvo B7RLE is also equipped with disc brakes and ABS.
The B7RLE appealed more to UK operators, with whom the B7L was unpopular and has sold well compared to its predecessor (FirstGroup plc
having been the only major buyer for the B7L thanks to a Volvo contract maintenance agreement). UK operators of the B7RLE include Arriva
, FirstGroup, East Yorkshire Motor Services
, Blazefield Group
, Rossendale Transport
, Wilts & Dorset
, Warrington Borough Transport
and Go North East
(part of Go-Ahead Group
), Lothian Buses
and many more including Travel West Midlands who took delivery a number in late 2006 for the 37 and 311/311A/313 services.
Initially the B7RLE was only available in the UK with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork. Since 2004 it has also been used as a low floor single-deck coach, with a longer front overhang and Wright Eclipse Commuter body. From late 2006 the B7RLE in the UK is available with Plaxton Centro
bodywork (the first example being sold to GHA Coaches
), followed by Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and Optare Esteem
bodywork in 2008.
The B7RLE can also be found in many other countries, including Hong Kong
, Malaysia, India
, Indonesia
, Singapore
and Taiwan
. However, many of these buses use local bodywork, as do the Volvo B7RLEs that Saracakis constructed for Thessaloniki
.
In 2003, Huangbus (Lok Ma Chau - Huanggang
shuttle bus service) purchased five B7RLEs with Jit Luen JL-08 bodies and D7E-290 7142cc engines.
KMB ordered 40 B7RLEs with MCV Evolution
bodies in 2009, followed by another 30 in the same year, and named with fleet code AVC. The first batch of AVCs arrived in November 2009, but did not enter service until April 2010 due to a change in the bumper design. As of August 2010, there are 40 AVCs in service, all equipped with Euro V engines, except AVC2, which has a Euro IV engine because it was a carry over chassis from the previous model year. They are now in service on routes 7M, 14C, 34M, 73K, 78K, 224M, 234B, 264M, 273 and 278K.
Singapore has B7RLE's running in Sentosa
featuring Liannex bodies, either in a citybus configuration for its internal shuttles, or as open-top double-decker buses. A Euro-4 demonstrator featuring Soon Chow bodywork was offered to SBS Transit (initially meant for a one-year trial) in December 2007, and is currently plying Service 174.
The bodywork adopted by Malaysia's B7RLE, operated by Kuala Lumpur
-based bus operator RapidKL as a wheelchair accessible bus, features a more radical design by Gemilang.
Volvo B7RLEs also operate in Surabaya
, Indonesia
. It is the first wheelchair-accessible bus in Indonesia
fitted with a Euro IV engine. The bus uses Bustech
bodywork, designed and built in Australia
.
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
B7RLE is a low-floor
Low-floor bus
A low-floor bus is a bus that has no steps between one or more entrances and part or all of the passenger cabin. Being low floor improves the accessibility of the bus for the public, particularly the elderly or infirm, or those with push chairs, and increasingly, those in wheelchairs.In the modern...
single-deck citybus launched initially in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in 2001, and then in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
in 2003 to supplement the B7L
Volvo B7L
Volvo B7L was a low floor citybus chassis with a rear engine mounted vertically on the left of the rear overhang, it was built as a replacement for the Volvo B10L...
single-decker, which was unsuccessful in both countries. It is similar to the B7L's predecessor, the B10BLE
Volvo B10BLE
The Volvo B10BLE is a low-entry city bus chassis which was popular in Scandinavia, the United Kingdom and Australia. It was launched around 1992 with the engine mounted on the rear overhang of the bus. It was the successor of the citybus version of Volvo B10B and is used as a base for single-deck...
. In essence the B7RLE is the front section of the B7L chassis mated with the rear section of the B7R
Volvo B7R
The Volvo B7R is a coach chassis available with a range of bodies. It is promoted as a rear engined lightweight coach chassis. It is primarily intended for tourist and long-distance duties...
chassis.
