Camelon firm Alexander Dennis to help deliver UK's largest ever electric bus order

The company confirmed the news it’s received a request for 195 single and double-deckers from RATP Dev London, one of Transport for London’s principal bus operators.

ADL will deliver the order in conjunction with its e-vehicle partner, BYD UK.

The vehicles will support Transport for London’s electrification plan for the city’s bus network, a key objective of the Mayor’s Transport Strategy for 2018, under which all TfL buses will be zero emissions by 2037.

The record order comes as the ADL-BYD partnership continues to go from strength to strength, just five years after it was launched, thanks to its proven combination of ADL’s British-built bodies, which can be fully customised to reflect operating requirements, and BYD’s world-class battery electric driveline technology.

In London alone, over 400 BYD ADL electric buses have cumulatively covered over 20 million zero-emission miles, with close to another 300 vehicles on order including this latest intake for RATP Dev London.

Deliveries of RATP Dev London’s latest BYD ADL fleet will begin this summer.

The buses will join 36 existing ADL-BYD single decks in service since 2018 and 29 ADL-BYD double decks delivered last year.

The Camelon company says the feedback it’s received from RATP Dev London on these in-service vehicles has been “very positive”, with the double-decker ADL-BYD Enviro400EV in particular delivering exceptional reliability on 24-hour route operations.

Paul Davies, ADL president and managing director, said: “RATP Dev London’s record order is a resounding vote of confidence in our British-built electric buses and ADL’s proven ability to tailor these to authorities’ and operators’ requirements.

“These buses will build on our pioneering work in support of Transport for London’s Bus Safety Standard with a focus on safety for drivers, passengers and other road users.”

Frank Thorpe, BYD UK managing director, said: “Naturally, this is a hugely significant moment in the development of the BYD brand in the UK.

“Public transport in the capital often provides the blueprint for other towns and cities and the fact that a major operator like RATP Dev is making such a substantial commitment to eMobility will, I believe, resonate with local authorities across the UK.

“The increasing electrification of routes by Transport for London operators is delivering long-term productivity to their fleets and real environmental benefits for Londoners.”

Catherine Chardon, managing director of RATP Dev London, said: “Electrification is a critical part of our business and partnership with Transport for London.

“We launched our two first 100 per cent electric routes less than two years ago, as well as London’s first fully electric 24-hour double-decker bus route last year.

“By the beginning of 2022, we will operate 15 zero emission routes and have five of our garages converted to electric.

“This agreement will help RATP Dev London position itself as the leading electric bus services provider in the city. We are proud to work hand in hand with Transport for London to help London achieve its sustainability goals.”

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