Not only does it look strikingly different and passengers will appreciate the changes, but the all-new Levante III offers, for the first time, a considered second-life option
Two key subjects were at the forefront when Levante III was first discussed in 2015: Safety and efficiency. But there’s a third factor too: its second life.
National Express coaches clock up the miles, some coming off lease have 2.4m km on the clock. But they are also well maintained and lead a relatively comfortable life largely on trunk roads and motorways.
When you’re running up to 22 hours a day, seven days a week, then 325,000km a year isn’t untypical. What then do you do with your five-year-old Caetano Levante?
Currently, they find themselves on low-mileage local trips, such as workers contracts, but that could change, as the third generation of the Portuguese manufacturer’s bespoke products for National Express has been specifically designed with its second life in mind.
Principally, this means that the re-designed floor-mounted toilet cubicle can be easily dismantled and removed through the rear emergency door. Retrofit panels are already in stock to re-create the saloon, adding four seats, to make a 63-seater. A smaller touch is that the only branding is ‘Levante’, save for a removable ‘National Express’ finisher on an entrance step riser.
Extra attention has been paid to corrosion protection. Stainless steel framing is complemented by boxin) around the rear wheels, with internal spray suppression, to ensure that salt-laden water doesn’t work its way along the framing.
But that’s for future lives, what about now?
The first one
Hot-foot from tilt testing, the prototype was demonstrated to the press at Caetano UK’s Heather, Leicestershire, HQ by its CEO Richard Hunter, National Express Head of Engineering Richard Ball and Jorge Guedes from Caetano in Portugal – the man who turned the blueprints into the first vehicle.
While Levante II was a revised version of the 2005 first-generation model, Levante III is all-new. At 14.9m, it is 0.6m longer, increasing seating from 56 to 59.
It is also ready for legislative changes on safety in 2018.
A key requirement was to update the looks, but without making the existing coaches look instantly dated.
The styling – from a designer who’s worked on Alfa Romeo cars – keeps some trademark grille features, but has a more angular approach. Its purposeful stance is aided by a ‘tuck under’ at the bottom of the bodysides, avoiding a slab-sided look. Combined with a body ‘crease’ on the front/rear sections and black painted rear-wheel dividers, it’s modern. This is enhanced by a change from yellow to super-white LED destination displays.
The livery has been simplified with the deletion of the grey ‘stair-rods’ that were supposed to symbolise ‘joining up the dots’, a throwback to when National Express ran trains. They were deleted from bus liveries in 2015. Combined with ice-white paint, the result is clean and distinct, relieved by the National Express brand in its friendly rounded typeface.
The black dome and revised mirrors – inset a little more to make them less prone to damage – helps presentation as road dirt and flies are rarely white.
To aid daily checks and maintenance, the quick-release front panels open like a clamshell, revealing the washer bottle. Side panels allow easy access to the bulbs, now LED all round, inside and out.
At the rear, separate corner panels provide easy replacement in case of damage, while the trademark grille styling makes its mark. They are more than cosmetic, as they enable airflow. The prototype is on Volvo’s B11R. A Scania chassis version, arriving in a month’s time and bound for Skills of Nottingham, has the grilles vertically rather than horizontally to meet Scania’s cooling requirements at Euro 6.
However, the extra cooling and manufacturer-specified grille positions required for Mercedes-Benz’s OC500 chassis at Euro 6 fails to meet National Express’ aesthetic requirements, so it will no longer be offered.
Despite the extra grilles, National Express’ requirement for rear advertising/messaging is met with an uninterrupted area above the engine bay. A revised rear CCTV camera is under a top lip to create a vacuum, reducing dirt on the lens.
Finally, the nearside powered lockers open to reveal a clear, uninterrupted, luggage bay. An automatic pre-recorded external announcement tells people to stand back, as they are operated.
Inside, previous ‘clutter’ such as the Fogmaker fire-suppression tank, toilet water tank and roof-mounted drop-down electrical panels have been re-sited. Electrical panels are now on the front bulkhead with vertically hinged doors.
On the inside
The Hidral rising ‘magic floor’ remains in the front step, and the controls are unchanged to ensure commonality for ease of operation. The wheelchair area with its NMI seats, has been revised, so can now accommodate powered wheelchairs.
It still leaves the trademark wide, and easily accessible entrance, clutter free.
Feedback from two-driver jobs has led to a larger crew seat, and a larger flat footrest now comes out from the top step.
The driver’s comfort is a top priority for National Express, to ensure safety and reduce fatigue. The result is a redesigned dash, with the most-used switches nearer the centre, an improved view through the new screen layout and slightly larger mirror views. An option of a lower offside blindspot mirror is offered.
The driver now has their own air conditioning system, along with Volvo’s collision avoidance system and other options, including dynamic steering to reduce road vibrations and driver fatigue. This is aided by a UVB-absorbing front windscreen and double-glazed side screen.
