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 […]
Mellor Coachcraft is to expand its factory site in Rochdale with the acquisition of the neighbouring industrial unit and land. The Miall Street site has long been cramped for vehicle movement outside of the production hall, despite investment shortly after the Woodall Nicholson Group bought Mellor. Now, it will be able to spread its operation […]
Speaking at the Coach and Bus UK show – at which Volvo exhibited coaches – MD Nick Page said: “If you look at Volvo’s worldwide hybrid and electric sales it is around 3,700 vehicles and 1,800 of them are in the UK, so we are very strong in that area.” He said he wanted to […]
The company took the first two examples of the 21-seat Mercedes-Benz Sprinter-based lowfloor vehicle in Autumn 2016 and the first repeat order for a second pair is currently being delivered. It will be followed closely by the first ten of the new order. A further ten will be delivered in 2018. Managing Director Ralph Roberts […]
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 […]
By day two of the Coach and Bus UK exhibition, I was becoming aware of my age – these legs, each heading towards 60 years old, ain’t what they used to be. For the ‘little’ show, Coach and Bus UK seemed to be quite big, with plenty to see and, especially on day one, a […]