Volvo Buses
UNITED KINGDOM & IRELAND
The new vehicles were officially handed over to Preston Bus by Steve Dewhurst and Volvo Bus Regional Sales Manager, Dan Barwick. “The outstanding fuel efficiency of these hybrid vehicles was one of the key factors in this sale,” explained Dan Barwick.
“The new vehicles are going to be mainly employed on the company’s busy 22/23 service, which serves the local hospital and Asda superstore, meaning they’ll have a high visibility within the Preston community.”
Preston Bus, part of the Rotala Group, is Steve Dewhurst’s hometown operator and is therefore a company he has always taken a great personal interest in.
“Naturally I have certain affinity with my hometown bus operator and it just so happened that this delivery coincided with quite a poignant personal time for me,” explained Steve Dewhurst.
“This will be my last official handover before I pass over the reigns to Nick Page and it feels fitting for it to take place in my hometown of Preston. A handover is always a special occasion because it is the culmination of a lot of hard background work. Whilst I’m looking forward to my retirement, I’ll certainly miss days like today.”
Preston Bus’ four new Volvo B5L hybrids use parallel hybrid architecture to achieve outstanding fuel savings. The innovative parallel system combines the power of a 4.8 litre diesel engine with an electric motor, which can be used independently or in combination.
Energy is recovered as the vehicle brakes, storing it in the on-board battery for use later in the electric motor. When the battery is sufficiently charged, the diesel engine can disengage when the vehicle is at a bus stop or in stationary traffic – offering substantial fuel savings for operators.
Receiving the vehicles on behalf of Preston Bus was Managing Director, Bob Dunn, “These new Volvo buses have been purchased for our busy city centre routes and will be used daily by the Preston public.
“On behalf of Preston Bus and Volvo customers across the UK and Ireland, I’d like to also take the opportunity to wish Steve a long and happy retirement.”
ENDS
1 March 2013
Caption for image:
(left to right) Volvo Bus Managing Director, Steve Dewhurst, Preston Bus Managing Director, Bob Dunn and Volvo Bus Regional Sales Manager, Dan Barwick.