Optare Excel

The Optare Excel is a low-floor full-size single-decker bus that Optare built as an integral vehicle, launched in October 1995 as one of the first fully low-floor single-deck buses in the United Kingdom. It replaced the step-entrance Optare Sigma on Dennis Lance chassis and was Optare first full-size low-floor city bus, built with aluminium and fibreglass panels over a steel frame. Early examples used a Cummins 6BT six-cylinder turbo-diesel engine of 120 kW with an Allison automatic gearbox. A 1999 update, the Excel 2, added a Mercedes-Benz engine option, and the type was replaced by the Tempo in October 2004. Operators included Trent Buses, Reading Buses and Blackpool Transport.