In the 2000s, there were three major manufacturers of buses and bus bodies in the United Kingdom: Alexander Dennis of Scotland; Wrightbus of Northern Ireland; and Optare, a relatively young company based in the north of England. For a time, Optare probably accounted for a quarter of the buses and coaches produced in the UK. Optare entered the 2020s under a new name, Switch Mobility Ltd, signalling its intention to embrace the electric era wholeheartedly. However, among the British manufacturers, it remains firmly in third place: according to statistics provided by Switch, it sold 33 buses in 2022, 44 in 2023, and 125 in 2024. In that same period, Switch’s plant in England has produced more than two hundred vehicles, the vast majority of which were sold to various UK operators, including Stagecoach, Arriva, and many more. 

The company announced 2024 sales figures of USD 10.3 billion, a decrease of USD 300 million compared to 2023 figures of USD 10.6 billion. Adjusted EBITA rose by USD 40 million, to USD 885 million in 2024 (2023: USD 845 million). Financially, the company is healthy with an operating cash flow of USD 476 million and a sales backlog of USD 650 million.

Volvo says the order books are “open” for the UNVI-bodied coach, which is based on the ‘B13R’ chassis produced by Volvo at its factory in Boras, Sweden.