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| East Lancs Kinetec | |
|---|---|
 Stagecoach 22504, an East Lancs Kinetec, in Perth. | |
| Overview | |
| Manufacturer | East Lancashire Coachbuilders |
| Body and chassis | |
| Doors | 1 |
| Floor type | Low floor |
| Chassis | MAN A48; A69 |
| Powertrain | |
| Engine | MAN |
| Chronology | |
The East Lancs Kinetec is a type of low-floor bus body for MAN chassis. Both variants were launched at Euro Bus Expo 2006.
The standard Kinetec is a single-decker bus body that appears to have been influenced by the Optare Sigma body in styling and construction. Unlike the Sigma though it is of low floor design. Reviews from its launch in Euro Bus Expo 2006 were very poor. Like the Scania OmniTown the bus uses the East Lancs Esteem body, but with the chassis maker's (MAN's) Lion's City front.
Stagecoach Western has 10 Kinetec MANs with the 18.240 HOCL-NL (A69) chassis, to flesh its older MAN 18.2x0s, including the ones with other bodies built, fleet out. [1] [2]
The Kinetec+ is a double-decker bus seemingly influenced by the Optare Spectra body, with an improved MAN ND283F (A48) chassis. The first prototype body has a low-height (4 metres) design under EU regulations, but which has been criticised. Another prototype in London specification with a 4.3 metre height had been planned, but this had not materialised.
Like later Spectras, the body is of low floor design and has the same lower dash panel as the single decker Kinetec. Like the Kinetec, this bus again uses the chassis maker's front with the East Lancs Olympus body.
Both the Kinetec and Kinetec+ were placed on display at the Euro Bus Expo 2006 with "KINETEC" lettering, but with plates bearing the alternative spelling "KINETIC". The LED displays also showed the name with an "I". This has inevitably led to some uncertainty as to the correct spelling of the model name.
The Volvo B9TL is a low-floor double-decker bus built by Volvo from 2002 until 2018. It superseded the Volvo Super Olympian and the Volvo B7TL. The 2-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B5TL in 2014 and the 3-axle version has been superseded by the Volvo B8L in 2018.
The Dennis Dart is a rear-engined single-decker midibus chassis that was introduced by Dennis Specialist Vehicles of Guildford, England in 1989, replacing the Dennis Domino. Initially built as a high-floor design, In 1996 the low-floor second generation Dennis Dart SLF was launched. In 2001, production of the Dart SLF passed to TransBus International, during which time it was sold as the TransBus Dart SLF; Alexander Dennis took over production in 2004, renaming the product as the Alexander Dennis Dart SLF.
Optare is an English bus manufacturer based in Sherburn-in-Elmet, North Yorkshire. It is a subsidiary of Indian company Ashok Leyland.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro400 is a twin-axle low-floor double-decker bus that was built by the British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis between 2005 and 2018, replacing the Alexander ALX400, Dennis Trident and Plaxton President. In 2014, the Enviro400 was succeeded by the updated Alexander Dennis Enviro400 MMC, and production of the classic Enviro400 ceased in 2018.
The VDL DB250 was a twin-axle double-decker bus chassis manufactured by VDL Bus & Coach.
A midibus is a classification of single-decker minibuses which are generally larger than a traditional minibus but smaller than a full-size single decker and can be anywhere between 8 metres and 11 metres long. While used in many parts of the world, the midibus is perhaps most common in the United Kingdom, where operators have found them more economical, and to have a sufficient number of seats compared to full size single-decker buses.
The Optare Solo is a low-floor minibus/midibus with one or two doors manufactured by Optare in the United Kingdom since 1998. The Solo name is a play on its low-floor status, the manufacturer marketing its vehicle as having an entrance that is "so low" from the floor, namely 200 mm (8 in) with kneeling suspension. In January 2012 Optare announced the end of production for the original Solo design with a modified Solo SR taking over.
