Beestons of Hadleigh in Suffolk has taken delivery of four MCV EvoSeti-bodied Volvo B8L tri-axle double-deck buses as part of a wider ongoing fleet renewal programme.
The high-capacity vehicles sit alongside a recently arrived B8RLE-based Evora single-deck bus and two Evotor-bodied B8R coaches that are scheduled for delivery before the end of 2025. Two more of those will follow in early 2026.
Earlier examples of the B8L EvoSeti combination preceded the recent examples of the type with Beestons. The new buses will largely be used on education-related work including home-to-school services and private hire for 190 days each year. In that application they will cover up to 40,000km per annum.
While the EvoSetis will broadly remain in and around Suffolk, the D8K-based driveline of the Volvo B8L permits them to occasionally go further afield. Each has been built to a bespoke specification with up to 98 leather-trimmed seats, a PA system, and air-conditioning.
Beestons Operations Director Tom Munson says that the Volvo product “is perfectly suited to the needs of our business and has a track record for being a brand you can count on.” He adds that such a level of confidence in the project “simplified decision making when looking to add something new to our fleet.”
Mr Munson notes that while the B8L EvoSetis are large vehicles at 12m or 12.8m in length, staff report that they are easy to handle and have a coach-eque feel for drivers.
Nine new Volvo vehicles have joined Beestons over the last two years out of a fleet of 20. Backup is provided by the Volvo Truck and Bus dealer network, with the nearest such service point 12 miles away in Ipswich.
