Alexander Dennis and Chinese bus maker in £19m collaboration

With today’s announcement (http://www.transportengineer.org.uk/transport-engineer-news/alexander-dennis-and-chinese-bus-maker-in-19m-collaboration/88030/) of a joint venture between Alexander Dennis and Chinese manufacturer BYD, the prospect of a mainstream fully electric bus seems to have taken a major step forward.

Most commentators within the industry have for a long time felt that the market was heading in this direction and that the various incarnations of hybrid technologies have all been stepping stones across the pond between traditional diesel technology and the full electric solution.

Indeed this year’s ALBUM conference devoted a session to the various solutions being looked at by the leading manufacturers and it was only Scania that stood out from the crowd with their vision of bio-gas fuelled vehicles, with Volvo, Wrights and ADL all presenting varying solutions around fully electric vehicles with differing charging strategies.

Perhaps the most thought provoking idea to come out of all the presentations was from Wright’s CEO Mark Nodder; who speculated on how the ‘wonder fuel’ of diesel may be perceived if it wasn’t already the default energy source! A fuel that was so efficient and clean that the vehicles driving around major cities actually emit less emissions from their exhaust than those in the air going into the engines.

Let’s call it progress shall we..

Steve

This weeks guest blog is from Steve Low, Chief Operating Officer Mistral Bus

E-mail: [email protected]

Follow Steve: @stevelowmistral