Bus designer and manufacturer Alexander Dennis has announced its expansion into the North American market by delivering 33 Enviro500EV electric double-deckers to US public transit agency Sound Transit.
Scheduled for delivery in 2026, Sound Transit’s order will be manufactured in the USA by Alexander Dennis’ partner Big Rig Manufacturing.
The buses are zero-emission, combining a Voith electrical drive system with increased energy storage capacity to provide longer journeys than their predecessors.
The Enviro500EV buses are also the first in the USA to use inductive on-route charging via Pennsylvania-based company InductEV, to enhance range and operational performance.
The electric buses will serve the new Stride bus rapid transit service, which Sound Transit – officially known as the Central Puget Sound Regional Transit Authority, serving the Seattle metropolitan area in the US state of Washington – is developing along Interstate 405 to link communities north, east and south of Lake Washington to one another and to light rail connections.
Vice president for Alexander Dennis in North America, Stephen Walsh, said: “We are excited to once again be working with our long-standing customer Sound Transit in the Puget Sound region, which has selected our Enviro500EV with next-generation technology for its new Stride bus rapid transit service.
“This award highlights the resurgent demand for our double-deck buses in North America following the relaunch of Buy America-compliant production with Big Rig Manufacturing.
“The order was placed after we completed extensive route mapping exercises in conjunction with Sound Transit, using automotive-grade modelling to fully understand the operational requirements.”
Alexander Dennis has produced 31,000 vehicles in service in the UK, Ireland, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and the USA.
Achievements and innovations in electric vehicles and public transport will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at the De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations officially open in March 2024. Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector.
