Kevin Carr pays a visit to Millbrook Proving Ground in Bedfordshire to test Alexander Dennis’ Next Generation Enviro100EV & Enviro400EV
There is somewhat of a buzz around the bus industry right now in connection to electric vehicles, with all the talk and speculation about their future and capabilities. So, it felt like great timing that I should be kindly invited by Alexander Dennis (ADL) to see and test its next-generation Enviro100EV single-deck and Enviro400EV double-deck buses.
On 21 March, I arrived at Millbrook Proving Ground, a large test track facility set in the Bedfordshire countryside, in a rather excited state to hear all about ADL’s next-generation products and take part in a comprehensive testing exercise.
The Millbrook track is vast with a large variety of testing possible including the Hill Route, Mile Straight, Steering Pad and Twist Humps to name just four. But, before it was time to get my hands on ADL’s new small single-deck bus and new double-decker, there was a headline presentation from ADL Group Engineering Director Chris Gall. He explained that ADL’s new products were designed, engineered, and tested in the UK. 220 in-house team members and 80 contractors cover the entire process from the first sketches to the finished product with the use of a dedicated test and development workshop in Farnborough.
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Chris said: “The Enviro400EV is very nearly at the approval and validation stage, whilst the Enviro100EV is about three months behind that. The batteries are lasting longer, and we currently have the best efficiency in the world and are leading the UK market.”
Indeed, Chris had some impressive statistics to share, with efficiency figures of 0.54kWh/km and 0.67kWh/km for the Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV respectively. And talking about ‘throughput,’ Chris said the Eviro100EV was capable of achieving up to 1.2GWh and the Eviro400 up to 1.6GWh.
In short, what this means is ADL’s next-generation products have the best energy capacity and the best energy efficiency according to comparative data from Zemo Partnership. That sounds like real progress to me.
There is also a choice between three- and four-string batteries with the three-string battery being the cheaper option but the more expensive four-string batteries offering the longer range. You get what you pay for.
Safety tests
There are some positive results from Head Impact Testing by TfL as well. These show the next-generation products coming out favourably. Head Injury Criteria (HIC) calculated from varied and repeated test impacts found results in the safest green zone. This is reassuringly good.
Noise, vibration and harshness testing brings welcome results too. Compared to regular diesel buses the next-generation buses are approximately 15 dB(A) less loud – which is roughly 50% less noise. Great news for passengers and drivers alike.
Track test
Now it was out to the track to put the buses through their paces through a variety of tests and conditions. The first to inspect and drive was the double deck Enviro400EV. 11.1m in height and 4.3m in length, there is also a slightly smaller option for London. The design is modern and well thought out. Known as the ‘crowd shifter’ there is a maximum passenger capacity of 96, 80 of which are seated, with two sizeable wheelchair spaces – the layout is spacious across both the lower and upper saloons. There is real feeling of space and light particularly in the upper saloon, where the perspective is generously panoramic.
During my drive, the double-decker handled very well and was very responsive. A good lock on the steering maximises manoeuvrability and the bus feels planted to the road surface giving a smooth and quiet ride. There was no hint of a squeak or a rattle – drivers and passengers will love the sleek and smooth ride. The acceleration was also smooth but responsive and the natural regenerative braking reduces pedal swapping as the bus slows down. When the need for braking arises, this is also smooth and very easy to control. I felt no sense of grabbing or jolting when moving off or coming to a stop.
For a heavyweight bus, it can shift. Tested on the Mile Straight the bus had rapid but comfortable acceleration and maintained speed with no effort. At the base of the Hill Route, the bus had no problem climbing the 11.6% gradient from a standing start and moved through the tight twists and bends with ease. The Twist Humps offer a significant test for any vehicle frame or structure. I located myself in the upper saloon for this part of the test where the entire vehicle rocks ferociously from side to side. Whilst I was somewhat hanging on for dear life, there was no squeaking or rattling to be witnessed. This is a solid bus.
If it’s a high-capacity people mover that you are looking for, then this bus fits the bill. Its first class. The highest-grade battery will offer up to 260 miles of range on a full charge – enough for operators and local authorities to take note and listen.
Next up to try was the small Enviro100EV. The small electric bus market isn’t particularly crowded or full of product options, so I was very interested in what it had to offer.
Big and small
Known as ‘the big small bus’ it boasts a deceptively narrow and short body, which takes nothing away from how good this bus looks. It looks and feels like a ‘proper’ bus. It is 8.5m long with a very short rear overhang, 3.1m high and surprisingly narrow at just 2.35m wide. A short wheelbase of 4.5m and 17.5inch wheels make up the rest of the dimensions.
