Enviro400FCEV Next-Generation Hydrogen Bus for Liverpool City Region

Alexander Dennis has unveiled its Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker at Euro Bus Expo 2022 in Birmingham as part of its next generation of zero-emission buses. The vehicle at the show is the first for the type’s launch customer, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador)

Building on its extensive experience as the UK market leader for clean buses and taking advantage of lessons learned across the NFI Group, Alexander Dennis has developed a cutting-edge new zero-emission technology platform as the foundation for a new generation of battery-electric and hydrogen-fuel cell buses.

The Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker is the first of a new series of zero-emission buses that Alexander Dennis fully developed, produced, and supported with AD24 whole-vehicle aftermarket support. Initial vehicles, which were first revealed last year, have now been finished, and deliveries to Liverpool City Region, the launch customer, are anticipated to start soon.

Up to 88 passengers may travel within the 11.1m long Enviro400FCEV, 73 of whom can sit down while two wheelchair users can be safely accommodated in designated bays. Alexander Dennis’s wide range of options allows it to be tailored to the individual specification of cities, transport authorities and operators.

The Enviro400FCEV uses the Voith Electrical Drive System next-generation electric driveline, which was developed especially for the needs of buses and features an efficient permanent magnet traction motor that delivers substantial torque and power in a compact footprint, freeing up vehicle space for passengers and maximising ride quality with low unsprung mass.

Alexander Dennis

This driveline is used in the upcoming new Alexander Dennis battery-electric buses as well as the current generation Alexander Dennis battery-electric buses. The Enviro400FCEV's heavy-duty unit's (VEDS HD) peak power output has been capped at 350kW to maximise fuel efficiency while still permitting a high top speed and great static and dynamic gradeability.

Through fillers on both sides of the vehicle, the Enviro400FCEV is fueled in about five minutes. Prior to being converted to electric energy in a Ballard FCmove-HD fuel cell power module that is rated at 45kW or 60kW depending on operational application in order to maximise efficiency, reduce heat rejection, and prolong fuel cell life, up to 29.4kg of hydrogen is safely stored in 350bar NPROXX composite pressure vessels mounted at the rear of the vehicle. 

Between the fuel cell module and the motor, an on-board buffer storage system made of a 30kWh battery from Impact Clean Power Technology is included. It is designed to last the whole life of the bus and uses lithium-titanate (LTO) chemistry, which is well suited to frequent rapid charge and discharge. In normal use, there is no need for external battery charging.

Alexander Dennis

Every drive and power technology element has been calibrated for maximum efficiency and is supported by NFI Connect telematics. The Enviro400FCEV boasts an operational range of up to 300 miles on a single fill, making it particularly suitable to high-mileage applications such as busy urban corridors and interurban routes.

Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director Paul Davies says:

“The launch of the Enviro400FCEV signals the start of a new age for zero-emission buses with our next-generation technology platform. Using the expertise from earlier prototypes as well as our wider experience as the long-established market leader for greener buses, this is a mature product for an industry that needs customised solutions from a reliable partner.

“Sitting alongside our new battery-electric buses and the hugely successful products we will continue to build in partnership with BYD, the Enviro400FCEV adds a hydrogen-fuel cell bus to what is now the industry’s widest portfolio of zero-emission solutions, ready to meet the requirements of any bus operator, transport authority or city.”

The Enviro400FCEV displayed at Euro Bus Expo is the first for launch customer Liverpool City Region, which will introduce 20 of them on its busiest route, the 10A between St Helens and Liverpool City Centre.

They form part of an investment programme intended to reduce carbon emissions and significantly enhance bus services in the area. They will be jointly run by bus companies Arriva Merseyside and Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire. They are publicly owned by the City Region and branded to match its newest trains.