Launched in 1991, the Optare Spectra was a double-decker bus body built on the DAF DB250 chassis. The vehicle was developed as a joint project between Optare and DAF; it was based on the designs of the successful MCW Metrobus which had been jointly purchased by DAF and Optare, but they are by no means a restlyed Metrobus. With the launch of the DB250LF chassis sometime after production commenced, the Spectra was built to low-floor specification, and was one of the first low-floor double-decker buses available in the United Kingdom. The design is notable for the exclusion of a lower deck rear window, a practice that has become more commonplace. The bus typically seated 47 on the upper deck and 28 on the lower deck in single-door format.
The Dennis Trident 2 is a 2-axle low-floor double-decker bus chassis originally manufactured by Dennis, which was unveiled in 1997 and replaced the Dennis Arrow. It was built by TransBus after Dennis was incorporated into the group in 2001, then from 2004, it was built by Alexander Dennis following the collapse of TransBus.
East Lancashire Coachbuilders Limited was a manufacturer of bus bodies and carriages founded in 1934 in Blackburn, Lancashire, England.
Stagecoach Yorkshire is an operating division of Stagecoach Group.
The Optare Visionaire is an open top double-decker bus body built by Optare. It is in terms of engineering an open top Olympus in all but name. The Optare Visionaire was also built for tri-axle double-decker bus chassis.
The East Lancs Myllennium was a type of single-decker bus body manufactured by East Lancashire Coachbuilders on DAF SB220, Dennis Dart SLF, MAN 14.220 and Scania OmniTown chassis.
The East Lancs Spryte was a low floor single-decker bus body built by East Lancashire Coachbuilders. It was designed to body the Dennis Dart SLF chassis, but a handful have been built on others, for example, the Volvo B6LE. Mechanically and visually, it is the single-decker version of the East Lancs Lolyne.
The Optare Sigma was a step-entrance single-deck bus body manufactured by Optare between 1994 and 1996 on the Dennis Lance chassis. The body was constructed from Alusuisse aluminium alloy with fiberglass front and rear panels. It was the single-deck version of the Optare Spectra.
The MAN Lion's City is a range of low-floor and low-entry public buses built by German truck and bus manufacturer MAN Truck & Bus since 1996 primarily for the European market, but is also available in chassis-only variants worldwide. The name Lion's City has been used since 2006, when MAN's public bus models which had been marketed separately were gathered into one range, when also most models received a facelift. The first models to be introduced were the 12-metre low-floor intercity bus NÜ xx3 (A20) in 1996, the 12-metre city bus NL xx3 (A21) in 1997 and the articulated NG xx3 (A23) in 1998. As with former MAN bus models the power-rating made up part of the model name, giving the NÜ-series buses with power-ratings of 260 and 310 hp model names NÜ 263 and NÜ 313 respectively. The main production sites are in Starachowice and Sady in Poland, but the models have also been built in Germany, Turkey and Malaysia. Initially most of the midibus variants were manufactured by Göppel Bus in Augsburg, later Nobitz.
The Optare Esteem was a low-floor single-decker bus body manufactured by East Lancashire Coachbuilders, Darwen East Lancs and Optare between 2006 and 2009 on Scania N94UB, Scania N230UB, Volvo B7RLE, MAN 12.240, Alexander Dennis Dart SLF, Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart and Alexander Dennis Enviro300 chassis.
The Optare Olympus is a double-decker bus built by Optare. It could be built as a body available on Alexander Dennis Enviro400, Volvo B9TL or Scania N230UD/N270UD chassis with the 2-axle and 3-axle variants.
The Darwen Group was a bus manufacturer located in Blackburn, Lancashire, England. The company originated from the purchase of East Lancashire Coachbuilders who went into administration in August 2007. After a series of developments, in June 2008 Darwen performed a reverse takeover in fellow bus manufacturer Optare, with the Darwen name disappearing.
The East Lancs OmniDekka is a double-decker bus built for sale in the UK market, introduced by East Lancashire Coachbuilders in 2003. Originally built on Scania N94UD chassis at Euro 3, and later Scania N230UD and N270UD at Euro 4 and Euro 5, the bodywork consists of a modified East Lancs Myllennium double decker, but with the standard front end cowl and windscreen replaced with that of Scania's own integral OmniCity. Through takeovers of East Lancs, production of the OmniDekka was latterly carried out by the Darwen Group and finally Optare before ceasing in 2011.
Media related to East Lancs Kinetec at Wikimedia Commons