| Volvo BZL | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volvo Buses |
| Production | 2021–present |
| Assembly | Borås,Sweden |
| Body and chassis | |
| Class | Electric bus |
| Doors | 1, 2 or 3 |
| Floor type | Low floor |
| Related | Volvo BZR |
| Powertrain | |
| Power output | 400kW, 31kNm |
| Transmission | Volvo I-Shift 2-speedAMT |
| Battery | 282/376/470kWh 600Vlithium iron phosphate (NCA in Australia)[1] |
| Plug-in charging | 300 kW (OppCharge roof charging) 150 kW CCS |
| Dimensions | |
| Wheelbase | 3,700 millimetres (150 in) |
| Length |
|
| Width | 2,500 millimetres (8.2 ft) |
| Curb weight | 19,500 kilograms (43,000 lb) |
| Chronology | |
| Predecessor | Volvo B5LH Volvo B8RLE |
TheVolvo BZL is a full-size zero tailpipe emissionsbattery electric buschassis for bothsingle-deck buses anddouble-deck buses, manufactured byVolvo AB since 2021.[3]
First launched in 2021 for the United Kingdom and Ireland markets, featuring both double-decker and single-deckerbodies built byMCV Bus & Coach, the BZL chassis range features CO2heat pump-powered heating and ventilation, and is claimed to be 90% recyclable. It is also built to a high safety standard with multiple new safety innovations such as sealed battery compartments and a strengthened front frame.[4][5][2]
The first 25 Volvo BZLs for the United Kingdom began to be delivered toStagecoach West Scotland for use inAyrshire in February 2023.[6] The firstMCV double-deck bodied BZLs followed in May 2023, with 30 entering service withStagecoach East inCambridge for use on the city'spark and ride system.[7][8] In what would have been the largest zero-emissions bus order by theStagecoach Group to date,Stagecoach Manchester'sStockport depot was to take delivery of 150 double-deck and 20 single-deck BZLs for franchisedBee Network bus services,[9] however severe delays relating to the construction of a new Stockport depot saw the fleet's delivery reallocated to Stagecoach'sMiddleton andMetroline Manchester'sAshton andHyde Road depots; a further twelve single-deck BZLs have since been ordered by an unspecified Bee Network operator.[10]
In London,Metroline was the firstTransport for London operator to order Volvo BZLs, ordering 48 MCV-bodied single-deck BZLs in November 2022,[11] the first 14 of which entered service onroute 251 from January 2024.[12] Metroline are also scheduled to take delivery of a further 28 BZL single-decks for use on routes228 and316 during the first quarter of 2024.[13]Stagecoach London followed with an order for 19 single-deck BZLs, which entered service on route276,[14] following with a further order of 16 single-decks for route314 and 45 double decks for routes58,277 andD7.[citation needed]Arriva London announced in July 2024 that it plans to take delivery of 51 double-deck BZLs for use onroutes 243 and341 from early 2025,[15] whileGo-Ahead London announced in February 2025 that it is to take delivery of 25 single-deck BZLs.[16]
Elsewhere in the United Kingdom, municipal bus operatorWarrington's Own Buses plans to take delivery of 105 single and double-deck BZLs to replace their entire diesel bus fleet,[17] with the first entering service in July 2024,[18] whileLothian Buses took delivery of the first of 50 double-deck BZLs for service inEdinburgh in September 2024.[19] Demonstrator models have entered also service withStagecoach South inWinchester,[20]East Yorkshire inKingston upon Hull,[21][22] andFirst South Yorkshire inSheffield.[23]
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As of January 2025, over 55 Volvo BZLs withVolgren bodies were in service across Australia.[24] The BZL for the Australia and New Zealand market, bodied exclusively by Volgren, was unveiled in October 2021 at Volvo's Australian headquarters inBrisbane,[25][26] with the first four BZLs entering service withTransperth on theJoondalupPerth Central Area Transit (CAT) service in February and March 2022.[27][28] The first of a further 18 for Transperth was delivered in August 2024 for use on a wider range of the CAT services.[29]
In Victoria,CDC Melbourne took delivery of eight BZLs for delivery between 2022 and 2024.[30]Latrobe Valley Bus Lines andSeymour Bus Lines also took delivery of one and three BZLs respectively.[31]
The first of 17 BZLs began to be delivered toTransdev Queensland in February 2023,[32][33][34]Hornibrook Bus Lines took delivery of 16 for its newNorth Lakes depot in late 2023, making it the first bus depot operated entirely by electric buses in Queensland.[35][36]
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In Singapore, a Volvo BZL with a three-door SC Neustar City body was unveiled in November 2022, developed in joint partnership between Volvo and local bus and coach bodywork manufacturer SC Auto, and registered SG4007T. It entered service on a one-year trial withTower Transit from 26 March 2023,[37] mainly operating on route 282 and 990 until the conclusion of the trial in March 2024.[38]
In Malaysia, the Volvo BZL-GML Eco Range was launched in May 2024 in partnership with local body manufacturerGemilang Coachworks, with a trial onRapid Bus free services that commenced later in the year.[39] It was registered BRV9542.
In Colombia, a Volvo BZL built withMarcopolo bodywork was unveiled at a tech expo in the capitalBogotá in June 2023 for use on the city'sTransMileniobus rapid transit (BRT) system, the first bus from a European manufacturer to be delivered to the country; this BZL began trial operations inCuritiba in Brazil, with further trials in the cities ofSão Paulo,Rio de Janeiro andSantiago de Chile to follow.[40][41][42]
Volvo later launched thestep entrance andlow entryBZR bus and coach chassis range in March 2024, featuring variants tailored closer to the Latin American bus market that use similar battery electric technology to both the BZL and its electricVolvo FH trucks.[43]
With over 55 units now delivered, the positivity coming from states such as Victoria and Queensland for the electric bus model shows that Volvo's flagship electric unit is now firmly entrenched in the market.
The locally assembled Volvo BZL-SC Neustar City electric bus, which made its debut in November 2022, also started plying the 990 route on March 26 to test its real-world performance.
Media related toVolvo BZL at Wikimedia Commons