A Volvo B9TL prototype with a Volgren CR223LD body was delivered to Hong Kong in July 2003 for Kowloon Motor Bus (KMB) as a demonstrator for the Eco-Driveline concept.

In early 2004, a Volvo B9TL prototype with a facelifted version of the TransBus Enviro500 body arrived in Hong Kong and registered as LU3721.

In 2009, KMB ordered 60 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied B9TLs,[1] quickly followed by another 115, they have begun delivery as of early 2010.

Starting from June 2017, some of the new B9TLs were painted with the new livery of red and silver stripes, with the motto "Heartbeat of the City" shown on the top of the vehicle.

Long Win Bus received 10 B9TL with Alexander Dennis Enviro500 bodywork which entered service in 2007/2008.

An additional order for 50 more chassis was placed in 2006 at a cost of S$29 million soon after putting its first B9TLs into operation, bringing the total fleet size to 200.

[6] From 2009 to 2014, SBS Transit and the Land Transport Authority procured a grand total of 1,606 Volvo B9TLs with Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodywork.

It was later delivered to Singapore and entered revenue service in November 2010, whereas all other double-deck B9TLs were bodied by ComfortDelGro Engineering (CDGE) at Hougang.

In 2012, 30 of the Batch 3 low-floor buses were diverted to the Land Transport Authority's Bus Service Enhancement Programme (BSEP).

[9] On 9 July 2012, SBS Transit ordered another 565 Wright-bodied Volvo B9TLs (Batch 4), delivered between 30 January 2013 and 18 June 2015, to replace most of their older buses, as well as fleet additions and introduction of new bus routes under the BSEP.

[10] SBS Transit's final order of 415 Volvo B9TLs (Batch 5) was announced on 1 July 2014, two years before the transition of Singapore's bus industry to the Land Transport Authority's (LTA) Bus Contracting Model in 2016 having only 94 units delivered.

[13] Due to the enormous quantity of Volvo B9TLs, especially those bodied by Wright Eclipse Gemini 2, they have become a ubiquitous sight in Singapore.

[14][15] In three-axle form, the B9TL made its debut in the United Kingdom when Weavaway Travel of Newbury placed an order for six B9TL with East Lancs Myllennium Nordic bodywork in late 2004 and put them into service in April/May 2005.

Since then, two more were sold to Roadliner of Poole and Provence Private Hire of St Albans for school contracts and commercial work.

The first demonstrator, with Wright Eclipse Gemini body, was delivered to London General in July 2006 for evaluation, it is used on route 11.

[18] The first Olympus-bodied B9TL, along with an Alexander Dennis Enviro400-bodied version,[citation needed] were both unveiled at the 2006 Euro Bus Expo at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham during November.

The first order from Arriva was for 10 East Lancs Visionaire open top buses for The Original Tour in January 2007; and delivered in April - November 2007.

[20] It was followed by an order for 16 buses with Darwen Olympus bodywork in high specification featuring leather seats for Arriva Yorkshire entering service between January and May 2008.

[21] These buses were the largest in the fleet and also the first tri-axle double deckers for the Irish capital, the first of them entered service in December 2005.