The 11.1m-length Enviro400EV double decker is expected to shift the crowds on busy urban and interurban routes, advancing electrification options for services with a range of up to 260 miles.
The Enviro100EV is a manoeuvrable small bus that is 8.5m long and 2.35m wide, while covering up to 285 miles on a single charge.
Alexander Dennis has integrated the new zero-emission driveline in house, working with leading technology partners.
Voith Turbo is supplying the Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS), which has been developed for the requirements of urban and interurban buses. While the Enviro100EV uses the medium-duty variant of VEDS, the heavy-duty version is employed in the Enviro400EV.
A future-proof battery system has been developed in partnership with Impact Clean Power Technology. Using NMC lithium-ion cells, it delivers a higher total energy throughput of up to 1.4GWh in the Enviro400EV.
The battery packs are mounted within the chassis and rear of the vehicle as well as under the staircase of the Enviro400EV. Underfloor packs are mechanically isolated rather than directly bolted to the chassis, protecting them against external loads from twists and impacts that could cause premature failure.
If replacement batteries are needed during the operational life of a vehicle, they will benefit from advances in battery capabilities without the need for vehicle modifications as pack dimensions and interfaces with the vehicle are standardised. Additionally, Impact is planning a future iteration of NMC batteries for Alexander Dennis that is expected to increase range even further.
A redesigned geometry of the vehicle front is said to provide drivers with better direct vision and protects vulnerable road users.
Alexander Dennis Group Engineering Director Chris Gall, said: “We’re applying proven principles from the car industry to buses: provide improved visibility for the driver, modify the form of the front end to offer angles that deflect rather than impact, and reduce system stiffness to mitigate the risk of any impact that does occur.”
Combined with further measures around the vehicle including latest assistance technologies such as speed limiting technology and audible warnings, the battery-electric buses meet current and upcoming targets of Transport for London’s Bus Safety Standard.
The new Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV come with a five-year warranty as standard.
Alexander Dennis president Paul Davies said: “Our batteries have an eight-year warranty as standard, and an extension is available out to 12 years on a sensible commercial basis.”
Alexander Dennis will work with authorities and operators to model their operational requirements for its new ebuses through a multi-physics simulation, estimating the useful life of their batteries on the intended routes and producing running boards covering daily temperature and battery state of health.
The buses will receive support from Alexander Dennis’s AD24 aftermarket division.
Spare parts will be stocked in the UK with 24/7 ordering through the AD24 website. Field service engineers have been equipped for the new components and trained by the AD24 Training Academy, which also offers bespoke training courses for customers at its own facility or on-site at operators’ premises.
The support suite also includes AD Connect, a bus-dedicated telematics solution that gives operators vehicle and fleet performance data as well as enhanced diagnostics, parts and repair information to help further increase vehicle uptime. AD Connect is accessed through the AD24 portal or via integration into customers’ existing fleet management systems.
The Enviro400EV will be assembled in Larbert, where Alexander Dennis has overhauled its build process by introducing digital support tools.
Production of customer orders for both vehicle types has begun, with deliveries expected in the first months of 2024.