Originally, the B7RLE featured the D7C 6-cylinder, 7-litre diesel engine with a turbocharger
Turbocharger
A turbocharger, or turbo , from the Greek "τύρβη" is a centrifugal compressor powered by a turbine that is driven by an engine's exhaust gases. Its benefit lies with the compressor increasing the mass of air entering the engine , thereby resulting in greater performance...
and intercooler
Intercooler
An intercooler , or charge air cooler, is an air-to-air or air-to-liquid heat exchange device used on turbocharged and supercharged internal combustion engines to improve their volumetric efficiency by increasing intake air charge density through nearly isobaric cooling, which removes...
, producing 290 bhp and meeting the Euro3 incentive emission standard. This was replaced by the Volvo D7E engine, to Euro4/Euro5 incentive emission standards. Unlike the B7L, the B7RLE's engine is mounted at the centre of the rear overhang as opposed to the nearside, resolving the issue of engine intrusion into the saloon. The Volvo B7RLE is also equipped with disc brakes and ABS.
The B7RLE appealed more to UK operators, with whom the B7L was unpopular and has sold well compared to its predecessor (FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc
FirstGroup plc is a public transport company, registered in Scotland at its headquarters in Aberdeen, operating in the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Sweden, Canada and the United States...
having been the only major buyer for the B7L thanks to a Volvo contract maintenance agreement). UK operators of the B7RLE include Arriva
Arriva
Arriva plc is a multinational public transport company owned by Deutsche Bahn and headquartered in Sunderland, United Kingdom. It has bus, coach, train, tram and waterbus operations in 12 countries across Europe, employs more than 47,500 people and services over 1.5 billion passenger journeys each...
, FirstGroup, East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services
East Yorkshire Motor Services is a large bus and coach operator which operates throughout Kingston upon Hull, the East Riding of Yorkshire, the North Yorkshire coast and the North York Moors. In and around Scarborough, EYMS operates as Scarborough & District Motor Services...
, Blazefield Group
Blazefield Group
Transdev Blazefield is one of the main bus groups in England. Owner of several bus companies around the Yorkshire and Lancashire regions, since 2006 it has been part of the international transport company Transdev.-History:...
, Rossendale Transport
Rossendale Transport
Rossendale Transport is a bus operator running within the Borough of Rossendale and into surrounding areas, including Rochdale, Bury, Manchester, Burnley, Accrington, Blackburn and Todmorden...
, Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset
Wilts & Dorset is a bus company in England covering Poole, Bournemouth, East Dorset, South Wiltshire and West Hampshire. Its local headquarters is in Poole, but it is owned by the Go-Ahead Group, a major UK transport group....
, Warrington Borough Transport
Warrington Borough Transport
Warrington Borough Transport is a bus operator running a network of services within the Borough of Warrington, England and into the surrounding area, including Altrincham, Leigh, Earlestown and Northwich. The network of services is marketed under the Network Warrington name, with both names...
and Go North East
Go North East
Go North East is the largest operator of bus services in North East England, United Kingdom. Go North East operates services in the counties of Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland...
(part of Go-Ahead Group
Go-Ahead Group
The Go-Ahead Group plc is a rail and bus operating company that was created following the privatisation of the UK's train and bus industries. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index.-Early history:...
), Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses
Lothian Buses Plc is the only municipal bus company in Scotland and the largest provider of bus services in Edinburgh, Scotland. City of Edinburgh Council own 91.01% of the company with the remainder being owned by East Lothian and Midlothian councils. As well as serving Edinburgh, Lothian Buses...
and many more including Travel West Midlands who took delivery a number in late 2006 for the 37 and 311/311A/313 services.
