Volvo B8RLE

The Volvo B8RLE is a 7.7-litre-engined low-entry bus chassis manufactured by Volvo since 2013 for left-hand drive markets. It was designed as a replacement for the B7RLE and the B9RLE. The right-hand drive version was launched in November 2014.
Initially available in two- and tri-axle variants, the articulated version of the B8RLE called the B8RLEA is available in Australia since late 2014. In 2017, Euro III and V versions were launched worldwide with engine outputs at 250 and 330 hp. The 250 hp version is marketed in Brazil as the Volvo B250RLE.
It is also available as a medium-floor bus chassis, known as Volvo B8R. Throughout Europe, the B8RLE is most commonly available as the semi-integral Volvo 8900LE. In the United Kingdom, the B8RLE is offered with MCV Evora and Wright Eclipse 3 bodywork, and formerly also with MCV Evolution 2 bodywork. Additionally, Plaxton has also developed a low-entry version called the Plaxton Panther LE coach based on the B8RLE chassis with the 6x2 tri-axles configuration, for the intercity bus-commuter coach market. In Spain the B8R and the B8RLE is only available with the bodywork Unvi Urbis, Castrosua Magnus E, Sunsundegui SB3 and Sunsundegui Astral.
In the Philippines, Volvo Buses launched the B8RLE in August 2018. The bus chassis is imported from Borås, Sweden and bodywork is made by Autodelta Coach Builders.
In Indonesia, Indotruck Utama launched the B8RLE in March 2019 at Busworld Southeast Asia.

Engines

D8K, 7698 cc, in-line 6-cylinder turbodiesel

D8K280 - 206 kW, 1050 Nm, Euro VI
D8K320 - 235 kW, 1200 Nm, Euro VI
D8K350 - 258 kW, 1400 Nm, Euro VI

D8C, 7698 cc, in-line 6 cyl. turbodiesel

D8C250 - 186 kW, 950 Nm, Euro III/Euro V
D8C330 - 246 kW, 1200 Nm, Euro III/Euro V
Operators

Australia

The Volvo B8RLE has been popular with many bus operators in Australia, most of which also operate the Volvo B7RLE in large numbers.

Brisbane Transport operate 139 Volgren Optimus-bodied B8RLEs, They also operate 40 articulated B8RLEAs.
Transperth operates 592 B8RLEs and 120 B8RLEAs, all with Volgren Optimus bodies. More are currently being delivered.
The State Transit Authority of NSW ordered a total of 168 Volvo B8RLEs with a mix of Custom CB80, Volgren Optimus and BusTech VST Mk IV bodywork. Of these vehicles, 102 meet Euro V emission standards while 66 are Euro VI compliant. Following the dissolution of the STA these vehicles were distributed among a number of other operators.
Transit Systems NSW operates 26 Volgren Optimus-bodied B8RLE, with 10 inherited from the State Transit Authority being the Euro V variant.
Transdev NSW previously ordered 50 Bustech VST Mk IV bodied Volvo B8RLEs with the Euro VI Volvo D8K engine as part of its contract to operate Station Link alongside Hillsbus. These vehicles have since been re-distributed between ComfortDelGro Corporation Region 14 and Transit Systems Inner West. Transdev John Holland inherited 56 Euro V Volvo B8RLEs with Volgren Optimus and Euro VI vehicles with Bustech VST bodywork from the State Transit Authority.
Busways NSW operates 122 B8RLEs, 58 with Custom Bus CB80 bodies, 10 with Custom Endeavour bodywork and 54 with Volgren Optimus bodies.
Keolis Downer operates 34 Bustech VST bodied B8RLE's in Newcastle and 19 similar vehicles in Sydney. An additional 11 Euro VI Volvo B8RLEs with Express Buses bodywork were ordered from mid-2023 to replace older vehicles in the fleet.
Ventura Bus Lines operates 19 Volgren Optimus bodied B8RLEs and one Volgren Optimus bodied B8RLEA.
United Kingdom

The first example in the United Kingdom was delivered to Arriva Shires & Essex in 2014. As at January 2021, 88 have been delivered with Lothian Buses the largest purchaser with 45, 15 of which are fitted with Wright 13.2m bodywork for subsidiary company East Coast Buses with the remaining 30 fitted with 12.9m MCV eVoRa bodies. East Yorkshire Motor Services purchased 6 with MCV Evolution bodywork in late 2015–2016. Stagecoach in the Fens have 17 B8RLEs on the Wright Eclipse 3 and MCV eVoRa, and Trentbarton also have some on the Wright Eclipse 3 body, Stagecoach South Wales have recently received an order of 12 eVoRa bodies for their TrawsCymru work. Transport for Greater Manchester purchased 32 eVoRa bodies under the Bee Network. with 16 examples operated by First Manchester and other 16 operated by Stagecoach Manchester.

South Korea

Since 2015, several bus operators in Gyeonggi Province including subsidiaries of KD Transportation Group are purchasing B8RLE double-deckers with its bodywork by Daji Motors Enterprise Co., in order to handle exceeding demands of several express bus lines covering Seoul metropolitan area.

Taiwan

In 2016, Kaohsiung Transportation introduced 2 3-axle open-top double-decker B8RLE bus with its bodywork by Daji Motors Enterprise in Kaohsiung, Taiwan. Then, San Chung Bus in Taipei and Tainan Bus in Tainan also introduced this 3-axle open-top double-decker B8RLE for city sightseeing routes.
In 2019, Shing Nan Bus Company in Tainan introduced 22 2-axle single-deck B8RLE bus with Daji Motors body, as a successor of its Daji-bodied B7RLE single-deck bus, for public bus service Tainan City Bus and THSR Shuttle Bus in urban and suburban Tainan.

Philippines

Since September 2018, Precious Grace Transport are purchasing B8RLE low-entry buses body by Autodelta Coach Builders, Inc. are built in Subic, Zambales, in order to handle exceeding demands of several Premium Point-to-Point bus service covering TriNoma to Bulacan route.

Chile

Since 2020, the company Subus Chile, which is part of the Red Metropolitana de Movilidad, operates with 201 Volvo B8RLEA buses. In 2022, 564 Volvo B8R buses were delivered to Chile, of which 173 Volvo buses are operated by Metropol Chile and 391 Volvo buses are operated by RBU Santiago. A large part of the bus lines on which these buses operate are the most extensive in the system.

Singapore

operates a fleet of 6 Volvo B8RLE buses with Liannex bodywork on the Sentosa Bus Network. A further 2 buses with SC Chivalrous bodywork were acquired by ComfortDelGro Bus to supplement the fleet of 6 Volvo B8RLE buses owned by Sentosa Development Corporation. These B8RLE buses entered service in 2018. these buses were powered by Volvo D8K-320 in-line 6-cylinder turbocharged engine and fitted with a 6-speed automatic ZF Ecolife 6AP 1400C gearbox. It's also Selective Catalytic Reduction technology, required the diesel exhaust fluids using of AdBlue.

United Arab Emirates

has signed a contract for purchasing 373 buses of Volvo B8R Sunsundegui SB3 along with a 10-year maintenance contract in support of Dubai’s mobility plan and to cope with the rising number of public bus riders.