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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