Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

[Mikey C]

This looks much more like a regular Dart/E200/E200MMC than the BDL ones with their much larger wheels

 

[GusB]

I'm afraid I remain cynical about another new ADL product that will likely squeak and rattle as much as the previous one or possibly more, but I noted the reference in the article to saloon, vibrations, etc. Maybe they've realised just like they realised back when the MMC was under development and they claimed it was rattle proof, that didn't last did it

Have you had the opportunity to travel on one of the new generation Alexander-Dennis vehicles? Perhaps you should reserve judgement until you actually experience one.

You have consistently demonstrated a hatred for vehicles built by AD and I really can't understand why. To be fair, there are a few that I've experienced that would appear to need some attention, but this is a maintenance issue.

 

[Russel]

Have you had the opportunity to travel on one of the new generation Alexander-Dennis vehicles? Perhaps you should reserve judgement until you actually experience one.

You have consistently demonstrated a hatred for vehicles built by AD and I really can't understand why. To be fair, there are a few that I've experienced that would appear to need some attention, but this is a maintenance issue.

I've used a lot of NXWM E400 MMC's and I find they are surprisingly rattle free, even the early versions, 16 plates I believe.

Yet Arriva run 12 plate Mercedes Citaros which when new were very quiet, not have some very nasty structural sounding rattles.

 

[Hyebone]

The most "rattle-free" vehicles I've ridden are Yutongs. On the Stagecoach ones, the only thing that rattles is the poorly secured Metro newspaper tray at the front!

 

[Edvid]

BYD is planning to unveil its B12 electric single decker at next month's Euro Bus Expo in the NEC.

There's a picture of the first UK-spec B12 in the article, and judging by the colours it sports it looks like a deal between the Thorpe brothers (Jim & Frank) was made...

BYD to debut UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-decker - routeone

BYD will unveil its UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-deck bus at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 12-14 November.

www.route-one.net

BYD to debut UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-decker​

Published October 15, 2024

BYD will unveil its UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-deck bus at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 12-14 November as part of a two-vehicle display. The other will be a BD11 battery-electric double-decker and they will sit alongside a BD11 chassis.

At 11.8m, the B12 will expand the standalone BYD range here. It has an all-new exterior and interior design and is built on the OEM’s electric commercial vehicle platform that includes advanced Blade battery technology using lithium iron phosphate chemistry.

Up to 541kWh of energy capacity can be installed and the B12 is compatible with pantograph-based opportunity charging. A maximum of 92 passengers can be conveyed within a GVW of 19,500kg, BYD says.

The model will deliver “excellent performance in terms of low energy consumption, high battery capacity, and long range,” it adds.

The B12 also promises good handling and passenger comfort.

The powertrain utilises two 150kW hairpin hub motors that BYD says will give high reliability and efficiency.

They are lightweight and have low noise levels and maintenance costs. Integrated ‘cell to chassis’ technology is used, where battery packs are directly positioned on the chassis. That gives improved torsional stiffness and a lowered centre of gravity.

Aluminium body construction minimises weight, and the bus has integrated thermal management technology.

The 10.9m BD11 double-decker also to be shown was launched in the UK earlier this year. It gives a maximum passenger capacity of 90 and can be fitted with up to 532kWh of battery capacity using Blade technology.

BYD launched the left-hand drive B12 in 2023, at which time BYD Europe Managing Director Isbrand Ho gave a hint that it would subsequently come to the UK. At that time, the builder promised energy consumption of 0.65kWh per km under SORT2 conditions.

 

[aswilliamsuk]

BYD is planning to unveil its B12 electric single decker at next month's Euro Bus Expo in the NEC.

There's a picture of the first UK-spec B12 in the article, and judging by the colours it sports it looks like a deal between the Thorpe brothers (Jim & Frank) was made...

BYD to debut UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-decker - routeone

BYD will unveil its UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-deck bus at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 12-14 November.

www.route-one.net

It certainly does! Said operator (Uno) got reallocated funding for 27 electric vehicles, so this must be the first example of at least part of that number...

 

[Goldfish62]

BYD is planning to unveil its B12 electric single decker at next month's Euro Bus Expo in the NEC.

