500th BYD ADL electric bus delivered
BYD UK and Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) have handed over their 500th electric bus.
The Enviro400EV double-decker has joined the fleet of the partnership’s launch customer, Go-Ahead London, as orders for the next 500 BYD ADL electric buses have already been confirmed from operators across the UK.
Having entered a partnership agreement in October 2015, ADL and BYD delivered their first buses the following summer. Its electric buses for the UK and Ireland are built in Britain.
Less than five years after rolling out the first, the partnership has now delivered the 500th BYD ADL electric bus.
Go-Ahead London’s new double-decker is one of 20 that have joined the Go-Ahead London fleet for Transport for London route 69 between Walthamstow and Canning Town.
Go-Ahead London has worked closely with the BYD ADL partnership since its inception, becoming its launch customer in 2016 and continuing to support product development with its operational experience. The very first BYD ADL electric bus, a BYD ADL Enviro200EV single-decker, joined the handover of the 500th as the manufacturers paid tribute to Go-Ahead London’s crucial role in the deployment of electric buses in the UK.
John Trayner, Go-Ahead London’s Managing Director, said: “It is fitting that this significant milestone took place at Waterloo, our global award-winning all-electric bus garage. Waterloo pioneered electric bus technology in 2013 and it quickly proved reliable in the capital’s high frequency and demanding stop/start operating environment. Along with the Mayor, Transport for London and other important infrastructure partners, we are seamlessly transitioning the capital’s iconic red bus fleet to deliver a zero-emission public transport offering. Congratulations to the BYD ADL partnership on reaching 500 e-bus deliveries.”
ADL UK Sales Director, Martin Brailey, said: “As we prepare to transition chassis assembly to our UK facilities to deliver a product fully built in Britain, the BYD ADL partnership’s winning combination of class-leading technology and design expertise continues to set the standard for electric buses. This has been made possible by our customers, and none more so than Go-Ahead London, who were the first outside China to convert an entire depot to electric operation with the launch order five years ago and who continue to challenge us to deliver ongoing innovation.”
“Operators like Go-Ahead London, with the BYD ADL partnership in support, really are leading the charge” – Frank Thorpe, Managing Director of BYD UK
Frank Thorpe, Managing Director of BYD UK, said: “We were delighted in 2015 when Go-Ahead London embarked upon their journey towards electrification with us, and we’re even more thrilled today as we celebrate the handover of the 500th BYD ADL electric bus. It’s a very significant milestone, and not only for the BYD ADL partnership. It demonstrates clearly the commitment of the nation’s capital to decarbonisation, with eMobility playing an increasingly fundamental role in delivering a cleaner transport system for millions of people. Operators like Go-Ahead London, with the BYD ADL partnership in support, really are leading the charge.”