Although the government seems to have all but turned its back on renewable energies, emission-free public transport is becoming all the rage in the U.K. The most recent initiative is in Merseyside, where a partnership between local company Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and Chinas BYD will supply electric buses to the city.
ADL and BYD have worked together on various similar projects, however, the winning of this tender represents the first U.K. win that the partnership has had outside of the capital city of London. It won the tender from Arriva North West for the delivery of 12 Enviro200 EV buses.
The buses will run the routes around Liverpool city centre, and will be charged overnight in the depot and the garage. The buses will be able to cover between 150 and 190 miles per day, and will also have enough electricity to have USB chargers fitted for the passengers.
Its the first joint order from outside London and opens the door to a range of provincial cities wishing to upgrade their bus fleet to pure electric, emissions free standard, commented ADL managing director of U.K. sales Arthur Whiteside. The Enviro200EV provides a stylish, cost effective and proven bus to meet their needs.
This is just the latest of a number of clean energy public bus initiatives throughout the U.K. Earlier in the year, 100% solar-powered Double Decker buses arrived in London. The fleet of five buses were also developed by Chinas BYD, but this time for Transport for London and Metroline, as the city aims to go to zero emissions by 2050.
More recently, innovative coach company The Big Lemon announced a partnership with Brighton Energy Coop to install a solar array with an energy storage unit at a bus charging depot in Brighton. This will allow the local buses to charge 100% emission-free.
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