With those dimensions in mind, I wondered what the compromise would be on entering the bus? In short, there wasn’t one. The layout of this bus is one of the best I have seen in a smaller bus.
As soon as I boarded the bus, I was met with several places where you can instantly take a seat, in a proper seat – you don’t have to walk half of the length of the vehicle to sit down. Three over wheel arch side facing seats, two on the offside and one on the nearside, are located at the very front of the saloon with forward facing seats and tip ups not far behind. All of good size and proportion. Great news for passengers with limited mobility. The wheelchair space is more than ample too.
There are 25 seats and with standees the total capacity is 45, which offers some versatility for a small bus. It is impressive how designers have managed to get as many full-sized seats as possible into this bus with no compromise in terms of space and legroom.
I took to the wheel on the steering pad. Like its big brother, the Enviro100EV is exceptionally easy to drive. The cab layout is very similar to the Enviro400EV – I like this commonality, it’s good for drivers to have similar layouts in different buses for familiarity. There is plenty of space in the cab area and driver accommodation is comfortable. The bus is smooth from the off and I quickly realised how nippy this bus is. On the Mile Straight the bus was incredibly quick to reach its maximum 62 mph and once again was smooth in doing so. The regenerative braking isn’t as much of a force compared to the ‘400,’ but braking was easy to control to bring the bus to a comfortable stop.
This powerful little machine, all 9.5 tonnes of it, made light work on the Hill Route. Its rapid acceleration and ultra-manoeuvrability make this adaptable little bus perfect for a variety of different operating terrain and territory. The dreaded Twist Humps did not faze the Enviro100EV, its robust chassis and steel frame were more than up to the job.
Both the Enviro100EV and the Enviro400EV offer semi-high-back are spacious and comfortable to sit in.
It is also worth noting that this is designed as a door-forward bus, useful in many bus stations and interchanges – where it can be a tight and a struggle for wheel forward buses to properly access bus stands, particularly at drive in reverse out bus stations and interchanges with shorter platforms.
Whilst its design and ride impressed me greatly, I was pleasantly surprised to hear the expected range on a full charge with the highest-grade battery is 285 miles. This kind of daily range is potentially a game changer for the future of battery electric bus operation.
I spoke to Darren McCormick, Product Principal Engineer, about the range. He said: “We are tackling this from both ends. Work is being done to improve the quality of the battery cell whilst we are working hard at reducing energy consumption. We are not far off cracking it with the range.”
Fast progress
It feels as though we have come a long way very quickly and that huge progress has been made to improve the expected daily range.
This was something that Alexander Dennis President and Managing Director Paul Davies was keen to emphasise. He said that the expected battery range wasn’t far off the hydrogen equivalent but without the cost and supply issues of hydrogen, and the expected life of a battery bus is now significantly longer. “We hope this will appeal to the leasing companies and help make electric buses more accessible to a wider audience. We expect an 18-year life span for these buses which should offer confidence to the leasing companies,” he said.
I asked Paul what he thought was most important when supplying operators with electric buses. He said: “It’s about support and being there every step of the way to help operators get to grips with something new. It’s a bit like a marriage and we want it to work by giving operators what they need not just now but into the future.”
“We think we have the edge in terms of service and support not least through AD24 aftermarket service but also through the help and guidance of our people who know this inside out,” he said.
It seems that people are very much part of the project. I was interested to hear that from the design perspective, the very first thing ADL draws into designs is the passengers and then adds everything else around them. Literally putting the passengers first, it seems. You can see the result and how this works particularly with the design of the Enviro100EV, in my view.
Throughout the day I was impressed by the buses but also the people behind it. I found little to complain about – perhaps only the positioning of the electronic side mirror screens, which felt a little imposing. But I was assured that ADL had already picked up on this and is working on an improved position.
Yet again, the key is appearing to be a healthy and solid partnership between supplier and the operator – the marriage in essence. There is an interdependency and reliance on a strong and positive relationship between the two, it seems. It sounds like Alexander Dennis knows this and is ready to support operators for every mile of their journey. And is that added value worth it against a possible cost saving elsewhere? The market will make its own mind up on that.
It won’t be very long to wait to see both the Enviro100EV and Enviro400EV take to the streets. Both Stagecoach and Transdev are due deliveries of the Enviro400EV whilst Stagecoach has placed a sizeable order for the Enviro100EV along with successful ScotZEB entrant Shuttle Buses.
And that is where the real test starts, in the real world. Long days, heavy loadings, cold weather and hilly terrains will be the real test over time. But it is also fair to say that Alexander Dennis has been conservative with its estimations and expectations of its next-generation products. So, there is good reason to be optimistic.
First impressions suggest that these first-class buses offer real game changing hope and potential for the future.
