Scania Fencer

Scania Fencer
Cardiff Bus Scania Fencer f1 in January 2024
Overview
ManufacturerScania
Production2021–
AssemblyChassis: Södertälje, Sweden
Body: Higer Bus, Suzhou, China
Body and chassis
ClassSingle-deck bus (f1)
Coach (f6)
Articulated bus (f18, planned)
Doors1, 2 or 3 doors
Floor typeLow floor
ChassisScania K series
RelatedScania Citywide
Powertrain
Engine
  • Euro VI diesel
  • Scania DC07 I6 (280hp)
  • Scania DC09 I5 (280hp)
  • Scania DC09 I5 (320hp)
  • Scania DC09 I5 (360hp)
[1]
Capacity
  • Fencer f1
  • 45 seated, 29 standees
  • Fencer f6
  • 63 seated
TransmissionZF EcoLife 2
Dimensions
Length
  • Fencer f1
  • 10.9 metres (36 ft)
    12.2 metres (40 ft)
  • Fencer f6
  • 13.1 metres (43 ft)
Width2.6 metres (8.5 ft)
Height
  • Fencer f1
  • 3.1 metres (10 ft)
Chronology
PredecessorScania OmniCity

The Scania Fencer is a range of full-size buses produced by Scania and bodied by Higer Bus which was launched initially in the United Kingdom in 2021. The Fencer is planned to be offered in single deck (f1), coach (f6) and articulated (f18) variants with options for diesel, hybrid, biogas and electric drivetrains.[2]

Variants

Fencer f1

Scania Fencer f1 at the 2022 Euro Bus Expo

The single-decker Fencer f1 was the first of the Fencer range produced by Scania, with regular production of the Fencer f1 beginning in 2022; double-deck, tri-axle, articulated and coach variants have been confirmed to follow.[3][4] Scania also plans to build the Fencer to Transport for London specification and are also considering allowing other bodybuilders to body the Fencer chassis.[1]

A 12 m (39 ft) diesel single-decker Fencer f1 was sold to PC Coaches of Lincoln in 2021, following use as a Scania demonstrator.[5] A shorter 10.9 m (36 ft) demonstrator for the United Kingdom market with a Scania DC07 engine was expected to be delivered in late 2022,[6][7] while a battery-electric variant is also planned to be launched in early 2025, having been delayed due to the production of a new electric driveline featuring battery cells produced by Northvolt.[8]

Q-Park Heathrow Airport were the first operator in the United Kingdom to place an order for the Fencer f1, ordering eleven 10.9 m (36 ft) Fencer f1s with DC07 engines on the new integral chassis, specified for airport bus services with air conditioning and luggage racking.[9] The first two Fencers from this order entered service in November 2022.[10] A further five Fencer f1s on Scania K280CB chassis were delivered to Ambassador Travel of Great Yarmouth and Passenger Plus of Tadworth in March 2023,[11]: 72 : 78  later joined by a single delivery on the K280LB chassis for Moving People of Oswaldtwistle in July 2023.[12]

Estonian bus operator GoBus were the first continental European operator to order the Fencer f1, taking delivery of 24 CNG-fuelled examples, four of which entered service in Harju County in December 2021 and the remaining 20 entering service in Narva in June 2022.[13][14] 26 more Fencers have been ordered for delivery in 2022.[15][needs update]

A single Fencer f1 built on a battery electric bus chassis entered service with Santiago de Chile bus operator Voy Santiago S.A. in May 2023 for trial services in the city.[16][17][better source needed]

Fencer f6

In November 2021, Scania France took delivery of the first Fencer f6 school coach, built exclusively for use on French school bus networks with a capacity of up to 63 seats as well as four wheelchair spaces. The f6 can be built on either a biodiesel or biogas powertrain, the latter of which increases the height of the coach to 3.60 metres (11.8 ft) compared to 3.31 metres (10.9 ft) for the biodisel coach, as the biogas canisters are stored on the roof. 50 orders for the Fencer f6 have been placed, with delivery of the first examples expected to take place in June 2022.[18][19]

