Monday 5 October 2015

Update on the new Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City





Since the new Enviro400H City was officially unveiled at the Coach & Bus Live at Birmingham NEC on 30th September 2015, I have found a couple of reports from Alexander Dennis about the bus and the hybrid electric system they use.



New-generation London Bus Marks 5,000 Milestone for BAE Systems’ Hybrid Technology


Revolutionary hybrid technology pioneered and brought to market by BAE Systems reached a milestone today when a stunning, new-generation, double deck bus was unveiled for London, a city that operates a fleet of 8,000 buses, which collectively carry more than six million passengers daily.

The striking new bus is lighter, more fuel efficient and will generate fewer CO2 emissions than any vehicle in its class, says Colin Robertson, CEO of British bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL).

He added: “Significantly, our new flagship double deck takes us towards 900 hybrid buses built by ADL for the UK market, all of which incorporate the BAE Systems HybriDrive® propulsion system. Together we have forged a powerful technology alliance with BAE Systems that is changing the face of public transport and steadily introducing greener, cleaner vehicles in towns and cities that are striving to reduce traffic congestion and air pollution.

“The contribution of low-emission buses should not be under-estimated and, on the wider front, BAE Systems – like ADL – is in the vanguard of that movement globally. The first of our new Enviro400H City buses for London is, in fact, the 5,000th BAE Systems’ HybriDrive series system to go into service worldwide, which is a remarkable achievement for BAE Systems and their various build partners.”

Steve Trichka, General Manager of HybriDrive Solutions at BAE Systems, Inc. said: “We are absolutely delighted to be recognising this important milestone with ADL, our key technology partner. We have invested a great deal of resources in creating what we believe is a world leading product range capable of achieving 24/7 operation in the toughest city bus fleets across the globe, while saving fuel and reducing harmful emissions.  The fact that ADL’s spectacular new bus incorporates our 5,000th system is a demonstration of the strong partnership we have developed over the past eight years. It is a relationship built on shared values and the belief that together we can make a difference.”

ADL’s New Enviro400H City Bus

ADL’s new version of their market-leading Enviro400 double deck was unveiled today at the opening of Coach & Bus Live, held at the UK’s National Exhibition Centre, in Birmingham, and recognised as one of the major “shop windows” in the European bus industry calendar.

Launching the hybrid City bus Colin Robertson announced that a multi-million order had already been secured for the new bus and 19 will go into service with Arriva London, on Route 78, before the end of this year.

He added: “This is a spectacular, new-look vehicle that will bring a further dimension to transport in the suburbs and the city centre of London. It builds on the ‘London look’ with a glazed stairwell, wrap-over rear saloon windscreen and a series of unique design features that reduce solar gain. Significantly, it also represents an evolution of Britain’s best-selling hybrid bus, our Enviro400 double deck, which has a reputation second-to-none for fuel economy, reduced emissions, reliability and all-round performance, hence the reason that almost 900 ADL hybrids are already in operation across the UK”.

They have also produced this article…

Stylish CITY Looks Streets Ahead

The Enviro400H City is a stunning new variant of Britain’s best-selling double deck bus.

It is a hybrid vehicle that brings together elegance and practicality and ushers in a contemporary new look that features a raft of sophisticated, yet pragmatic design solutions, all of which give it real street presence. In parallel with this, it retains the passenger comforts and dependability that are the hallmark of the market-leading Enviro400 range.

It is another vehicle from Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) that raises the bar for the industry. It is lighter, more fuel efficient, more reliable and more competitively-priced than any double deck in its class, yet it is still capable of carrying almost 90 passengers.

The 10.4m two-door Enviro400H City sets the pace in terms of style and performance and builds on the unrivalled reputation of the classic Enviro400 MMC (major model change), a vehicle hailed at its launch as the bus “designed by the industry …. for the industry.”

A mix of evolution and revolution, the Enviro400H City is powered by diesel-electric propulsion, which brings together the proven robustness and fuel efficiency of the Cummins four-cylinder, 4.5 litre iSBe engine; BAE Systems’ HybriDrive technology and the latest generation of Lithium-ion batteries.

Innovation with Style

Innovation with Style is the hallmark of all new ADL vehicles – and the Enviro400H City is no exception to that rule. It is an inspired successor to the original E400 hybrid and is set to bring a new dimension to public transport in both the suburbs and the built-up city centre of London – and elsewhere.

It features a raked, wrap-round driver’s windscreen with the wipers recessed at the top, a stylish glazed stairwell, and a shallow upper deck windscreen  which, combined with other design features, significantly reduces solar gain   in warm weather.

The City also retains the same depth of windows as the original Enviro400 MMC, incorporating ADL’s unique QRG (quick release glazing) system, while both the upper and lower deck windows also feature hopper vents, an aspect of the MMC model that has proved hugely popular with operators and passengers in London and across the UK.

Combined with the radical new heating and ventilation system introduced  previously on MMC models, the City – with its Enviro200-style asymmetric front windscreen –  is set to introduce not only a contemporary new look but an enhanced passenger experience.

From an operator perspective, it also retains the proven structure, driveline, electrical system and ease-of-maintenance improvements introduced by ADL on the original MMC model, all of which were the result of a comprehensive, three-year customer engagement and joint product development programme with operators, drivers, passengers and suppliers from across the industry.

Innovation, style and service simplicity remain omnipresent in the new City.

