01 Nov 2022

Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today unveiled its Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker at Euro Bus Expo 2022 in Birmingham as part of its next generation of zero-emission buses. The vehicle at the show is the first for the type’s launch customer, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.

The first of this new generation of zero-emission buses – fully designed and built by Alexander Dennis and backed up with AD24 whole-vehicle aftermarket support – is the Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker. First announced last year, initial vehicles have now been completed and deliveries to launch customer Liverpool City Region are expected to begin in the coming weeks.

The 11.1m long Enviro400FCEV can carry up to 88 passengers, up to 73 of them seated and with up to two wheelchair users securely accommodated in dedicated bays. Alexander Dennis’s wide range of options allows it to be tailored to the individual specification of cities, transport authorities and operators.

Similar to the upcoming new Alexander Dennis battery-electric buses, the Enviro400FCEV utilises the Voith Electrical Drive System next-generation electric driveline that has been developed specifically for the requirements of buses with an efficient permanent magnet traction motor that delivers substantial torque and power in a compact footprint, freeing up vehicle space for passengers and maximizing ride quality with low unsprung mass. Peak power output of the heavy-duty unit (VEDS HD) has been capped at 350kW on the Enviro400FCEV to maximise fuel economy while still enabling a high maximum running speed and excellent static and dynamic gradeability.

The Enviro400FCEV is fuelled in just five minutes through fillers on both sides of the vehicle. Up to 29.4kg of hydrogen is stored in 350bar NPROXX composite pressure vessels safely mounted at the rear of the vehicle before being converted to electric energy in a Ballard FCmove-HD fuel cell power module that is rated at 45kW or 60kW depending on operational application to optimise efficiency, reduce heat rejection and extend fuel cell life. A 30kWh battery from Impact Clean Power Technology provides on-board buffer storage between fuel cell module and motor. Using lithium-titanate (LTO) chemistry, it is particularly suited to frequent rapid charge and discharge and is expected to last the life of the bus. No external battery charging is required in daily operation.

Every drive and power technology element has been calibrated for maximum efficiency and is supported by NFI Connect telematics. The Enviro400FCEV boasts an operational range of up to 300 miles on a single fill, making it particularly suitable to high-mileage applications such as busy urban corridors and interurban routes.

The Enviro400FCEV shown at Euro Bus Expo is the first for launch customer Liverpool City Region, which is introducing 20 of them on its busiest route, the 10A between St Helens and Liverpool City Centre, as part of programme of investment designed to decarbonise and radically improve bus services in the region. Publicly owned by the City Region and branded in a style consistent with its latest trains, they will be jointly operated by bus operators Arriva and Stagecoach.

https://www.alexander-dennis.com