The partnership of Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD, which is well advanced on the delivery of 51 12m single deckers to Go-Ahead London, has won its first order outside the capital. Arriva North West, the Merseyside operator, has ordered 12 of the BYD ADL Enviro200 EV model 12m buses for service on the City Centre Circular Routes 26 and 27, known as The Belt.
The order follows a joint bid under the Government’s OLEF scheme by Arriva North West (Merseyside) and Merseytravel. The new buses, which will be delivered by mid-2017, will provide an intensive service from the Liverpool One bus station and be based at Arriva’s Green Lane bus depot in Liverpool. Eight BYD chargers are being installed in the depot and the garage.
The buses are expected to cover 150 to 190 miles per day and will be charged overnight. In line with all BYD ADL joint products, the new buses in Merseyside are designed to operate a full day’s duty cycle on one charge, without the need for intrusive ‘top up charging’ during the working day and enjoy the benefit of lower cost off peak electricity. The BYD ADL solution ensures that operators do not have to purchase additional buses beyond the number of their current diesel fleet in order to maintain service on the route due to the outstanding battery capacity and range.
The BYD ADL Enviro200EVs being supplied to Arriva will feature a provincial specification with the addition of 38 seats – a mix of Esteban Civic V3 and ADL designed units. There is space for another 32 standing passengers and there are USB charging points throughout the bus.
Arthur Whiteside, Managing Director – UK Sales at ADL, which is prime contractor on the order, said: “This is a significant breakthrough for us and our partner BYD. It’s the first joint order from outside London and opens the door to a range of provincial cities wishing to upgrade their bus fleets to pure electric, emissions free standard. The Enviro200EV provides a stylish, cost effective and proven bus to meet their needs”.
Frank Thorpe, BYD’s UK Country Manager, commented: “We are delighted to be part of this significant order along with our partners ADL. Merseyside is pointing the way for other British cities wishing to tackle their air quality issues through pollution free city centre buses. We look forward to more such orders”.