Initially the B7RLE was only available in the UK with Wright Eclipse Urban bodywork. Since 2004 it has also been used as a low floor single-deck coach, with a longer front overhang and Wright Eclipse Commuter body. From late 2006 the B7RLE in the UK is available with Plaxton Centro
Plaxton Centro
The Plaxton Centro is a bus body designed by Bluebird Vehicles and manufactured by Plaxton. It was launched on the VDL SB120 in February 2006. The Centro was also made available on the VDL SB200 chassis in 2006. In 2007 the Centro was made available on the MAN 12.240 and the Volvo B7RLE chassis....
bodywork (the first example being sold to GHA Coaches
GHA Coaches
GHA Coaches is a bus and coach operator serving North East Wales and surrounding areas in the United Kingdom. Their current total of bus operations has increased dramatically in recent years after purchases of other local bus operators such as Bryn Melyn, Chaloner's, Hanmers Coaches and Vale of...
), followed by Alexander Dennis Enviro300 and Optare Esteem
Optare Esteem
The Optare Esteem is a single-deck bus body. It has been built on Scania N94UB, Scania N230UB, Volvo B7RLE, MAN 12.240, Dennis Dart SLF, Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart and Alexander Dennis Enviro300 chassis.The Esteem was launched by East Lancashire Coachbuilders...
bodywork in 2008.
The B7RLE can also be found in many other countries, including Hong Kong
Hong Kong
Hong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
, Malaysia, India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
and Taiwan
Taiwan
Taiwan , also known, especially in the past, as Formosa , is the largest island of the same-named island group of East Asia in the western Pacific Ocean and located off the southeastern coast of mainland China. The island forms over 99% of the current territory of the Republic of China following...
. However, many of these buses use local bodywork, as do the Volvo B7RLEs that Saracakis constructed for Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki
Thessaloniki , historically also known as Thessalonica, Salonika or Salonica, is the second-largest city in Greece and the capital of the region of Central Macedonia as well as the capital of the Decentralized Administration of Macedonia and Thrace...
.
In 2003, Huangbus (Lok Ma Chau - Huanggang
Huanggang
Huanggang is a city in Hubei, China.Huanggang may also refer to:* Huanggang, Shenzhen, area in Shenzhen, China* Huanggang, Funan County, town in Anhui, China...
shuttle bus service) purchased five B7RLEs with Jit Luen JL-08 bodies and D7E-290 7142cc engines.
KMB ordered 40 B7RLEs with MCV Evolution
MCV Evolution
The MCV Evolution is a single-decker bus bodywork built by Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles. It was unveiled in late 2004.This body is based on the frame of the Stirling but has been drastically restyled, incorporating a new roof-dome , and other new mouldings...
bodies in 2009, followed by another 30 in the same year, and named with fleet code AVC. The first batch of AVCs arrived in November 2009, but did not enter service until April 2010 due to a change in the bumper design. As of August 2010, there are 40 AVCs in service, all equipped with Euro V engines, except AVC2, which has a Euro IV engine because it was a carry over chassis from the previous model year. They are now in service on routes 7M, 14C, 34M, 73K, 78K, 224M, 234B, 264M, 273 and 278K.
Singapore has B7RLE's running in Sentosa
Sentosa
Sentosa, which translates to peace and tranquility in Malay , is a popular island resort in Singapore, visited by some five million people a year...
featuring Liannex bodies, either in a citybus configuration for its internal shuttles, or as open-top double-decker buses. A Euro-4 demonstrator featuring Soon Chow bodywork was offered to SBS Transit (initially meant for a one-year trial) in December 2007, and is currently plying Service 174.
The bodywork adopted by Malaysia's B7RLE, operated by Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the second largest city in Malaysia by population. The city proper, making up an area of , has a population of 1.4 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 7.2 million...
-based bus operator RapidKL as a wheelchair accessible bus, features a more radical design by Gemilang.
Volvo B7RLEs also operate in Surabaya
Surabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
. It is the first wheelchair-accessible bus in Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
fitted with a Euro IV engine. The bus uses Bustech
Bustech
Bustech is an Australian bus bodywork company, established in 1998 on the Gold Coast, Queensland. It is owned by the Transit Australia Group, where buses are produced for its sister companies, Surfside Buslines and Sunbus, as well as other major Australian customers...
bodywork, designed and built in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
External links
- Product description in Volvo website
- Volvo's first city buses in India operating. 2006-01-25 Volvo Buses.Retrieved 2009-06-23