The first British provincial city to board the electric bus revolution with pure electric buses from the ADL BYD partnership is Liverpool in Merseyside. At a ceremony in the city held by Liverpool City Region Bus Alliance (made up of Arriva, Stagecoach and Merseytravel) a fleet of 12 BYD ADL Enviro200EV 12m buses were ‘introduced’ to the new Metro Mayor of the Liverpool City Region Steve Rotherham, as well as various key stakeholders and the media.
The BYD ADL buses will be operated by Arriva Merseyside and begin service later this month on the City Centre Circular Routes 26 and 27, known as The Belt. The delivery of these buses follow a joint bid under the Government’s OLEV scheme by Arriva North West and Merseytravel. The new buses will operate an intensive service from the Liverpool One bus station and be based at Arriva’s Green Lane bus depot in Liverpool. BYD chargers have been installed in the depot.
The order is significant in that it is the first to be won by the ADL BYD partnership (with ADL as prime contractor on this occasion) outside London where the partnership has enjoyed considerable success, winning every Transport for London (TfL) tender so far for full size pure electric buses – a total of 157 are now in service or on order to serve TfL routes. The buses for Merseyside will cover 100 to 130 miles per day (most will operate 12 hours a day but one duty cycle calls for a 19-hour operating schedule) and will be charged overnight. In line with all ADL BYD joint products, the new buses are designed to operate a full day’s duty cycle on one charge, without the need for disruptive ‘top up’ charging during the working day and enjoy the benefit of lower cost off peak electricity.
The BYD ADL solution ensures that operators do not have to purchase additional buses beyond the number of their current diesel fleet in order to maintain service on the route due to the outstanding battery capacity and range. The ADL BYD Enviro200EVs being supplied to Arriva feature a provincial specification with the fitting of 38 seats. There is space for another 32 standing passengers and there are USB charging points throughout the buses.
Howard Farrall, Arriva Merseyside, Managing Director said: “Arriva is committed to ensuring its fleet meets the latest clean vehicle standards. We are extremely proud to be joining forces with ADL and BYD UK at the forefront of the electric bus revolution. This new partnership will further contribute to Arriva’s ‘Destination Green’ environmental goal, which includes ambitious plans to reduce carbon emissions, conserve energy and invest in renewable sources”.
“This is a landmark moment not just for the successful BYD ADL partnership but for the roll-out of zero-emission electric buses in British cities. We are delighted as prime contractor to help Arriva Merseyside and Merseytravel make buses an even cleaner and greener option for Liverpool. Arriva’s Enviro200EV demonstrate that the technology is ready to roll out fully electric buses in provincial towns and cities without compromising on operational efficiency,” said Arthur Whiteside, Managing Director -UK Sales at ADL.
“Liverpool is pioneering a route for other British cities and one which they can follow with full confidence that the BYD ADL partnership can deliver a range of proven, efficient and attractive products which can play a key role in improving city street air quality. We will be working hard to build on our leading role in London in other cities”, said Isbrand Ho, Managing Director, BYD Europe.