Plaxton’s restyled Elite was unveiled at Euro Bus Expo with its appearance more in line with the remainder of the manufacturer’s line-up. Acklams Coaches took the first to enter service, in January
Wheelchair-accessible coaches are niche vehicles, but for those operators that run them they are often worthwhile additions to the fleet. That’s certainly the case for Beverley, East Yorkshire-based Acklams. It has several, all Plaxton-bodied.
Among them is its latest addition, a Volvo B11R with the first restyled Elite body to enter service.
It is PSVAR-compliant, having a PLS lift and ‘magic floor’ system at the door combined with tracked seats at the front and Hanover front, side and rear destination screens.
It can carry a maximum of six wheelchair users, and an added benefit is that when not used on accessible work, the lift is well hidden in the lower step and able-bodied customers will know nothing of its accessible credentials.
Plaxton’s restyled Elite was unveiled at Euro Bus Expo in November 2016. The model was designed from the get-go as an accessible coach and the main revision to the restyled Elite is a remodelled dash panel.
The manufacturer also offers an optional drag reduction system, fitted to the Acklams coach. It includes under trays and small vertical ‘spoilers’ on each rear corner. Combined with Volvo’s active suspension – which reduces ride height at higher speeds – it gives a fuel saving of around 4%.
That may not sound a lot, but on high mileage work it adds up. The Acklams coach is destined to spend a portion of its time on European tours and it will also make itself useful on the operator’s contracts to transport fans of Hull’s professional sports teams.
During a gap in its schedule, Director Alan Acklam and his father and fellow Director Paul kindly made their new addition available for a routeone Test Drive.
Build
Acklams’ Elite is built on the B11R chassis and is powered by a D11K engine developing 430bhp and driving through Volvo’s 12-speed I-Shift automated gearbox.
ZF’s EcoLife transmission is offered in conjunction with the D11K’s 380bhp rating, and Plaxton is hopeful that the automatic ‘box will be homologated with the 430bhp engine in the future.
The coach is 12.6m long, 3.72m high and 2.55m wide. It weighs in at 13,548kg unladen, with around 500kg of that accounted for by the lift and ‘magic floor’ kit.
Electrically-powered, parallel-lifting luggage bay doors are fitted to the Acklams coach, as is an offside continental door with a demountable toilet.
It seats 49, with a maximum of 51 possible if the toilet is removed; if the operator does not require a toilet at all, an emergency door behind the rear axle that includes slide-out steps can be specified to maximise luggage space. A floor-level toilet is also available.
One distinct characteristic of the Elite is its two-piece windscreen. Complementing the main screen is a curved pane of glass that extends well into the roofline. It is heavily tinted, but provides a good view for passengers.
Passenger access
Because of the need to accommodate the wheelchair lift, the Elite’s door is wide making access very easy for able-bodied passengers.
A large handrail is fitted to the left when boarding. There is extensive vertical provision to their right, although not on the underside of the courier seat.
Four steps lead to the platform, with one more rising to the flat gangway. No sunken aisle option is available. Each seat has a vertical handhold at the aisle-side corner, meaning that moving around the cabin is easy.
The PLS lift and ‘magic floor’ are fully powered, and all the driver needs to do is plug the wanderlead in to use both. Two connectors are provided; one within the lower step area, and another by the nearside front seats.
The lift is hidden in the bottom step, and when activated the Magic Floor – which constitutes the entire platform area – rises to the level of the gangway.
Both the lift and the rising platform are installed and commissioned by Plaxton technicians at Scarborough and no rattles are evident when the coach is in motion.
To prepare for the loading of wheelchair users, it is necessary to lift the carpet and rotate the courier seat to sit flush with the side wall.
Unwin tracking is fitted and seven pairs of seats on the nearside, and four on the offside, are removable in Acklams’ coach. Plaxton can track the whole saloon if required, although the back row is reached via a further small step.
Passenger comfort
49 Politecnica GTV seats are fitted. They are finished in red fabric with cream leather headrest and piping inserts, and have drop-down tables, footrests and magazine nets.
Additionally, ‘universal’ three-point belts are fitted. They allow the upper anchoring point to find its own height to suit the user, and centre armrests are also fitted. Plaxton offers Brusa and Fainsa seats in the Elite also.
