Volvo B5LH
The Volvo B5LH (initially known as the Volvo B5L Hybrid, also known as the Volvo BRLH) is a low-floor hybrid electric bus chassis for both single-decker buses and double-decker buses manufactured by Volvo between 2008 and 2023. It is the basis for Volvo's integral 7700 Hybrid full low floor city bus and its successor, the 7900 Hybrid from 2011. In 2008, pre-production batches of both types of chassis were manufactured. Serial production started in June 2010. From 2013 it is also available as an articulated bus chassis. First entering service in London, the B5LH is the only current double decker type in service in the United Kingdom that uses a parallel hybrid drive system.
| Volvo B5LH (B5L Hybrid/BRLH) Volvo B5LHC Volvo B5L S-Charge | |
|---|---|
Arriva North West Volvo B5LH with Wright Eclipse Gemini bodywork | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | Volvo |
| Production | 2008-2023 |
| Body and chassis | |
| Floor type | Low-entry |
| Related | Volvo 7700 Volvo 7900 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | Euro V: Volvo D5E-215 and I-SAM (Pre-Production), Volvo D5F-215 and I-SAM Euro VI: D5K-240 and I-SAM |
| Transmission | Volvo I-Shift 12-speed automatic |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 10.5 m (34 ft 5 in) to 11.5 m (37 ft 9 in) Early version: 10.4 m (34 ft 1 in) Articulated chassis: 18.0 m (59 ft 1 in) |
| Width | 2.55 m (8 ft 4 in) |
| Height | varies, depending on bus body type |
| Chronology | |
| Successor | Volvo BZL |
An updated version, the Volvo B5LHC, was launched in 2016, designed for high-capacity inner-city work. The chassis was available in the United Kingdom with Wright SRM bodywork, which in terms of front-end styling is identical in appearance to London's New Routemaster buses. The B5LHC was discontinued in 2018 after only two examples built, with Volvo instead focusing on developing the Volvo BZL battery electric bus chassis.
On 14 April 2020, Volvo announced the S-Charge self-charging hybrid version of B5L chassis, which replaced original hybrid model. It is known as Volvo B5L S-Charge and can run in electric mode at the speeds up to 50 km/h, up from 20 km/h in previous model. The previous B5LH continues to be available in certain markets, such as the UK.