UK bus manufacturer, Mellor has presented its new electric Sigma 8 bus for the first time at Euro Bus Expo.
The eight-metre battery-electric bus is the latest in Mellor’s six-model Sigma electric bus portfolio, which ranges from 7 to 12-metres.
This range aims to provide configurable vehicles for the European market, with varying specifications such as width and passenger door options available for city and rural applications.
Sigma 8 has a 54-passenger capacity for 27 seated and 27 standing passengers.
During Euro Bus Expo, Mellor announced that it had already received significant orders for these vehicles, such as from local authorities across the UK.
Mellor believes that its battery-electric bus offers substantial size and cost benefits by filling a gap between smaller capacity vehicles and larger, under-utilised buses.
Mellor Bus Division Sales Director, Mark Clissett said;We’re definitely shaking things up in the bus market. We’ve filled a gap where operators have previously been acquiring over-sized, over-spec’d vehicles which continue to be under-utilised. Mellor, on the other hand, offers the right tool for the job. A fully-electric, affordable, size-appropriate bus range which delivers a no-compromise solution. And our competitors are playing catch-up. Only recently, a well-known player in the market has said it will introduce an electric midibus in 2023 – while the Mellor Sigma range is available today.
Although unspecified, it is likely that Clissett is referring to Alexander Dennis’s recent launch of its Enviro100EV midibus, which was also presented at Euro Bus Expo.