In addition to existing telematics and Alcolock, a Lytx DriveCam unit with forward and driver facing cameras is fitted on the A-pillar. It has automatic remote upload when an ‘event’ is triggered, making investigation swift and easy. The floor-mounted box to the left of the driver’s seat (part of the magic lift ‘docking’ system) now provides lockable storage. The master switch is now in the cab too.
At the front of the luggage racks are the Vuer system (sending films and TV to passengers’ devices) and 10-camera 1TB CCTV system (upgraded from eight-camera).
The overhead racks are slightly larger, and retain the handhold strip on the front edge, along with discreet, but legally required, bell pushes. The service units are all new, with excellent reading lights.
At the front of the saloon, a large flat screen normally displays the road ahead camera view, or the nearside when the lockers are open so passengers can see their luggage. The clock display is GPS controlled, so will always be ‘right time’.
Saloon comforts
Fainsa seats have been replaced with Politecnica, trimmed with real leather, as used in the double-decker coach unveiled last year. They now have leather backs in place of sidewall-style trim. Significantly, the backs have a dual USB socket at each seat position, allowing two devices per passenger to be charged. Socket illumination means drivers can swiftly check to see if any are not working. The 240v sockets have been deleted, saving weight, the inverter and issues with high voltage systems.
Another tricky area, of seatbelts, has been tackled with a new easy-pull belt and automatic height adjuster built in. It is also designed to reduce twisted belts.
Recognising that more people now bring hand luggage (and their devices) on-board, footrests have been deleted to allow bag stowage. Taking a cue from airlines, a metal bar under the front of each seat stops bags sliding forward.
The previous ramped ‘theatre’ style seating arrangement remains, as does the flatfloor that National Express confirms is vital for its customers. After debate, curtains have been retained, but the most significant passenger improvement is the heating.
To save weight and reduce maintenance, especially with the risk of water leaks, perimeter convector heaters have been deleted. Instead the floor under the seats (not the aisle) is heated.
The electric underfloor heating system uses thin conductive film and is curved, with the floor covering, to the sidewall. This has the added bonus of providing more floor space at the window seats, and removes the ‘one foot hot, one cold’ syndrome.
The underfloor heating is split into four zones, left/right, front/back, to take account of thermal gain from the sun, engine bay heat, and cold air from the opening door.
On a balmy autumn day last week, it was too warm to fully test the underfloor system, but combined with the zoned climate control, Caetano is confident that it will be the best solution.
A short test ride demonstrated that the saloon is quiet and comfortable, while the Volvo chassis delivers its trademark capability.
At the back
The rear emergency exit has been redesigned, and slide-out steps are now in a separate housing to prevent dirt ingress. Their operation is mechanically linked to the door, but if they become jammed due to damage in an accident, a shear bolt allows the door to be opened.
Above 5km/h the door is automatically locked to stop passengers accidentally opening it. When the door is opened – or the front door opened using the emergency handle – like in an aircraft, floor-mounted photo-luminescent gangway strips illuminate, while the overhead lighting switches from night-time blue to white, using a special back-up system. This is ready for new legislation, as are larger roof escape hatches
Existing extra safety measures, including two rather than one fire extinguishers (one front, one rear) and seatbelt cutters in the break-glass hammers, are retained.
An obvious change is the toilet now on the offside. This enables a straight waste pipe into the tank, as one way of eliminating smells and blockage. The cubicle has been redesigned so there are no dirt-trapping corners – it’s all curves. Meanwhile, for ease of cleaning, hygiene and appearance the toilet bowl is now stainless steel.
The sliding door has been redesigned and is now ‘soft-close’ to stop it banging in motion. Finally, a two-stage fan extracts air from the toilet – it automatically speeds up when the cubicle is occupied – and a negative pressure in the cubicle, compared with the pressurised saloon, means that when the door is opened, air flows into, rather than out of the cubicle.
Next steps
Tri-axle coaches are now the National Express standard, apart from some tighter routes, such as the Welsh and Devon coasts where two-axles will remain.
National Express runs 550 coaches on its express coach network, including around 100 from its in-house fleet (on routes to Stansted, Heathrow and Luton), the rest from contracted operators.
Current contracts demand a maximum five years vehicle age, some older contracts still in operation allow up to seven years. Most Levante coaches tend to be leased.
After appearing at this week’s Coach & Bus UK show, it goes to new owner Edwards Coaches, South Wales. Pre-series coaches will follow (Scania and Volvo), before series production in ‘early’ 2018. Around 80 coaches a year are expected.
Work to make the coach lighter, yet stronger, means the extra length/seats have a modest effect on weight, possibly around 200kg on the previous 15,680kg ULW. Caetano UK MD Richard Hunter says the price increase will be “miniscule” for the new model, compared with Levante II, which is still being delivered.
Many of the changes are subtle and aid efficiency: Making maintenance easier, reducing the potential for faults and easing the driver’s workload. Combined, there are many features that could well inspire other manufacturers. This is much more than a re-skin; yet it’s evolution, not revolution.
Our first impressions are that the joint project has achieved all its stated aims. Not only does Levante III have great road presence, it is also an improvement for passengers and drivers.