The Industry’s Driving Force

Setting the pace with a stylish, modern bus that is lighter, more fuel efficient and improves the passenger experience, represents a significant step forward in the world of low-emission buses. But what does it mean for the driver, the person who spends more time on the bus than any other?

The answer is that drivers too will enjoy the benefits of the City bus, largely because they – and many others from across the bus industry – were instrumental in the design of the original Enviro400 MMC double deck, which forms the foundation of the new-generation hybrid model.

Their representatives from across the UK played a vital part in ADL’s three-year customer engagement and joint product development programme and contributed enormously to many aspects of the pace-setting design, not least of all in determining the layout of the cab area.

The result is a driver’s cab designed for maximum comfort, safety, efficiency and ease of use. The protection screen at the point of entry is no longer an adjunct to the design. It now forms an integral part of the whole approach, being functional and blending impeccably with the surrounding environment.

Inside, the cab is spacious and distracting reflections have been cleverly eliminated, while visibility is further improved with the wrap-around windscreen on the City model, which enhances sight lines to the front, the sides of the vehicle and to well-positioned mirrors.

The City’s switch-gear will be familiar to drivers too, adopting the positive feedback buttons that have proved enormously popular, as has the adjustable steering column, incorporating the dashboard and the fully adaptable driver’s seat.

Likewise, screens and technical data – whether vital or optional – remain highly visible to the driver and within easy reach.

From screens, seats and steering columns to the location of a coat hanger for the driver, every aspect of the cab area has been explored in detail, resulting in a finished product that combines innovation, style and practical solutions, three aspects that are the hallmark of the new Enviro400H City.

Enhanced Passenger Experience

Light, airy, welcoming, three words that describe the experience passengers can expect on entering the new Enviro400H City.

They will be struck immediately by the wide entrance and aisles, the ample space for baby buggies and wheelchair users, the natural light that floods in through the wrap-around front windows, the glazed stairwell and the sky-view glazing at the rear of the upper deck.

All round, a bright, convivial ambience matched by a sophisticated temperature control system and hopper windows that combine to provide an enhanced passenger experience, whatever the weather may be on the outside.

The whole interior, both downstairs and upstairs, has been designed so that shapes, colours and materials blend together – and there is no compromise on leg room or seat sizes.

Every detail, from ADL’s unique “square case”, which incorporates individually lit steps, to a wireless bell system and sealed hand pole mountings has been thought-out meticulously, all in a bid to create a safer, more user-friendly, rattle-free vehicle that raises the bar for the bus industry – and takes the passenger experience to a whole new level.

Still, the problem with the hybrid buses is that they still emit diesel fumes that pollute the air with harmful emissions. So I do hope at some point that Alexander Dennis build their own battery powered electric bus which is zero emission.

Since Arriva is the first operator to operate the Alexander Dennis Enviro400H City, they have issued a press release as they did with the New Routemaster back in 2012 for Route 38.

Arriva London to be the first operator of the New ADL Enviro400H City Bus

Arriva London is always striving to be at the forefront of innovative ideas to make the customer experience more fulfilling. The recent announcement that they will be the first operator to take delivery of the brand new Enviro400H City bus from Alexander Dennis is a continuation of that philosophy.

In the Enviro400H City, alterations have been made to give the bus what ADL CEO Colin Robertson describes as a “London look,” The first 19 buses enter service with Arriva London’s new contract on route 78, between Shoreditch and Nunhead later this year.

Colin went on to say:- “Significantly, it also represents an evolution of Britain’s best-selling hybrid electric bus, our Enviro400H, which has a reputation second-to-none for fuel economy, reduced emissions, reliability and all-round performance.”

In the London specification, the 10.4m, two-door City will be capable of carrying 90 passengers. Underlining ADL’s work with TfL, the bus is fitted with their trademark ‘roundel’.

November is the planned entry into service date of the first Enviro400H City and Peter Batty, Commercial Director of Arriva London said:  “We are delighted to be working with ADL and TfL on this project. The new look is stunning and brings together a whole range of passenger and driver advantages, including a wrap-around windscreen and glazed stairwell.”

According to London Bus Routes, the expected start date for the E400H City to operate on Route 78 is the 14th November 2015.

Anyway, take a quick look at the images below of the interior which I found on Flickr:

The interior does look similar to the New Routemaster as the whole bus design is based on the New Routemaster. What stood out to me was the seating; they are not ‘bench’ seats and the moquette is different as they have feature roundals on them.

At least we are seeing a new bus which will continue the legacy of the New Routemaster.

Personally, I hope to see the media reporting on the New Enviro400H City because TFL have been involved with the innovation of the New Routemaster design for other bus types. The question is, what will the bus be nicknamed?

Anyway, in other news…

From LOTS:

Just two or three LTs on each of routes 16 and 88 are now left to enter service. Those for route 149 (LT564-601 plus four others – 513-516 – which will probably be swapped with four off the 73) have begun delivery. A change to the formal licensed designation from NBfL to NRM occurred from LT517, thus formalizing the ’New Routemaster’ name.

Interesting that route 149 enables the breakthrough of the 600th build of the New Routemaster. If the extra 200 weren't ordered then Route 149 would have been the last route for the New Routemaster production.

During early 2010 it was thought to be the bus with an open platform with a conductor, but instead TFL decided to have it as a 3 door and 2 staircase bus, hence we see the changes made to the rear door where it opens outwards like the middle doors do. I have made a short video about it which you can see below.


How times change, just give it 5 years and we can see the difference with the London Bus fleet as of today.

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