Bus manufacturers Alexander Dennis and BYD Europe have supplied the first of 29 all-electric Enviro400EV double-deckers to National Express West Midlands.
The 10.9m-long buses are charged entirely by renewable energy and utilise a stationary battery system to balance the load on the electricity grid.
Tom Stables, managing director of National Express UK, said: “At National Express, zero-emission is not the future – it’s the here-and-now.
“Our bus fleet will be zero-emission by 2030, and we’re very proud to bring fully electric buses to the people of the West Midlands.
“I’d like to thank all the drivers, trainers, engineers and managers who have worked so hard behind the scenes to make this happen.”
Built to National Express’s Platinum standard, the aluminium buses offer extra legroom for 65 seated passengers as well as USB chargers, free wi-fi and other amenities.
An advanced heat pump system ensures that saloon heating power is supplied efficiently from the main batteries without undue impact on operational range.
The first 19 of these zero-emission buses have now entered service in Birmingham, transporting passengers on the 6 route to Solihull, via Hall Green and Shirley, every seven minutes.
National Express West Midland’s 80-year old Yardley Wood garage has been retrofitted with plug chargers for each bus along with a stationary battery, provided by Zenobe Energy, that balances the load on the grid.
Engineers can also monitor the buses’ performance from screens in the depot or via their laptops.
Driven by wheel-hub motors, the bus’ iron-phosphate batteries hold up to 382kWh, enabling a range of 190km (118 miles) and charge time of four hours.
Some 10 further vehicles will be introduced in Coventry in the autumn.
National Express’ £11m investment in the project has been supported with a £3m grant from the UK government’s Office for Low Emission Vehicles.
After reaching fleet numbers in the 7000s, National Express West Midlands’ electric buses start from 001 and carry the prefix ‘E’.
The BYD ADL Enviro400EV zero-emission double decker was launched just over a year ago. Over 250 have been sold to date and two thirds of them are currently in service in UK cities.
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