First West Yorkshire has placed an order for five BYD ADL Enviro400EV electric double-deckers from the BYD ADL partnership, the UK’s leading manufacturer of electric buses.
The buses are destined for Leeds and will go into service on a new Park & Ride set to begin later this year.
The all-electric vehicles (EVs) are part of an ongoing £71 million investment by First West Yorkshire which began in 2018 to upgrade its fleet in the city with zero emission and ultra-low emission buses.
Simon Carlisle, Engineering Director of First West Yorkshire, said: “I’m delighted to confirm this latest vehicle order which continues our strong relationship with Alexander Dennis. It is also further evidence of our commitment to develop a zero-emission fleet in the years ahead and play our role in creating cleaner air in Leeds and other towns and cities in the region.”
The five EVs will operate from First’s Hunslet Park depot in Leeds, where charging infrastructure was introduced last year to support the expansion of zero-emission buses in the city fleet.
The BYD ADL Enviro400EV is capable of travelling up to 160 miles on a single overnight charge, which means they can operate on the network all day without recharging. It is estimated to reduce carbon emissions by 45 per cent compared to a Euro VI diesel engine.
Martin Brailey, UK Sales Director for Major Bus Groups of Alexander Dennis, said: “Our British-built double deck electric bus is the state-of-the-art solution for cleaner transport in our cities. We are delighted to continue to support First Bus in its response to the twin challenges of air pollution and the climate emergency, and we know passengers and residents in Leeds will love the smooth and quiet ride of their new buses.”
Frank Thorpe, Managing Director of BYD (UK) Ltd, said: “Park & Ride operations provide the ideal scenario for the BYD ADL Partnership to showcase its eMobility credentials, both for First Bus and the people of Leeds. Hundreds of CO2 emitting cars swapped for just five double deck BYD ADL Enviro400EVs delivering pure-electric, emissions-free journeys into Leeds for thousands of passengers.
He added: “Our double decker boasts excellent range capability with intensive Park & Ride services providing exactly the right platform for the BYD ADL fleet to prove its viability as a safe, comfortable, sustainable public transport solution.”
First has chosen the larger model made by ADL and BYD at 10.8 metres long and a height of 4.3 metres. It has 69 seats and will carry a maximum of 75 passengers. The bus also boasts zero-emission heat pump technology to control interior heating and cooling.
BYD ADL Enviro400EV specification
Dimensions: Length 10.8m, Width 2.55m, Height 4.3m
Power: BYD lithium iron phosphate battery technology 382kWh
Fully charged: 3.5-4.00 hours
Total capacity: 75 passengers (including standing)
Full technical specification https://www.evbus.co.uk/products/byd-adl-enviro400ev/
About First West Yorkshire
- First West Yorkshire is following Government advice; implementing enhanced cleaning regimes across our vehicles, encouraging good hand hygiene with our employees and displaying public information posters on our buses.
- Stepping up our cleaning regimes includes using a long-lasting sanitiser and regular disinfection of all grab rails and poles, entrance door handles, window ledges and other touchpoints.
First West Yorkshire is the largest bus operator in the region. More than 880 buses transport around 350,000 people every day, across West Yorkshire. The company operates from depots in; Hunslet, Bramley, Bradford, Halifax, Todmorden and Huddersfield, and employs more than 2,000 staff.
About First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK’s largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted ‘best in class’ amongst UK bus operators.
Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks. We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience.
We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
About Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) is a global leader in the design and manufacture of double deck buses and is also the UK’s largest bus and coach manufacturer.
ADL is a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. (“NFI”), one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers. ADL offers single and double deck vehicles under the brands of Alexander Dennis and Plaxton, and has over 31,000 vehicles in service in the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Further information is available at www.nfigroup.com and www.alexander-dennis.com.
About BYD UK
BYD UK was established in London, UK in March 2013 and moved to Iver, Buckinghamshire, England in June 2018 to further develop its business. It is primarily engaged in providing British customers with a series of new energy buses together with interrelated after sales service. Its main focus is to provide UK customers with BYD new energy solutions, including electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, solar panels, energy storage systems, rail transit and other new energy products, as well as related after-sales services. In 2015, BYD and Alexander Dennis created the BYD ADL Partnership – today the UK’s leading provider of electric buses. For further information, visit www.bydeurope.com.