Each seat pair has a combined 240v and USB charging point adjacent in the side wall. The B11R comes as standard with two alternators, with a third added to accommodate the 240v sockets via a 1.2kW invertor.
This would also be the case were a microwave fitted, for example, although the inverter would be more powerful in that case.
Perimeter radiators are present along with a Thermo King roof-mounted air-conditioning unit. When heat is required, both sources are used, and a Webasto auxiliary unit is also fitted; it may engage when the engine is running in extremely low temperatures as Euro 6 regulations mandate that the power unit must maintain a certain temperature. Climate control is fitted.
A Bosch Professional Line entertainment system is coupled to one electrically-lowering monitor at the front. A second screen, above the toilet, can be specified as an optional extra. Acklams has also chosen an Alpine digital DAB tuner. It can pick up any digital radio station.
Visibility for passengers is good, with the forward view helped by the two-piece windscreen. In the rear row the side view is unimpeded by the rearmost pillars.
The centre toilet is topped by a small servery and boiler, and a front-loading fridge is part of the unit. The latter is complemented by a second fridge within the dash and a bin.
Driver comfort
In usual Plaxton style the cab is large, and there is lots of space around the Isringhausen seat.
There is also a great deal of space behind it, and here is a large upright bin; while standard on all Elites, it proves particularly useful on Acklams’ coach as stowage wheelchair securement equipment.
Other cab storage points are numerous, including three for cups and two more for smaller items and work tickets.
The steering wheel adjusts independently of the dash via a pedal where the clutch would be located.
The péage window is manually operated, and it is within a door that has a high degree of glazing. As a result, visibility to the nearside is excellent, although the A-pillars are quite wide.
A one-touch electric signalling window is fitted. It is heated, as are both windscreens, which will prove very useful both with a full load in wet weather and when starting the coach in sub-zero temperatures.
An electrically-operated one-piece windscreen sunblind is complemented by a signalling window blind also rises and lowers electrically. All of the mirrors, including the additional lower offside pane, are also powered.
Performance
As ever, any chassis with Volvo’s I-Shift gearbox performs exceptionally well.
In the B11R the transmission works with the engine superbly, and gearshifts are as imperceptible as they are in a fully-automatic unit.
Acceleration is rapid. Throughout the drive, the I-Shift did not put a foot wrong, even over a rural section from Beverley to the A63 via a number of narrow villages. It remains the class-leading automated gearbox.
430bhp is a high rating for a two-axle coach and the willing D11K is more than up to the task at hand. It rapidly takes the coach up to 62mph, and when there the tachometer shows 1,300rpm in top gear.
Chassis handling is good, although perhaps surprisingly the effect of crosswinds was clear on the M18 and M62 motorways, although the steering in typical Volvo style is very precise. So are the brakes, and when combined with the Volvo Engine Brake there is tremendous stopping power.
Visibility from the cab is very good, the wide A-pillar notwithstanding. In particular, the gullwing mirrors give a good view and they are backed up by the lower offside pane. The latter, says Plaxton, is a certified mirror, meaning that were offside gullwing unit to be removed the coach could still be driven legally.
Verdict
Plaxton has invested much in its coach range over recent years, and its full-size single-deck line-up covers every base.
The Elite is a key part of that, and its recent updating brings its appearance more into line with the rest of the range.
One thing that the manufacturer is keen to stress is that the Elite can be built to the specification that the operator requires.
In Acklams’ case, this includes the ability to carry six wheelchair users, but there are a huge range of other options available.
The coach’s accessibility aspect is well done. The PLS lift and ‘magic floor’ function simply and quickly, and once the saloon is prepared, it will not take long to load all six wheelchair users.
Doing so requires minimal effort from the driver, who needs to do no more than push buttons on the control unit.
Volvo’s chassis also gives the driver a good experience once they are back in the saddle. Power is plentiful and the B11R’s road manners are as good as impeccable, helped by the ever-excellent I-Shift gearbox and the willing engine.
Acklams will be able to use the coach on registered school services later in life, furthering its appeal. But for now, it is to be used on a variety of long-distance touring and private hire work, and that is what it is very well suited to.
The PSVAR package adds £15,000 to the asking price of the Elite, but if the buyer has the work to justify it, it may be a worthwhile investment.
