Over 250 BYD ADL Enviro400EV battery-electric double-deckers have been sold and the two parties are in negotiations for further orders for the zero-emission model.
The Enviro400EV is now in use in each of the UK’s three largest urban areas – London, Birmingham and Manchester – following the entry into service of 19 with National Express West Midlands (NXWM) at its Yardley Wood depot on Sunday 5 July.
Besides several London operators and NXWM, the Enviro400EV is also in service with Stagecoach in Cambridge and in Manchester.
“It would certainly be fair to say that ADL and BYD are in negotiations to add to the existing number of Enviro400EVs,” says an ADL spokesperson. “We are also looking forward to the government’s funding for 4,000 zero-emission buses, for which we believe we have a compelling proposition with BYD ADL single- and double-deckers.”
At Yardley Wood, Zenobe supplied what it calls “an end-to-end solution” for the buses. It includes a stationary battery to balance the electrical load on the grid, the depot charging system and a software platform to help optimise energy use.
The buses at Yardley Wood form part of National Express’s commitment to achieving a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2020. They will be joined by 10 more with National Express Coventry that are to enter service later this year.
To NXWM specifications, each BYD ADL Enviro400EV seats 65 and is to the operator’s Platinum specification. A heat pump ensures efficient heating of the saloon. The manufacturers say that the model can cover 190 miles on one charge.
