Enviro400EV is ‘most efficient’ battery electric decker – Zemo
Alexander Dennis’ Enviro400EV electric double-decker is currently the most efficient battery-electric double-decker tested to Zemo Partnership standards to date.
The work, which was undertaken at UTAC’s approved test facility at Millbrook Proving Ground, confirms an average energy consumption of just 0.67kWh/km across the UK Bus Cycle. This shows the vehicle delivers a 10% efficiency advantage over competitors’ vehicles of comparable battery size.
The UK Bus Cycle represents a mix of common operating conditions with separate phases modelled on inner urban, outer urban and rural routes. Alexander Dennis puts this performance down to its use of the heavy-duty version of the Voith Electrical Drive System. This, the manufacturer says, ensures operators will be able to minimise their energy costs even on highly intensive services in such as those in London, boosting value and keeping total cost of ownership low.
Combined with the Enviro400EV’s NMC battery system, which is supplied by Impact Clean Power Technology and allows 88% of its 472kWh capacity to be used, the 0.67kWh/km energy consumption in the UK Bus Cycle gives the electric double-decker a theoretical operating range of up to 620km (385 miles) on a single charge.
Alexander Dennis uses automotive industry-standard modelling tools to calculate indicative illustrations of efficiency, range and battery degradation under real-world conditions for an operator’s specific routes. This multi-physics simulation is conducted in collaboration with operators and the manufacturer considers it the most reliable guide to actual performance on any given duty cycle.
“Our next-generation Enviro400EV’s energy efficiency of 0.67kWh/km sets a new benchmark” – Alexander Dennis Group Engineering Director, Chris Gall
Alexander Dennis Group Engineering Director, Chris Gall, said: “Our next-generation Enviro400EV’s energy efficiency of 0.67kWh/km sets a new benchmark and is testament to Alexander Dennis’s lineage and strength in designing innovative products meeting the needs of the UK bus industry.
“The result demonstrates not just to the expertise of our fantastic engineering team who designed and developed the bus – it also confirms the efficacy of the system of zero-emission bus testing overseen by the Zemo Partnership. The process encourages us and our fellow UK manufacturers to continually raise the bar, bringing down customers’ operating costs through reduced energy consumption and ensuring the transition to zero-emission technology is both sustainable and profitable.”
Over 150 Enviro400EVs have been sold to date to customers including Stagecoach and Transdev, with deliveries of the first completed vehicles now imminent.