It’s been an impressive back half of 2023 to date for bus and coach deliveries, but October has well and truly eclipsed previous months.
Following a steady and impressive 109 deliveries in September, 126 units were registered in October to up the ante in the market.
In the chassis sector, the reliable Volvo was once again leading the way. With 34 deliveries in October, it stayed clear of an impressive emerging force in BYD, who shot up to second with 20 units delivered. Not far behind was Scania with 19, while BCI (16) and Yutong (14) all had very strong months. King Long continued to register well with eight deliveries, I-Bus had four and Mercedes-Benz and BLK Auto couldn’t be split with three apiece, keeping just ahead of MAN (two), Custom Denning (two) and Challenger with the sole delivery.
The ever-expanding bodybuilder market still didn’t offer any surprises, with Volgren once again ahead of the pack. With 36 units, it doubled Irizar in second with 18, sticking clear of BCI in third. With 14 deliveries, Yutong wasn’t far behind and well ahead of the next wave that included King Long and Gemilang (eight apiece). I-Bus and BLK Auto tied with Scania Higer with four each while Custom Denning had five, staying just ahead of Marcopolo (three), while Coach Concepts (two) was just ahead of the final four deliveries split between four brands, including new entrant Global Bus Ventures.
A dominant month meant the seating leader in McConnell continued to excel with 48 deliveries. It surpassed its September efforts, fighting off a resurging Sege with 35 units. Yutong came next with 14, edging just clear of StyleRide who had 12 deliveries, while King Long (eight) stayed ahead of the likes of APM (four), Marcopolo (three) and the final two deliveries split between two brands.
At the top of the air-conditioning market, Thermo King was once again the leader with 33 deliveries for October. Behind the leader, the race tightened up, with Hispacold (19) just ahead of Coachair (18) to round out the top three. Not far behind was Cling-Yutong and MCC with 14 units apiece delivered, with the next bracket coming courtesy of King Long (eight), Valeo (seven) and Spheros with five. The final eight deliveries were split in half, with Konvekta and Songz both recording four units each.
The state-based race heated up in October, with Western Australia taking the lead. It peaked late to finish with 36 deliveries, pipping Victoria (32) at the post. NSW rounded out the podium with 31, with Queensland dropping down to fourth with 14 deliveries. The final deliveries went to South Australia (seven), Tasmania with four and the Northern Territory (one) and the ACT (one) both capping off the month’s deliveries.
For website piece: Click here for comprehensive bus and coach delivery information for October. Please note all data is as supplied from manufacturers, at their discretion.