Alexander Dennis to develop electric buses in-house

Alexander Dennis has developed a new battery-electric bus in-house. The company said more details will be available soon. (Photo: Alexander Dennis)

Bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., said it is expanding its zero-emission bus portfolio with the addition of new electric bus products that have been designed and integrated in-house using its own expertise.

“Alexander Dennis continues to lead the transition to zero-emission mobility and this unparalleled investment in the latest zero-emission technology gives operators, transport authorities and councils the freedom to choose from an even wider range of buses,” said President and Managing Director Paul Davies. “We have always been highly respected for our product innovation, and throughout this difficult period for our industry we have continued to challenge our engineering team to evolve our range. The result will be a brand new fully in-house designed, integrated electric double deck and small bus product giving our customers access to the latest zero-emission vehicle technology from a single, trusted source. Investments can be made safe in the knowledge that everything will continue to receive the first-class aftermarket support that we are renowned for.”

Expected to be available for customer delivery from late 2023, a new small bus and a new electric double decker will complement the products available through the company’s partnership with BYD, which will continue to be sold and supported.

The move is expected to bring Alexander Dennis’s range of battery electric buses in line with the company’s long-established strategy of offering its own, integrated vehicles alongside buses built on selected partners’ chassis to ensure customers have the widest range of solutions available to meet their individual requirements.

Featuring a design language, developed in-house by one of the manufacturer’s industrial designers with input from students of Coventry University’s sector-leading Automotive and Transport Design course, will help the new models stand out and also highlight their zero emission credentials, which the company said will allow “operators to make a bold statement that both underlines and showcases their clean transport investment.”

Buses for the United Kingdom and Ireland will be fully built in Britain. Details and technical specifications will be released over the coming months.

Internationally, the company said the new platform will be tailored to the requirements of cities, transport authorities and bus companies in each territory, in line with its philosophy of providing the optimal solution for every market demand. The recently announced order for Enviro500EV electric double deckers in Hong Kong will be part of this new generation of zero emission buses.

The battery electric BYD ADL Enviro200EV and BYD ADL Enviro400EV products built in partnership with BYD will continue to be offered in the UK, Ireland and New Zealand, giving operators a choice of solutions.

Alexander Dennis’s second-generation hydrogen bus, the Enviro400FCEV, will reportedly continue to form part of the company’s zero-emission bus range and will be delivered to launch customer Liverpool City Region in England later this year. Already fully designed and integrated by Alexander Dennis, it shares technology and key driveline components with the upcoming new battery-electric models.