Fencer f9

A battery-electric double-decker Fencer named the Fencer f9 was among the variants announced at the launch of the Fencer range. However, as a result of Scania refocusing European chassis manufacturing towards low-entry buses as opposed to low-floor buses, the f9 was cancelled in 2024.[8][better source needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b Day, James (9 June 2021). "Scania integral return". Buses. Stamford: Key Publishing. Retrieved 16 October 2021.
  2. ^ "Scania Fencer". Scania Great Britain. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  3. ^ "Scania Fencer bus range receives global launch in UK market". routeone. 17 May 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  4. ^ Peat, Chris (3 June 2021). "Wider Scania Fencer range previewed". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  5. ^ "PC Coaches becomes first UK operator of Scania Fencer". routeone. 23 September 2021. Retrieved 2 October 2021.
  6. ^ Williams, Mark; Jones, Stuart (22 June 2022). "Scania: the next steps". Bus & Coach Buyer. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  7. ^ Deakin, Tim (18 July 2022). "Scania Fencer f1: Readying for zero-emission in 2023". routeone. Retrieved 19 November 2022.
  8. ^ a b Deakin, Tim (15 April 2024). "Scania readies itself for a strong future in UK coach and bus". routeone. Retrieved 15 April 2024.
  9. ^ "Q-Park is first operator to place Scania Fencer order". routeone. 2 November 2021. Retrieved 2 November 2021.
  10. ^ Lidstone, John G.; et al. (15 November 2022). "In Fleet News this month". Buses. No. 813. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 93. Retrieved 19 November 2022.(subscription required)
  11. ^ Lidstone, John G.; et al. (11 May 2023). "In Fleet News this month". Buses. No. 819. Stamford: Key Publishing. Retrieved 23 May 2023.(subscription required)
  12. ^ Lidstone, John G.; et al. (9 August 2023). "In Fleet News this month". Buses. No. 822. Stamford: Key Publishing. p. 78. Retrieved 20 September 2023. Scania K280LB/Higer Fencer f1 B38F YT23 BHN Reggie was new in July for extended service 33 (Blackburn bus station-Darwen Circus).
  13. ^ "Go Bus toob liinidele uue põlvkonna Scania gaasibussid" [Go Bus brings a new generation of Scania gas buses to the routes]. GoBus (Press release) (in Estonian). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  14. ^ "Tänasest Ida-Viru maakonda teenindav Go Bus toob liinidele uued gaasibussid" [Go Bus, which serves today's Ida-Viru county, brings new gas buses to its routes]. GoBus (Press release) (in Estonian). 1 July 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  15. ^ "Go Bus alustab tänasest sõitjatevedu nelja täiesti uut tüüpi Scania Fencer 1 bussiga" [Go Bus starts transporting passengers with four completely new Scania Fencer 1 buses today]. Scania Eesti (Press release) (in Estonian). 1 December 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  16. ^ Francisco, Rafael (15 May 2023). "We started the BEV Fencer Bus Cooperation Project in December 2021 and today we started operating this product developed in partnership with Scania Latin America, Scania Sweden, Scania Chile and Higer". LinkedIn. Retrieved 3 November 2023.
  17. ^ EduuxNS16 (21 May 2023). "RED Movilidad, Debut bus Fencer F1 - // Recorrido 223 - Voy Santiago \\" (in Spanish). Retrieved 3 November 2023 – via YouTube.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)
  18. ^ "Scania France présente le Fencer 6, autocar scolaire au biogaz ou au biodiesel" [Scania France presents the Fencer 6, a biogas or biodiesel school bus]. Bus & Car Connexion (in French). Paris. 29 November 2021. Retrieved 24 June 2022.
  19. ^ Cossard, Pierre (December 2021). "Scania France veut peser dans le secteur du car scolaire" [Scania France wants to influence the school bus sector]. Mobilités Autocars (in French). No. 25. Rueil-Malmaison: TG Press. pp. 2–4. Retrieved 24 June 2022.