Extended lead times for new coaches and buses are receding but an industry-wide return to pre-2020 levels of vehicle supply stability remains some way off, Scania UK Sales Director Mark Bridgland has predicted.
While Mr Bridgland acknowledges that the past few years have seen difficulties because of external factors, he adds that lead times are quickly coming down across the Scania range as more control of the supply chain is regained by the builder.
He believes that cross-sector difficulties since 2020 have served to make all manufacturers “far more agile” in responding to geopolitical challenges, noting that many businesses in the commercial vehicle field have examined their supply network to see how future risks can be mitigated.
“If we look at the last 30 to 40 years, we have been in a global economy with things relatively stable,” Mr Bridgland continues. He adds that the current landscape, exemplified by matters such as war in Ukraine, conflict in the Middle East and governmental upheaval, may become “the new norm,” at least in the medium-term.
“Events will [continue to] occur suddenly that throw curveballs,” he says. Such occurrences could lead to actions such as minor tweaks to product specification in mitigation, but the overall situation around vehicle availability is improving, he continues.
Mr Bridgland’s comments echo those of another manufacturer in the coach field. It recently noted that delays to vehicle completion due to component availability have fallen greatly since 2022, but that more improvement is needed before 2019 lead times return.
Others have highlighted buoyant demand for new vehicles across Europe that is outstripping the pace of production for some suppliers on the continent as a contributor to lead times. Suggestions from the operating side are that certain late used stock is selling for no less than what it was first purchased for because of that pressure.
Mr Bridgland adds that the influence of Chinese OEMs on the coach and bus market is keeping other builders “on their toes,” although he notes that Scania sees “some huge opportunities” in the segment going forward, particularly around decarbonisation.
With its battery-electric bus approach recently settled with the decision not to offer a double-deck chassis and instead to focus on low-entry underframes, the manufacturer’s UK arm is now largely working to a certainty-based product map. That includes a long-term future for diesel, as coach and bus Sales Director Mark Oliver underlined earlier in April.
Mr Bridgland joined Scania UK in 2023 from the car dealership field. He notes that there are both similarities and differences between consumer automotive and commercial vehicles, adding that with overall customer numbers in the latter being much lower, constructive engagement is easier.
That aside, Mr Bridgland says that key to him is for Scania UK to be easy to do business with. It recently added online purchase to its Scania Go premium used vehicle platform as an example of that work.
