Volvo B8RLE (Express Coach Builders) 1GRL423 @ Malibu School,Safety Bay (Nearside).jpg

The Volvo B8RLE is a 7.7-litre-engined low-entry bus chassis manufactured by Volvo since 2013 for left-hand drive markets. It was designed as a replacement for the B7RLE and the B9RLE. The right-hand drive version was launched in November 2014.Volvo unveils first B8RLE
Bus & Coach Buyer 14 November 2014

Initially available in two- and tri-axle variants, the articulated version of the B8RLE called the B8RLEA is available in Australia since late 2014. In 2017, Euro III and V versions were launched worldwide with engine outputs at 250 and 330 hp. The 250 hp version is marketed in Brazil as the Volvo B250RLE.

It is also available as a medium-floor bus chassis, known as Volvo B8R. Throughout Europe, the B8RLE is most commonly available as the semi-integral Volvo 8900LE. In the United Kingdom, the B8RLE is offered with MCV Evora and Wright Eclipse 3 bodywork, and formerly also with MCV Evolution 2 bodywork. Additionally, Plaxton has also developed a low-entry version called the Plaxton Panther LE coach based on the B8RLE chassis with the 6x2 tri-axles configuration, for the intercity bus-commuter coach market. In Spain the B8R and the B8RLE is only available with the bodywork Unvi Urbis, Castrosua Magnus E, Sunsundegui SB3 and Sunsundegui Astral (this bodywork is discontinued).

In the Philippines, Volvo Buses launched the B8RLE in August 2018. The bus chassis is imported from Borås, Sweden and bodywork is made by Autodelta Coach Builders.

In Indonesia, Indotruck Utama (as a representative of Volvo Buses Indonesia) launched the B8RLE in March 2019 at Busworld Southeast Asia.

Engines

D8K, 7698  cc, in-line 6-cylinder turbodiesel (2013–present)
* D8K280 - 206 kW (280 bhp), 1050 Nm, Euro VI
* D8K320 - 235 kW (320 bhp), 1200 Nm, Euro VI
* D8K350 - 258 kW (350 bhp), 1400 Nm, Euro VI

D8C, 7698 cc, in-line 6 cyl. turbodiesel (2017–present)
* D8C250 - 186 kW (250 bhp), 950 Nm, Euro III/Euro V
* D8C330 - 246 kW (330 bhp), 1200 Nm, Euro III/Euro V

Operators

Australia

The Volvo B8RLE has been popular with many bus operators in Australia, most of which also operate the Volvo B7RLE in large numbers.
* Brisbane Transport operate 139 Volgren Optimus-bodied B8RLEs, They also operate 40 articulated B8RLEAs.
* Transperth operates 307 B8RLEs and 107 B8RLEAs, all with Volgren Optimus bodies. More are currently being delivered.
* The State Transit Authority of NSW ordered a total of 168 Volvo B8RLEs with a mix of Custom CB80 (58), Volgren Optimus (64) and BusTech VST Mk IV (46) bodywork. Of these vehicles, 102 meet Euro V emission standards while 66 are Euro VI compliant. Following the dissolution of the STA these vehicles were distributed among a number of other operators.
* Transit Systems NSW operates 26 Volgren Optimus-bodied B8RLE, with 10 inherited from the State Transit Authority being the Euro V variant.
* Transdev NSW previously ordered 50 Bustech VST Mk IV bodied Volvo B8RLEs with the Euro VI Volvo D8K engine as part of its contract to operate Station Link alongside Hillsbus. These vehicles have since been re-distributed between ComfortDelGro Corporation (CDC) Region 14 and Transit Systems Inner West. Transdev John Holland inherited 56 Euro V Volvo B8RLEs with Volgren Optimus and Euro VI vehicles with Bustech VST bodywork from the State Transit Authority.
* Busways NSW operates 122 B8RLEs, 58 with Custom Bus CB80 bodies (inherited from State Transit), 10 with Custom Endeavour bodywork and 54 with Volgren Optimus bodies (24 Euro V inherited from State Transit and 34 Euro VI).
* Keolis Downer operates 34 Bustech VST bodied B8RLE's (Euro V) in Newcastle and 19 similar vehicles in Sydney. An additional 11 Euro VI Volvo B8RLEs with Express Buses bodywork were ordered from mid-2023 to replace older vehicles in the fleet.
* Ventura Bus Lines operates 19 Volgren Optimus bodied B8RLEs and one Volgren Optimus bodied B8RLEA.

One example of an Express Coach Builders-bodied B8RLE also exists as a special needs school bus in Perth, Western Australia.

