Bus Shite

21,671 · November 18

46 minutes ago, lisbon_road said:

I think they're for the Barton Pevrill services, one of which might start in Shirley? I'm not sure. I read also that they will replace the old Scanias, and that it is unusual to buy new buses for schools but they wanted the capacity. Perhaps they'll escape onto ordinary services occasionally? Be a change from the Enviro 400s though as a passenger I can't really fault them.

It does indeed look like the 1000 series Scanias have gone. They worked mostly Eastleigh routes anyway.Still plenty of 1100s left, I saw one on the 17 this morning and they are still fairly common in Shirley. They used to be mainly on the 4 but they seem to mix it up a bit more recently.

As this shows the new big Volvos are mostly on school buses but one did escape on to the 24 which is Eastleigh to Hedge End but goes via Barton Peveril anyway.

November 18

6 hours ago, Yoss said:

It does indeed look like the 1000 series Scanias have gone. They worked mostly Eastleigh routes anyway.Still plenty of 1100s left, I saw one on the 17 this morning and they are still fairly common in Shirley. They used to be mainly on the 4 but they seem to mix it up a bit more recently.

As this shows the new big Volvos are mostly on school buses but one did escape on to the 24 which is Eastleigh to Hedge End but goes via Barton Peveril anyway.

Better still, they also send them out on the 23, which includes some very tight turns around Verwood!

1052 did the honours twice yesterday, today it was 1051 on the 13:38 run.

3,591 · November 18

Despite newer buses, this Volvo B7 is still on training, must be more than 25 years old so certainly a survivor, seen today

November 19

why don't we buy british buses anymore? living in newport these days they're all chinese electric buses- do british firms not make any electric buses? and if so, why does the government not support our own industry?

3,591 · November 19

8 minutes ago, crad said:

why don't we buy british buses anymore? living in newport these days they're all chinese electric buses- do british firms not make any electric buses? and if so, why does the government not support our own industry?

OK I'll try to answer that as I work on the edge of the Bus industry.

Chinese buses are cheap. The Yutong factory makes about 75,000 buses a year (I think) where in the UK Wright and ADL make about 2,500 between them. We do indeed make electric buses and the new Wright Electroliner looks very impressive, but imagine the economies of scale that you get making so many in one factory in China with your supply chain all around you as the UK manufacturers will still use a lot of Chinese parts.

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles. We do not. Why? I have no idea. They do seem a bit obsessed with electric vehicles - I think electric buses are awesome things but I'd much prefer to see them made here.

I have to admit, some of the Chinese products are very impressive. I'm always worried that by buying them, we're supporting the ultimate throw away society and what support there will be after a few years, I have no idea. Yutong guarantee parts for 15 years I think, but how do you force them to do that? Perhaps they will but what a gamble.

I suspect most of the government hasn't any idea what a factory is.

Really not sure what will happen next. Here's a picture pinched off the Wright site.

28,583 · November 19

21 minutes ago, lisbon_road said:

OK I'll try to answer that as I work on the edge of the Bus industry.

Chinese buses are cheap. The Yutong factory makes about 75,000 buses a year (I think) where in the UK Wright and ADL make about 2,500 between them. We do indeed make electric buses and the new Wright Electroliner looks very impressive, but imagine the economies of scale that you get making so many in one factory in China with your supply chain all around you as the UK manufacturers will still use a lot of Chinese parts.

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles. We do not. Why? I have no idea. They do seem a bit obsessed with electric vehicles - I think electric buses are awesome things but I'd much prefer to see them made here.

I have to admit, some of the Chinese products are very impressive. I'm always worried that by buying them, we're supporting the ultimate throw away society and what support there will be after a few years, I have no idea. Yutong guarantee parts for 15 years I think, but how do you force them to do that? Perhaps they will but what a gamble.

I suspect most of the government hasn't any idea what a factory is.

Really not sure what will happen next. Here's a picture pinched off the Wright site.

That’s one reason why I think Trumps tariffs are a good idea. We really should be supporting British companies and its employees as a priority. Buying in from China should be the last resort really.
It’s the same old thing in the UK though time and time again - everyone talks a good job and wants to support British industry but ultimately it comes down to cost so principles go out the window.

21,671 · November 19

15 minutes ago, lisbon_road said:

OK I'll try to answer that as I work on the edge of the Bus industry.

Chinese buses are cheap. The Yutong factory makes about 75,000 buses a year (I think) where in the UK Wright and ADL make about 2,500 between them. We do indeed make electric buses and the new Wright Electroliner looks very impressive, but imagine the economies of scale that you get making so many in one factory in China with your supply chain all around you as the UK manufacturers will still use a lot of Chinese parts.

