The partners announced that the latest generation of Volvo ‘B13R’ chassis, introduced in 2022, will be paired with the ‘Paradiso G8 1200’ coach body that Marcopolo launched in 2021, with added features to bring it in line with European standards.

Formally inaugurated on 16 September, the production line is housed in a 10,000-square-metre building near MCV’s existing facilities.

Volvo’s BZR Electric coach chassis will support a range of different configurations: lengths between 9.5 and 14.9 metres, two or three axles, and a gross vehicle weight of up to 27,200 kilograms.

The buses will be deployed on a BRT route that stretches over 50 kilometres in the Greater Goiânia area in the state of Goiás, transporting around 12 million passengers every month.

Volvo has worked extensively with Transport for London on the development and implementation of the City Brake, designed to mitigate the impact of emergency braking on standing and unrestrained passengers.

Volvo will supply 28 ‘B8RLE’ low-entry buses and 4 ‘B13R’ buses for urban and regional transportation in the county of Vestland.

From MAN, the Roads & Transport Authority has ordered 400 12-metre buses, whereas from Volvo, it has ordered 76 double deckers which will be bodied by Gemilang.

BZRT artic and bi-artic chassis will be shipped to bodybuilders across the globe from the Volvo plant in Curitiba, Paraná.

As part of the agreement, Volvo will support GB Auto in upgrading its bus manufacturing facility by providing corporate and technical expertise as well as ongoing guidance with quality control and sustainable sourcing.

The Volvo Group - which includes Renault Trucks, Mack Trucks, Prevost, and Nova Bus - saw a slight decline in its financial results across the board, with its net sales falling by 3% to SEK527bn (approximately EUR46bn) in 2024.

The ‘Volvo 7800 Electric’ is a range of articulated and bi-articulated buses intended for dedicated bus lanes in urban transport networks.

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.