United Kingdom

The first example in the United Kingdom was delivered to Arriva Shires & Essex in 2014. As at January 2021, 88 have been delivered with Lothian Buses the largest purchaser with 45, 15 of which are fitted with Wright 13.2m bodywork for subsidiary company East Coast Buses with the remaining 30 fitted with 12.9m MCV eVoRa bodies. East Yorkshire Motor Services purchased 6 with MCV Evolution bodywork in late 2015–2016. Stagecoach in the Fens have 17 B8RLEs on the Wright Eclipse 3 and MCV eVoRa, and Trentbarton also have some on the Wright Eclipse 3 body, Stagecoach South Wales have recently received an order of 12 eVoRa bodies for their TrawsCymru work.

South Korea

Since 2015, several bus operators in Gyeonggi Province including subsidiaries of KD Transportation Group are purchasing B8RLE double-deckers with its bodywork by Daji Motors Enterprise Co.(大吉汽車 in Taiwan), in order to handle exceeding demands of several express bus lines covering Seoul metropolitan area.

Taiwan

In 2016, Kaohsiung Transportation introduced 2 3-axle open-top double-decker B8RLE bus with its bodywork by Daji Motors Enterprise(Chinese: 大吉汽車) in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Then, San Chung Bus in Taipei and Tainan Bus in Tainan also introduced this 3-axle open-top double-decker B8RLE for city sightseeing routes.

In 2019, Shing Nan Bus Company in Tainan introduced 22 2-axle single-deck B8RLE bus with Daji Motors body, as a successor of its Daji-bodied B7RLE single-deck bus, for public bus service ''Tainan City Bus'' and ''THSR Shuttle Bus'' in urban and suburban Tainan.

Philippines

Since September 2018, Precious Grace Transport (Premium Point-to-Point bus or P2P) are purchasing B8RLE low-entry buses (Autodelta Volvo 8900LE replica) body by Autodelta Coach Builders, Inc. are built in Subic, Zambales, in order to handle exceeding demands of several Premium Point-to-Point bus service covering TriNoma to Bulacan route.

Chile

Since 2020, the company Subus Chile, which is part of the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad, operates with 201 Volvo B8RLEA buses. In 2022, 564 Volvo B8R buses were delivered to Chile, of which 173 Volvo buses are operated by Metropol Chile and 391 Volvo buses are operated by RBU Santiago ( Transdev). A large part of the bus lines on which these buses operate are the most extensive in the system.

Singapore

Sentosa Development Corporation operates a fleet of 6 Volvo B8RLE buses with Liannex bodywork on the Sentosa Bus Network. A further 2 buses with SC Chivalrous bodywork were acquired by ComfortDelGro Bus to supplement the fleet of 6 Volvo B8RLE buses owned by Sentosa Development Corporation.

United Arab Emirates

Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) has signed a contract for purchasing 373 buses of Volvo B8R Sunsundegui SB3 along with a 10-year maintenance contract in support of Dubai’s mobility plan and to cope with the rising number of public bus riders.

Gallery

File:Transperth 2015 Volgren Optimus bodied Volvo B8RLEA diesel Rt. 530.jpg, Transperth Volgren Optimus-bodied Volvo B8RLEA
File:Volvo B8RLE (Express Coach Builders) 1GRL423 @ Malibu School,Safety Bay (Nearside).jpg, The only Express Coach Builders-bodied B8RLE, currently used as a school bus in Perth, Western Australia.
File:2015092002 Volvo B8RLE.png, Gimpo Trans Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE double-decker
File:Daji bus Volvo B8RLE FL 9302.jpg 01.jpg, Gyeonggi ComTrans Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE double-decker
File:VOLVO B8RLE of Kaohsiung Bus 20160807.jpg, Kaohsiung Transportation Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE double-decker
File:三重客運KKA-1153 中山南路 20170118.jpg, San Chung Bus Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE double-decker
File:Lothian Buses Volvo B8RLE MCV eVoRa 12.9m.jpg, Lothian Buses MCV bodied 12.9m length Volvo B8RLE single-deck
File:府城客運雙層巴士KKA-7316.jpg, Tainan Bus Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE double-decker
File:興南客運 KKA-7378.jpg, Shing Nan Bus Daji bodied Volvo B8RLE single-deck
File:Laksana Cityline3 LE bodied Volvo V8RLE - July 2019 at GIIAS 2019.jpg, Laksana Cityline3 LE prototype bodied Volvo B8RLE in Indonesia, The Metrotrans buses are coming soon in Jakarta city.
File:Volvo B8RLE by Autodelta Coach Builders, Inc..jpg, One of the earliest B8RLE in the Philippines, operated by Precious Grace Transport, built by Autodelta Coach Builders, Inc.
File:PC7382X on Bus A (45796695501).jpg, Sentosa Development Corporation Liannex bodied Volvo B8RLE single-deck
File:Dubai RTA Bus.jpg, RTA Sunsundegui bodied Volvo B8RLE mainly used for city routes.

References

External links

*
Official website

{{Volvo Buses, state=collapsed

Vehicles introduced in 2013
B8RLE
Low-entry buses
Tri-axle buses
Articulated buses
Bus chassis