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles. We do not. Why? I have no idea. They do seem a bit obsessed with electric vehicles - I think electric buses are awesome things but I'd much prefer to see them made here.

I have to admit, some of the Chinese products are very impressive. I'm always worried that by buying them, we're supporting the ultimate throw away society and what support there will be after a few years, I have no idea. Yutong guarantee parts for 15 years I think, but how do you force them to do that? Perhaps they will but what a gamble.

I suspect most of the government hasn't any idea what a factory is.

Really not sure what will happen next. Here's a picture pinched off the Wright site.

Do you know what powers the Electroliner? I can't imagine it was all produced in Northern Ireland. We know the Alexander Dennis EVs are powered by BYD, it's all over both companies websites but Wright don't mention anything. Unless they tell us it is produced by themselves I'll assume it too is from China.

5 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

That’s one reason why I think Trumps tariffs are a good idea. We really should be supporting British companies and its employees as a priority. Buying in from China should be the last resort really.
It’s the same old thing in the UK though time and time again - everyone talks about good job and wants to support British industry but ultimately it comes down to cost so principles go out the window.

Which is why I don't think tarrifs would work. Without access to Chinese expertise our own bus builders wouldn't stand a chance at producing electric buses at a competitive price.

3,591 · November 19

3 minutes ago, danthecapriman said:

That’s one reason why I think Trumps tariffs are a good idea. We really should be supporting British companies and its employees as a priority. Buying in from China should be the last resort really.
It’s the same old thing in the UK though time and time again - everyone talks about good job and wants to support British industry but ultimately it comes down to cost so principles go out the window.

I think we agree here - though I'm not sure I'd use the term 'good idea' - more just that tariffs might give the UK bus industry a chance to survive.

Other factors are the ability to make large orders. Take the example of when the Maltese bus fleet was basically replaced overnight, only Chinese factories could fulfill the order. Imagine you place an order for (say) 400 buses, if Yutong make 75K a year, they can easily cope. Our factories wouldn't find it easy.

Actually Trump tariffs will make it more difficult to export to the States. Also we have Rules of Origin issues with anything we make here now. It isn't easy manufacturing in the UK now, not at all.

3,591 · November 19

1 minute ago, Yoss said:

Do you know what powers the Electroliner? I can't imagine it was all produced in Northern Ireland. We know the Alexander Dennis EVs are powered by BYD, it's all over both companies websites but Wright don't mention anything. Unless they tell us it is produced by themselves I'll assume it too is from China.

Which is why I don't think tarrifs would work. Without access to Chinese expertise our own bus builders wouldn't stand a chance at producing electric buses at a competitive price.

A lot of parts for the Electroliner will come from China for sure. The thermal management comes from Birmingham, but even then, bits might be sourced in China. For more detail, I don't know the answers.

I visited the ADL factory in Guildford and even the chassis were made in Malaysia and shipped in. Tariffs might be applied to goods exported but not to components coming in.

The ADL factory in Guildford closed and chassis manufacture went to Falkirk, which was sad but honestly, probably made a lot of sense.

28,583 · November 19

23 minutes ago, Yoss said:

Which is why I don't think tarrifs would work. Without access to Chinese expertise our own bus builders wouldn't stand a chance at producing electric buses at a competitive price.

That’s one of the really sad things about all this. ‘Chinese expertise’

We had a huge industry building buses, trucks, trains etc etc and we pissed it all up the wall. We should be the ones with the expertise and building things to sell around the world. Now we’re a joke that only makes cups of coffee for foreign companies or moves imaginary money around.

As I said, China should be a last resort. Especially so given how they behave as a nation (especially especially so for Covid!) but this is getting disgustingly close to politics now so I won’t go on!😆

But, all we’re doing by constantly going buying from China is supporting a nation that we really shouldn’t be.

17,073 · November 19

1 hour ago, lisbon_road said:

OK I'll try to answer that as I work on the edge of the Bus industry.

Chinese buses are cheap. The Yutong factory makes about 75,000 buses a year (I think) where in the UK Wright and ADL make about 2,500 between them. We do indeed make electric buses and the new Wright Electroliner looks very impressive, but imagine the economies of scale that you get making so many in one factory in China with your supply chain all around you as the UK manufacturers will still use a lot of Chinese parts.

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles. We do not. Why? I have no idea. They do seem a bit obsessed with electric vehicles - I think electric buses are awesome things but I'd much prefer to see them made here.

I have to admit, some of the Chinese products are very impressive. I'm always worried that by buying them, we're supporting the ultimate throw away society and what support there will be after a few years, I have no idea. Yutong guarantee parts for 15 years I think, but how do you force them to do that? Perhaps they will but what a gamble.

