London fleet expands with another 72 MCV-bodied Volvo BZL Electric buses

Volvo Buses’ UK and Ireland subsidiary has recently successfully completed the delivery of a batch of 72 MCV-bodied Volvo BZL Electric double-decker buses to Arriva UK Bus. The vehicles, based at the operator’s Tottenham depot, will enter service in north London. The procurement is part of Arriva UK Bus’s nationwide fleet renewal programme worth around £340 million, under which numerous further buses also based on Volvo chassis will enter service outside the English capital later in 2026.

Each bus in the new fleet is fitted with a five-module nickel-cobalt-aluminium oxide (NCA) traction battery pack with a total capacity of 470 kWh, supplying energy to a 200 kW central electric motor via a two-speed automatic transmission. Accordingly, the rear driven axle has a conventional layout, which the manufacturer says makes maintenance simpler.

In addition to the newly delivered electric vehicles, which also have a Hungarian connection through their design, the fleet development programme of Arriva’s local subsidiary also includes, among other things, the purchase of 63 diesel buses with MCV eVoRa bodies built on low-entry Volvo B8RLE rolling chassis. These vehicles, which have already been ordered, are expected to be delivered by Volvo in the fourth quarter of 2026, and will be seen in Bangor in Wales, Luton in the wider London commuter belt and the nearby London Luton Airport, as well as in the Teesside area of northern England, where they will join more than 50 examples that arrived in 2025. The fleet will be supported by Volvo Bus UK & Ireland’s UK dealer and service network of more than 80 locations, ensuring access to fast, customer-focused aftersales and professional maintenance services, including Volvo’s body and paint facility in Loughborough, which holds significant stocks of glazing, exterior plastic components and panels, interior fittings and spare passenger seats.

„Volvo vehicles continue to perform excellently in both urban and interurban operations, reinforcing our confidence in their reliability and day-to-day operational efficiency. Our drivers greatly appreciate the easy handling and quiet operation of the Volvo BZL Electric buses,” Martijn Gilbert, managing director of Arriva UK Bus, commented on the latest procurement.

Cover photo: Volvo Bus UK & Ireland