Mellor has received an order from Swedish operator Connect Bus for 42 examples of its battery-electric Sigma 7. They will be used on demand responsive services in Gothenburg and join four examples in the same city that were delivered to Nobina in 2022.
The Sigma 7 fleet for Connect Bus will work alongside the operator’s existing Mellor Orion E battery-electric minibuses that were introduced in 2020. Delivery of the Sigma 7 fleet will start in Q2 and it will be fulfilled by Mellor’s Scandinavian distribution partner BK Invest.
Learnings from the Orion Es with Connect Bus have been taken forward into the design of the Sigma 7s for the operator, Mellor says. They will be built to suit Sweden’s climate and bus standards, with low-energy driver and saloon climate control systems, passenger and pedestrian safety features, and flexible charging capability to utilise depot and public infrastructure.
Mellor Group Business Development Director Gustavo Marqueta describes the Sigma 7 as combining “the flexibility of a minibus with the features expected from big bus design and technology.” He adds that the smallest member of the Sigma range is a “perfect fit” for established demand responsive operations looking to move to zero-emission.
Adds Connect Bus Chief Operating Officer Christian Plyhm: “We are very excited with this contract, which supports our commitment to zero-emission public transport in Scandinavia. We are pleased to reinforce our partnership with Mellor, which has launched an innovative range of electric buses that suits our needs as a leading regional operator.”
Mellor recently exhibited a Sweden-bound Sigma 7 in York, where it is understood that work is underway on developing a possible city centre shuttle service. Data on the Sigma range released in 2022 showed that the Sigma 7 has 127kW/h of battery capacity and a GVW of 9,000kg. It is available in low- and high-floor format.
