| Volvo B8RLE | |
| Manufacturer: | Volvo |
| Production: | 2013–present |
| Assembly: | Borås, Sweden Curitiba, Brazil Santiago, Chile Subic, Philippines |
| Predecessor: | Volvo B7RLE Volvo B9RLE Volvo B12BLEA (articulated) |
| Class: | Bus chassis |
| Capacity: | 50–90 passengers |
| Length: | 10.2–12.8 metres (4x2) 12.4-14.9 metres (6x2) 17.1m-18.3 metres (articulated) |
| Floortype: | Low entry |
| Doors: | 1 to 3 |
| Engine: | Volvo D8K (Euro VI), D8C (Euro III/V) |
| Powerout: | 250-350 bhp |
| Transmission: | ZF EcoLife 6AP1200B (280 hp), 6AP1400B (320, 350 hp); Voith DIWA.6 (320 hp), Volvo I-Shift |
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.[1]
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.
D8K,[2] 7698 cc, in-line 6-cylinder turbodiesel (2013–present)
D8C, 7698 cc, in-line 6 cyl. turbodiesel (2017–present)
The Volvo B8RLE has been popular with many bus operators in Australia, most of which also operate the Volvo B7RLE in large numbers.
One example of an Express Coach Builders-bodied B8RLE also exists as a special needs school bus in Perth, Western Australia.
The first example in the United Kingdom was delivered to Arriva Shires & Essex in 2014.[1] 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.[12] 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.
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.[13]
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.
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.
Since 2020, the company Subus Chile, which is part of the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad, operates with 201 Volvo B8RLEA buses.[14] [15] 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.[16] [17]
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.
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. [18]