The Alexander Dennis (ADL) in-house battery-electric bus range went on test for the first time with operators in March, during a three-day track day event at UTAC Millbrook.
Representatives from 23 operators and trade media had the chance to get behind the wheel of the Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV buses ahead of further demonstrations later this year.
The buses were also driven professionally on Millbrook’s test track, allowing for full appreciation of ADL Group Engineering Director Chris Gall’s work in building a comfortable, rigid body and demonstrating the reported 15 decibel reduction in noise over diesel that passengers can expect.
Feedback gathering
The Millbrook track event marks the first time ADL has hosted a test day of this type and follows the launch of the vehicles in November.
Filming and photography has since followed in Farnborough and at least one Enviro400EV at time of writing is being prepped for a demonstration programme across the UK. Both vehicles will eventually be included in a roadshow handled by ADL’s sales team, and will be available for demonstrations with operators looking to try out the vehicles on their own routes for one to two weeks at a time.
The decision to host a track day was “the next natural step” in ADL’s marketing strategy, according to President and Managing Director Paul Davies, and has allowed the manufacturer to gather further first-hand feedback on the new vehicles.
That response has been hugely positive and has allowed for useful recommendations. One such is to alter the position of the on-board camera mirrors on the Enviro400EV.
Alongside the testing, Chris Gall presented new efficiency figures for the Enviro400EV and Enviro100EV, certified by Zemo Partnership. Noteworthy is the achievement of 0.54kWh/ km efficiency of the Enviro100EV, which ADL says has no comparable in the world. The Enviro400EV has meanwhile been newly certified with an efficiency rating of 0.67kWh/km.
Beyond that, development of the next generation of battery chemistry for the range has already begun and it is anticipated that, without changing any of the bus design layout, an additional 13% energy capacity will be achieved when complete.
ADL is also understood to be the only OEM to have received positive results through Transport for London’s Head Impact Testing protocol as part of its 2024 Bus Safety Standard for the new models.
“Following the launch in November we felt it would be a good idea to get some rubber on the road for trade press and customers,” says Paul. “We’ve had great conversations with drivers’ union representatives, Engineering Directors and Managing Directors, with practical feedback around the driver position, the feel of the bus and what people are looking for.
“These activities are giving us customer input. And to get the feedback that we have delivered on what was promised, met the expectations of the 3D renders, and delivered on efficiency targets and compliance, has been good. There are always things that we can do better and there is work to do on a few more elements. But these vehicles are the best in class by a margin and solve key requirements of the UK bus market.”
Alexander Dennis: Trailblazer legacy
ADL was always a trailblazer in EV bus development, particularly in 2014-2015 with its BYD partnership. Group Commercial Director Martin West calls that arrangement a high risk one. “A new Chinese chassis manufacturer combining the mix of cultures with a Scottish bus builder, and producing a vehicle that was a concept?” he says. “Being a trailblazer and a leading product it was always going to be highly scrutinised for if anything went wrong. However, it has performed well, and I think the end result is that other manufacturers have come behind us with new generation technology that has raised the bar. They have learned from our failings, but we now have the ability to raise the bar again, bring our new next generation product to market, and increase accessibility, range, efficiency, and rideability. It’s about constantly pushing the boundaries to improve the experience.”
For Martin, who joined the ADL business just over two years ago from Scania, the new Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV models represent the start of a journey for ADL to establishing itself as a premium offering that customers will be attached to from the perspective of a value proposition.
No-one will ever be criticised for buying an ADL product, but that’s not the reason why I want people to buy ADL buses,” he says. “I want to take our business on a journey where people who work here not only feel proud of what we do and why we do it, but customers who buy from us feel more attached to the brand and to the premium nature of what we do. I want customers to buy from ADL because they feel it’s the right thing to do, and that it adds value to their business. That hopefully is what this new generation of product is taking us into.”
While the ADL in-house battery-electric range is still in product phase, Martin notes that it will be followed by add-on services including telematics and training packages that will eventually cater to a wide variety of operator needs. “We are trying to get to a position where we have gold, silver and bronze tiers in training, and in warranties. Every operator wants something different, and we don’t want a one-size-fits-all offering. We want something that meets any requirement.
“We’ve got to go through a journey of satisfying the marketplace with a complete ADL product that is backed with telematics that works, training that works, and where the vehicles do what they say on the tin, i.e. meet the range, meet the efficiency figures. That’s going to take a bit of time. But we will get the confidence from people who know us and who have experienced us and who will place the orders.”
A spokesperson at the manufacturer confirms that there are currently 150 firm orders from Transdev Blazefield and Stagecoach for the new bus range, while Shuttle Buses in Ayrshire is confirmed to be the first independent operator to secure a vehicle through financial support provided by the first round of the ScotZEB challenge fund.
