富豪 B7RLE Volvo B7RLE
編號 Class：AVC
瑞典富豪車廠於二零零九年五月二十九日，透過官方網頁宣佈獲得九巴訂購一百架符合歐盟五型排放標準新車，當中四十架為B7RLE大型單層低地台巴士，成為繼Scania K230UB之後，九巴第二款大型單層低地台巴士。早於九巴從富豪引進B7RLE之前，營運往返落馬洲及皇崗口岸的新香港巴士有限公司，已經於二零零三年購入五架富豪B7RLE，並由本地捷聯車身廠負責設計及裝嵌車身，至於紅十字會甘迺迪中心亦於二零零六年購進一架配用亞洲雙門車身的富豪B7RLE，作為接送就讀位處港島大口環道校舍的學童之用。
根據有關新聞稿，全數B7RLE全長十二米，配用同廠七公升歐五排放標準引擎，車身將由總部設於埃及的MCV負責裝嵌，這亦是該車身製造廠首次為香港巴士提供車身。空調系統早已經是香港這個亞熱帶城巿所必要的配備，而所有富豪B7RLE原設計可提供三十五個座位及四十三人企位，從數字而言與一架九巴雙門版丹尼士長矛一樣，但企位人數在驗車之後被修訂為四十個。跟丹尼士長矛不同的是，B7RLE將於前門提供登車斜版以及輪椅停放位置。
首架富豪B7RLE於二零零九年十一月七日抵港，並鬆上香擯金色九巴色彩，首架新車配用Hanover電子路線牌及由日本電裝供應的空調系統，在通過所有必要的測試及調校後，首三架B7RLE於二零一零年三月三十一日出牌，編號為AVC，並於四月十三日被派出行走返華明及粉嶺鐵路站的273循環線。除了273獲分配首批B7RLE新車，同樣行走北區的73K及78K，荃灣區的34M及234B，以及天水圍區的264M都是首批AVC新車投入服務所行走的路線。在首批富豪B7RLE付運來港之前，九巴向富豪再增購多三十架B7RLE，第二批新車於二零一零年十月中開始陸續抵港，但一直待在車廠一年多後才陸續安排登記出牌。首兩架新車AVC41 (RD7861)及AVC42 (RD7996)於二零一一年十二月中出牌，緊接著的新車亦於二零一二年二月開始出牌，並被安排行走如新界北區的270，服務錦上路一帶的251A，以及往返又一村的2C及203路線。值得一提是，雖然前述所有富豪B7RLE都是屬歐五排放標準，但唯獨AVC2 (PE5856)是一個例外，AVC2是整批B7RLE中唯一採用歐四排放標準引擎，波箱亦是採用ZF的Ecomat全自動波箱，與其他成員所配置的ZF Ecolife波箱有所不同，而其底盤及車身編號是全數B7RLE中最早的。
九巴於二零一六年二月對外招標出售車隊中的四十架單層巴士，當中富豪B7RLE亦見於出售名單之上，唯到同年十月底仍然未見任何九巴富豪B7RLE退役及轉售到其他營運商中。最終於二零一七年五月至八月期間，合共有二十六架B7RLE (AVC10，14 - 38)被選中改作訓練巴士，以配合九巴訓練學校更新車隊之需要，而到了二零一九年三月，九巴再將五架B7RLE (AVC1，3，5 - 7)改裝成訓練巴士，進一步增強訓練車隊陣容。而為配合開辦14H及32H兩條途經醫院的路線，四架B7RLE (AVC65，67，69及70)於二零一八年三月，車廂中加設多一個輪椅停泊位，載客量亦改為三十一個座位及四十五個企位。二零一九年年初九巴藉著慶祝成立八十六周年，將一架富豪B7RLE (AVC13/PF6731)改裝成道路安全巴士，唯除出席數個公開活動作展品後，一直未有執行宣傳交通安全的任務，而且車內亦未見有任何相關教學設施。到了二零一九年十二月，AVC51 (RG4538)聯同一架Scania K230UB (ASC9/NX4123)被換上橙色的Hanover LED電子路線牌箱。
目前富豪B7RLE主要服務於新界北區一帶路線，計有73K，270及273，而其他常見有B7RLE蹤影的路線包括有14B，16M，74A，82K，95M，203C，216M及296M。
On 29 May, 2009, Volvo announced in it official website that received an order from KMB with 100 Euro 5 new buses and 40 of them are full-sized single decker, B7RLE, making Volvo to be the second supplier of full-sized super low-floor single decker for KMB. Before this purchasing order, Volvo B7RLE was already introduced to Hong Kong in 2003 by New Hong Kong Bus Co., the operator of shuttle service between Lok Ma Chau and Huangguang, all of them were fitted with locally made Jit Luen bodyworks, while another Volvo B7RLE with Asia Auto bodywork was entered service with The John F Kennedy Centre founded by the Red Cross in 2006 as school service for students studying in their school at Sandy Bay Road, Hong Kong Island.
