Meet The Next-Generation Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV and Enviro100EV

Alexander Dennis has shared an exclusive preview of its next generation of battery-electric buses at Euro Bus Expo 2022 in Birmingham, providing new information on their design, specification and capabilities.

Alexander Dennis

Alexander Dennis has developed a new zero-emission technology platform as the foundation for a new generation of battery-electric and hydrogen-fuel cell buses. It's based on the comprehensive expertise gained as the UK market leader for low, ultra-low, and zero-emission buses and learnings from across the NFI Group. Furthermore, the company will continue to offer the hugely successful BYD ADL partnership's electric buses, providing cities, transportation authorities, and bus operators with even more options to meet their operational needs.

Fully designed and built by Alexander Dennis and backed up with AD24 whole-vehicle aftermarket support, the first of the new battery-electric models will be the Enviro400EV double decker and a new-size midibus, the Enviro100EV. Initial orders have been taken and first vehicles are expected in 2023.

Along with a next-generation electric driveline and the new, future-proof Alexander Dennis battery system, the new buses feature a striking design language that enhances their kerb appeal and makes a bold statement of investment in cleaner transport.

The Enviro400EV is the crowd-shifter, a battery-electric double deck bus designed to transport large groups of people along busy urban corridors and interurban expressways. It has a total capacity of up to 96 passengers and an operational range of up to 260 miles on a single charge, as well as an improved lower deck seating layout and a wide range of specification options to tailor the vehicle to local needs.

The Enviro100EV is the big small bus, a midibus that is only 8.5m long and 2.35m wide but is engineered with the same care and attention to detail as a larger vehicle. It will be built from the ground up to meet the exact needs of UK operators, with up to 25 seats and a total capacity of 45 passengers, making it at home in city streets as well as country lanes, where a class-leading range of up to 285 miles on a single charge will allow it to tackle longer routes.

Key technologies shared by the Enviro400EV, Enviro100EV, and international models such as the Enviro500EV for Hong Kong include a next-generation electric driveline. 

The Voith Electrical Drive System was designed specifically for bus applications, with an efficient permanent magnet traction motor that delivers significant torque and power in a small footprint, freeing up vehicle space for passengers and maximising ride quality with low unsprung mass. 

The Enviro400EV uses the heavy-duty variant (VEDS HD), which provides the double decker with 410kW peak power output, a high maximum running speed, and excellent static and dynamic gradeability, whereas the Enviro100EV midibus uses the medium-duty variant (VEDS MD), which is designed for smaller vehicles.

Impact Clean Power Technology assembles the new future-proof Alexander Dennis battery system to an Alexander Dennis unique design that standardises packaging and vehicle connections. Dual sourcing is possible at the pack, module, and cell levels, shielding customers and the vehicle design from the negative effects of rapid advancements in battery technology, ensuring supply continuity throughout vehicle life, and allowing operators to benefit from technology advancements at a mid-life refresh without the need for vehicle modifications.

The battery system's dependability has received special attention. Underfloor battery packs are mechanically isolated rather than directly bolted to the chassis, shielding them from external loads such as twists and impacts that could cause premature failure. They also have a stainless-steel container and an aluminium cooling plate to reduce the risk of perforation or damage from road debris and road infrastructure. String-level redundancy means that the bus may continue to drive home even if a single component fails, lowering the risk of brekadowns.

The Alexander Dennis battery system will be used in the Enviro400EV and Enviro100EV initially, and will feature heavy-duty, high-density prismatic nickel-manganese-cobalt (NMC) cells that are less vulnerable to cold weather performance degradation and have a more gradual state-of-health decline. The Enviro400EV double decker will come equipped with 472kWh batteries, with a 354kWh alternative available to trade range for passenger capacity. The batteries on the Enviro100EV midibus are 236kWh or 354kWh.

The new electric buses have also been developed with enhanced active and passive safety features. Wrap-around glass and minimum A pillar intrusion increase driver sight, while the more sharply sloped windscreen decreases internal reflections and reduces the risk to vulnerable road users, who also benefit from an auditory vehicle alerting system. 

An electronic park brake and safety interlocks decrease the possibility of an unintentional rollaway. With capacity for two wheelchair places and improved headroom at the rear of the lower deck on the double deck bus, the vehicle design maximises interior flat floor surface to eliminate trip hazards and provide enhanced accessibility for all clients.

The new zero-emission buses will have whole-vehicle AD24 aftermarket support, giving access to 24/7 spare parts ordering, 50 fully-trained mobile field service engineers across the UK and customer-bespoke training packages through the Alexander Dennis training academy. The advanced NFI Connect telematics suite will be available to enhance vehicle analytics and further boost uptime and efficiency.

Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director Paul Davies says:

“Alexander Dennis is taking the next step in leading the ZEvolution with our next generation of zero-emission buses fully designed and built in-house, while continuing our very successful partnership with BYD which has been leading the market for the last six years and will continue to offer excellent products that meet further operational needs.

“Passenger appeal, performance, efficiency and total cost of ownership are all key principles that have featured in every decision and at every stage during the development of our new battery-electric buses, with no gambles taken or corners cut. The crowd-shifting Enviro400EV and the Enviro100EV, which introduces a big bus feel to the small bus market, are both designed specifically and unequivocally for the specific requirements of bus operation in the UK and Ireland, giving bus operators, transport authorities and cities the best bus for the zero-emission age.”