SWITCH Mobility restarts Solo production

Having secured an order for 70 buses from Stagecoach, SWITCH Mobility has restarted production of the Solo.

The order consists of ten Metrocity 9.5m electric buses, which will operate on Route W11 in London and 60 Slimline Solo 8.5m, Euro VI buses sold under the Optare brand, presently integrated into Switch Mobility. The Solo buses will support Stagecoach in replacing part of their significant fleet of Solo buses across the country. The 8.5m slimline Solo variant will be manufactured to Stagecoach’s exacting specification and provide seating for 28 people. The Metrocity products will go into operation in early 2024 and the Solos during the first half of 2024.

Equipped with the latest NMC battery technology, the SWITCH Metrocity has been recently upgraded to deliver improved efficiency and increased range of up to 170 miles.

“…we have taken the decision to restart production of our renowned Solo product and support Stagecoach in replacing part of their existing Solo fleet” – Mahesh Babu, Chief Executive Officer – SWITCH Mobility

Mahesh Babu, Chief Executive Officer – SWITCH Mobility, said, “We are delighted to continue to expand our relationship with Stagecoach. Stagecoach’s repeat order for the Metrocity electric bus, following the recent delivery of 20 buses in London, is testament to the efficiency and versatility of the Metrocity. While our focus at SWITCH is on engineering and delivering the world’s most efficient electric buses, we recognise operators such as Stagecoach are continuing to look for ways to reduce the environmental impact and improve the efficiency of their fleet. For this reason, we have taken the decision to restart production of our renowned Solo product and support Stagecoach in replacing part of their existing Solo fleet.”

Sam Greer, Chief Operating Officer – Stagecoach, said: “We are pleased to be welcoming a further 70 low emission vehicles to our fleet which will help us with our sustainability targets of reaching zero emissions by 2050 and a fully electric bus fleet by 2035.”