Volvo stated in the press release that all B7RLEs were 12m in length and powered by a 7-litre Euro 5 emission standard engine. All chassis were bodied by a Egypt bodybuilder MCV which first supplying bus bodywork to Hong Kong, the designed bodywork providing capacity of 78 passengers with 35 seatings, however, the standing capacity was amended from 43 to 40 after passing the type approval. To go one step further, all B7RLEs were air-conditioned and a ramp together with a parking bay for wheelchair was provided. The first Volvo B7RLE was arrived on 7 Nov.,2009 with the standard KMB golden livery and was fitted with Hanover electronic route display and Nippon-Denso air-conditioning unit. After all required tests and training were completed, first three B7RLEs were registered on 31, Mar., 2010 and first served circular route 273 serving Wah Ming Estate on 13, Apr., 2010. The following new buses registered were deployed on Northern New Territories route 73K and 78K, route 34M and 234B serving Tsuen Wan and route 264M operated between Tin Shui Wai and Tsing Yi.
KMB placed an additional order of 30 B7RLEs before the first batch of B7RLE to be delivered and the first batch of this order was delivered in the mid. of Oct., 2010. The second batch of B7RLE was awaiting at the dealer until the first two, AVC41 (RD7861) and AVC42 (RD7996) were registered in the mid. of Dec., 2011. The remaining B7RLEs belonged to this batch gradually registered since mid. of Feb., 2012 and deployed on route 270 serving Northern New Territories, 251A running along Kam Sheung Road and 2C and 203 serving Yau Yat Tsuen.
Though Volvo stated in the press release that all B7RLEs was complied with Euro 5 emission standard, AVC2 (PE5856) was an exception as a Euro 4 standard Volvo engine fitted together with a different transmission unit chosen, ZF Ecomat fully automatic gearbox instead of the Ecolife series seen on other members. Moreover, both chassis and body number of AVC2 was the smallest within the family.
In Feb., 2016, KMB tendered for selling 40 single deckers included the Volvo B7RLE, however, until the end of Oct., 2016, there was no B7RLE retired from the fleet and sold to other operators. A batch of 26 B7RLE (AVC10, 14 - 38) was chosen to convert as training bus between May and Aug., 2017 for the training fleet renewal programme, a further 5 Volvo B7RLE (AVC1, 3, 5 - 7) were converted to training bus in Mar., 2019 to strengthen the training fleet. Compartment modification works was carried out on a batch of 4 B7RLE (AVC65, 67, 69 and 70) for the operation need of hospital routes 14H and 32H, their carrying capacity was changed from 75 to 76 with 31 seatings and 2 wheelchair parking bays. AVC13 (PF6731) was converted to a "Road Safety Bus" in 2019 as a celebration to the 86th anniversary of KMB, it was only as an exhibits at several public events and never used to promote road safety with no teaching facilities within the compartment. The original dot-matrix electronic display of AVC51 (RG4538) was replaced with a Hanover LED display together with a Scania K230UB (ASC9/NX4123) in Dec., 2019.
At present, Volvo B7RLE mainly seen on routes serving the Northern New Territories like 73K, 270 and 273, and it is a common sight for B7RLE on route 14B, 16M, 74A, 82K, 95M, 203C, 216M, and 296M.
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