Twenty years ago, in 1997, more than 165,000 coaches boarded ferries out of Dover laden with people keen to see ‘The Continent.’ By last year, that total had halved, to just 87,000 coaches. That picture may be explained in part by the advent of Le Shuttle, which definitely ate into the short-sea ferries’ share of […]
You’d be forgiven for thinking the ‘Bus’ part of the show logo had fallen off, Conservative Conference style, when this year’s big exhibition opened. Bus builders were notable by their absence, but the outcome was a focus on coaches and some of the most interesting products in years. Nor did this seem to the detriment […]
In this review, we’ve cherry-picked the highlights of the event. Continued from part 1. EVM’s lowfloors hit the mainstream EVM have had a bumper year with increased UK and Irish sales, higher production and a growing export business. Of particular success have been the Community and CityLine products which offer direct wheelchair access. Increasingly sales […]
Van Hool is set to be the first manufacturer to introduce an electric coach but it will launch on the North American market in 2019. Van Hool and Proterra, an American battery technology company, are expecting the venture to create a 100% electric-powered coach with 300km range and says it will be primarily used for […]
The Mercedes Benz Tourismo is the best-selling coach in Europe and has made an increasing impact on the UK market since it was launched here. Now there is a new generation of the model with many more options, some of them exclusively right-hand-drive, which Daimler Buses hopes will further entrench the model’s appeal. For those […]
The new Levante III launched at this week’s Coach and Bus UK show by Caetano is one of the most innovative coaches of the year. The Portuguese-built vehicle is completely re-engineered and has a raft of new features designed in conjunction with National Express, whose operators will be the main customers for the 14.9-metre tri-axle. […]
MAN Truck and Bus has become the newest van supplier to the UK market with the launch of the TGE, following its preview at the CV Show earlier this year. The new TGE is not, technically, a MAN produced product because it is derived from the new VW Crafter which was launched in the UK […]
One problem with aligning yourself with a prestige brand is that, by association, you will have to match its customer’s expectations. Mercedes-Benz is one such brand, and known for its understandable wariness of allowing coachbuilders and converters to take an angle grinder and welding torch to its vans and chassis. Of course, anyone can, but […]