I suspect most of the government hasn't any idea what a factory is.

Really not sure what will happen next. Here's a picture pinched off the Wright site.

Why would the government support bus manufacture in the UK? They’ve (the UK government in my lifetime), not supported manufacturing industry to any great extent , save subsidising foreign car factories, as far as I can make out.

5,419 · November 19

What are parts/support like? There have been some murmurings about those chinese cars sitting for months waiting for a simple part, mind you, that general lack of bother/institutionalised "yes it's shit but it is what it is" seems to have become endemic in the last few years for all manufacturers.

I suppose we will only truly know after a full life cycle - for a standard bus it's, what, 20 years? Maybe 10 years in normal service, before being pensioned off for peak hour extras or school runs?

5,419 · November 19

16 hours ago, lisbon_road said:

Despite newer buses, this Volvo B7 is still on training, must be more than 25 years old so certainly a survivor, seen today

This picture comes with an earworm of the >pic, pic, pic, pic, pic< noise which the indicators would make, like a smoke alarm needing a new battery - was annoying as heck as a passenger, let alone what a driver would think.

24,746 · November 20

22 hours ago, lisbon_road said:

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles.

Tariffs don't work,

https://www.eleconomista.es/industria/noticias/12299199/05/23/la-santiaguesa-castrosua-fabrica-ya-los-buses-electricos-de-byd-para-espana.html

https://www.soydezaragoza.es/nuevos-buses-chinos-electricos-zaragoza/

https://www.bnnvara.nl/joop/artikelen/china-blijkt-noorse-stadsbussen-op-afstand-te-kunnen-besturen-ook-zorgen-voor-nederland

47,665 · November 22

On 19/11/2025 at 09:52, Yoss said:

Do you know what powers the Electroliner? I can't imagine it was all produced in Northern Ireland. We know the Alexander Dennis EVs are powered by BYD, it's all over both companies websites but Wright don't mention anything. Unless they tell us it is produced by themselves I'll assume it too is from China.

A quick internet research https://www.sustainable-bus.com/news/wrightbus-new-generation-electroliner/

Shows that the Electroliners drive chain is made by Driventic (nee Voith), they have a facility in Southam, Warwickshire, but also have another 25 sites abroad so who knows where it's made.....

https://www.driventic.com/products/bus/veds

And the batteries are made by CATL in China

https://www.catl.com/en/solution/commercialEV/

1,101 · November 22

Buying British is an awfully good idea, but look at ADL as an example. To get market reach they partnered with a Chinese company, don't know if it was BYD at the time, to assemble buses over there. No doubt a one way knowledge transfer went on for a while, then they partnered with BYD formally. Shortly after, original investors in ADL sold out to a Canadian Group, who are now petitioning for Government support (though remember, neither local or national governments have any money, they are very good at wasting ours) to retain some kind of base in the UK.

20,378 · November 29

What's this? We've exported something!

I'm on an Enviro500 in Berlin. The city has uniquely always had a penchant for double decker, MAN making them most recently before ADL got a big order and is now their exclusive supplier. They're air conditioned tri-axle things with a Merc 8 litre engine. They're punchy, but interior quality is distinctly tackier than the competition, of which there's a lot... seen Merc, Scania, VDL, Solaris and Chinese out here this weekend. BVG has a weird fleet.

2,170 · November 30

20 hours ago, willswitchengage said:

What's this? We've exported something!

I'm on an Enviro500 in Berlin. The city has uniquely always had a penchant for double decker, MAN making them most recently before ADL got a big order and is now their exclusive supplier. They're air conditioned tri-axle things with a Merc 8 litre engine. They're punchy, but interior quality is distinctly tackier than the competition, of which there's a lot... seen Merc, Scania, VDL, Solaris and Chinese out here this weekend. BVG has a weird fleet.

A number running around in Switzerland too!

10,413 · December 1

I very seldom take any bus photos, but this 90s throwback appeared outside the airport earlier.

1.18 million KM at last (equivalent to) MOT, gaffer tape and upstairs wipers. It sounded great, 385hp according to online records.

2,165 · December 1

On 19/11/2025 at 09:28, lisbon_road said:

OK I'll try to answer that as I work on the edge of the Bus industry.

Chinese buses are cheap. The Yutong factory makes about 75,000 buses a year (I think) where in the UK Wright and ADL make about 2,500 between them. We do indeed make electric buses and the new Wright Electroliner looks very impressive, but imagine the economies of scale that you get making so many in one factory in China with your supply chain all around you as the UK manufacturers will still use a lot of Chinese parts.

