The first of the hybrid electric systems that will power 56 clean, green and efficient double-decker buses have been delivered by BAE Systems to bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited.
Bus operator, Stagecoach Group, will take delivery of their buses, commencing with Oxford first, followed by Manchester, in the summer of 2010. They are the first of up to 300 hybrid electric buses that will be supplied to operators across the UK with support from the Department of Transport’s £30 million Green Bus Fund, which provides financial incentives to adopt green technologies.
The diesel-electric BAE Systems HybriDrive system being installed in the new Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) Enviro 400h hybrid buses for Oxford and Manchester will deliver fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions that are up to 30% lower than conventional buses.
BAE Sysems’ HybriDrive technology currently powers more than 2,500 buses in cities across the UK and North America, transporting more than one million passengers every day. So far, these buses have travelled more than 150 million miles, saved ten million gallons of diesel fuel and prevented more than 100,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions. BAE Systems has partnered with ADL since 2007 to build hybrid electric buses for the UK, and these latest orders follow Transport for London’s evaluation of 17 BAE Systems-powered hybrid buses.
“We have been impressed with the performance, reliability and product support in the UK provided by BAE Systems’ hybrid technology,” said Adrian Havlin, Stagecoach group technical engineer. “These new hybrid vehicles are part of a package of measures to make our operations more sustainable and attract people to our greener, smarter public transport services. We are looking forward to being the first operator of these next-generation buses outside of London.”
The HybriDrive system consists of a generator, an electric motor, and an energy storage system managed by computerised controls. A diesel engine that turns the generator operates independently of the electric drive motor, allowing it to run at nearly constant speed for optimum efficiency. The system also uses no mechanical transmission, a major maintenance item on conventional diesel buses.
The BAE Systems technology has been trialled in a range of civilian and military vehicles and has proven itself as a smooth, powerful, reliable and environmentally friendlier power source. “Our HybriDrive system powers the world’s largest hybrid bus fleet in New York and BAE Systems’ partnership with Alexander Dennis enables us to continue developing market-leading hybrid bus technologies,” said Rob Lindsay, director of transport systems for BAE Systems.
