Go-Ahead orders 25 electric buses from Volvo

Volvo Buses has received an electric bus order from Go-Ahead: The British transport company is adding 25 Volvo BZL Electric solo buses to its fleet in London over the course of this year.

For Volvo Buses, this is the first order from Go Ahead for electric buses. The two sides have been cooperating on combustion engines for some time. The Swedish company will now be supplying 25 single-decker BZL Electric buses. The units are 9.7 metres long, making them relatively compact. While the chassis comes from Volvo, the Egyptian manufacturer MCV is contributing the body. A battery capacity of 376 kWh is specified, which is distributed across four packs. The electric bus fleet is planned to mainly be charged overnight in the bus depot.

The client, Go Ahead, is the largest bus operator in London. CEO Matt Carney emphasises: “Volvo Buses have been a staple of the Go-Ahead fleet in London for decades, and we’re excited to be introducing our first BZL Electrics into the capital. They’ll replace a mixture of older diesel and hybrid assets in our fleet, helping to further improve the sustainability of our operation.”

Volvo Buses presented the new chassis called BZL Electric in 2021. It is designed for both single and double-decker buses with several options for bodybuilders and has a drivetrain developed entirely by Volvo.

Go Ahead has sourced buses from a variety of manufacturers, and even introduced an Irizar ie tram into its fleet at the end of 2024, which looks like a tram, but operates like a bus. Wrightbus also received an order from the English public transport operator for 1,200 electric buses last October, while ADL was tasked with a follow-up order for another 32 electric buses just a few days before.

volvobuses.com