The USA and all of Europe supports their manufacturers by having tariffs on Chinese vehicles. We do not. Why? I have no idea. They do seem a bit obsessed with electric vehicles - I think electric buses are awesome things but I'd much prefer to see them made here.

I have to admit, some of the Chinese products are very impressive. I'm always worried that by buying them, we're supporting the ultimate throw away society and what support there will be after a few years, I have no idea. Yutong guarantee parts for 15 years I think, but how do you force them to do that? Perhaps they will but what a gamble.

I suspect most of the government hasn't any idea what a factory is.

Really not sure what will happen next. Here's a picture pinched off the Wright site.

Cheap they might be, but also filled with enough audio video recording spyware that anything Chinese is now banned from certain diplomatic/military use.... and it seems remote killswitches too based on a new article I saw the other day.
Buy cheap, buy twice? (once Xi switches them all off in retaliation for something......)

Anyway, this popped up on social media for me, a nice period shot. Shame about the garage sign 😅

2,170 · December 2

3 hours ago, mat777 said:

Buy cheap, buy twice?

The hub oil seal developed a weep on one of our Milkfloats.

This was of course picked up and reported.

And my warning that it wasn't going to get better was roundly ignored.

Now this type of Milkfloat has hub motors. The leaky side- easily identified due to oil deposits on the rim- deteriorated to the point it started howling.

Think Leyland\Albion Hub Reduction axle at speed type shit...

I said it would seize up. And it fucking well did.

It took just over eight fucking weeks to get a new Hub Reduction unit. This is warranty work.

Would a ZF axle shit itself and be that much of a cunt to get fixerated?

9,508 · December 3

On 01/12/2025 at 22:12, mat777 said:

Cheap they might be, but also filled with enough audio video recording spyware that anything Chinese is now banned from certain diplomatic/military use.... and it seems remote killswitches too based on a new article I saw the other day.
Buy cheap, buy twice? (once Xi switches them all off in retaliation for something......)

Anyway, this popped up on social media for me, a nice period shot. Shame about the garage sign 😅

Shame about the bus as well. That's one of those ECW bodies where the arse end fell off due to not being built strong enough.

9,452 · December 3

13 minutes ago, busmansholiday said:

Shame about the bus as well. That's one of those ECW bodies where the arse end fell off due to not being built strong enough.

Yeah, wasn't that a consequence of trying to apply a rear-engined (Bristol RE) body design to mid-engined Tigers and Leopard chassis? I remember a Hedingham Tiger of that type on our school contract in the early 90s. Must have been scrapped decades ago now.

47,665 · December 3

On 01/12/2025 at 21:12, mat777 said:

.... and it seems remote killswitches too based on a new article I saw the other day.
Buy cheap, buy twice? (once Xi switches them all off in retaliation for something.....

In the same way VAG, MB (and BMW) can switch off features remotely and then demand money to reinstate them? Interesting news for MAN, Scania and Mercedes Benz bus operators.

14,400 · December 4

https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2025/dec/04/new-luxury-sleeper-bus-service-europe-twiliner-amsterdam-zurich

4,756 · December 4

On 04/12/2024 at 23:16, mk2_craig said:

I drove one of these on Monday.

there is currently a grand total of NONE of these in the British Isles

As of Monday there are four.

47,665 · December 4

5 hours ago, mk2_craig said:

As of Monday there are four.

^^^^ mmmm, I wonder if they're as bad as the BMC buses which very much came and went? I know I'm a bit of a Chinese apologist but I think I'd go for a Yutong over an Oktacar. Not that I've any bus experience what so ever.....

47,665 · December 5

Lisbon, but made by Saviem in France.

47,665 · December 5

Yikes, I mean some people complain about Optares... It is a BUS Garufa (Spree), made in 1989, underneath is a Mercedes-Benz LO 608D, I think it's Spanish.

47,665 · December 5

Meanwhile, back in Bulwell, Nottingham.

Bus Shite

Recommended Posts

Yoss

SunnySouth

lisbon_road

crad

lisbon_road

danthecapriman

Yoss

lisbon_road

lisbon_road

danthecapriman

Metal Guru

N19

N19

Remspoor

martc

colino

willswitchengage

Leyland Worldmaster

bramz7

mat777

Leyland Worldmaster

busmansholiday

RoadworkUK

martc

catsinthewelder

mk2_craig

martc

martc

martc

martc

Create an account or sign in to comment

Create an account

Sign in

Similar Content

PieSpots: Shite Photos of Shite 1 2 3

Snow shite?

Abandoned shite 1 2

The end of shite! 1 2 3 4 5

A fleet of shite 1 2 3

Browse Forums

Activity