There's a picture of the first UK-spec B12 in the article, and judging by the colours it sports it looks like a deal between the Thorpe brothers (Jim & Frank) was made...

BYD to debut UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-decker - routeone

BYD will unveil its UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-deck bus at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 12-14 November.

www.route-one.net

Looks like a Kite gone wrong.

The front looks better than the BD11, but those side windows are just plain weird.

 

[joieman]

Looks like a Kite gone wrong.

The front looks better than the BD11, but those side windows are just plain weird.

Especially that kink under the driver's window! Just why? It looks like a total afterthought!

 

[Hyebone]

BYD is planning to unveil its B12 electric single decker at next month's Euro Bus Expo in the NEC.

There's a picture of the first UK-spec B12 in the article, and judging by the colours it sports it looks like a deal between the Thorpe brothers (Jim & Frank) was made...

BYD to debut UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-decker - routeone

BYD will unveil its UK-specification B12 battery-electric single-deck bus at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 12-14 November.

www.route-one.net

How can they use the term "lightweight" for a vehicle nearly 20 tonnes?!

 

[PGAT]

Is 11.8m the only length? Some operators have a nasty habit of ordering buses that are too long to use

 

[Goldfish62]

Is 11.8m the only length? Some operators have a nasty habit of ordering buses that are too long to use

The image appears to be of a TfL-spec version, but TfL has rather limited call on 12m single decks.

 

[Man of Kent]

The article appears to have been withdrawn from the Route One website.

 

[PG]

How can they use the term "lightweight" for a vehicle nearly 20 tonnes?!

Indeed. I shudder to imagine what a heavyweight tips the scales at!

Am I the only one who thinks it odd that the single decker has a higher overall capacity than the double decker?

 

[Hyebone]

Indeed. I shudder to imagine what a heavyweight tips the scales at!

Dare I think about it?! Take Snake Pass for instance (the A57 in the peak district). The weight limit is 7.5 tonnes due to risk of landslides, that's not happening!

Am I the only one who thinks it odd that the single decker has a higher overall capacity than the double decker?

Perhaps a typo? Or is it taking into account standing passengers too?

 

[Goldfish62]

Perhaps a typo? Or is it taking into account standing passengers too?

The plated standing capacity is more often than not fiction. It's based on the weight the axles can bear factored by a theoretical weight per person and how any people you can supposedly cram into a square metre of space. Cram a bus full of real passengers and you'll still not achieve the claimed standing capacity in many cases.

 

[KX03HZY]

It certainly does! Said operator (Uno) got reallocated funding for 27 electric vehicles, so this must be the first example of at least part of that number...

It's been suggested on another group that these are part of a smaller, separately-funded order for the Shuttle route and that an order has not yet been placed for the 27 ZEBRA vehicles, which it's also been suggested will all be long single deckers....so the B12 would no doubt be a good shout anyway.

 

[Teapot42]

Dare I think about it?! Take Snake Pass for instance (the A57 in the peak district). The weight limit is 7.5 tonnes due to risk of landslides, that's not happening!

Presumably there is a provision for access, as what Hulleys were using on the 257c (before the route change) were most certainly not under 7.5t. I've been on the eVoRa on that route and it has a curb weight of 10.8t

Perhaps a typo? Or is it taking into account standing passengers too?

Yes, standing passengers included, and as you can't stand on the top deck there is more space to accommodate said pax. Hulleys have switched to the Go Coach fleet numbering system, where the first two digits are the vehicle capacity. The eVoRa can hold more at 91 than older E400s which only hold 90.

 

[Volvodart]

Cram a bus full of real passengers and you'll still not achieve the claimed standing capacity in many cases.

First bus in Aberdeen are always having arguments about passengers saying a bus is full and the social media team says it is not, presumably they go by the plated capacity.

 

[Goldfish62]

Yes, standing passengers included, and as you can't stand on the top deck there is more space to accommodate said pax. Hulleys have switched to the Go Coach fleet numbering system, where the first two digits are the vehicle capacity. The eVoRa can hold more at 91 than older E400s which only hold 90.

Although I'd like to see anyone trying to cram 91 people in an Evora in reality! Maybe possible if you removed all seats on the low floor section.

 

[joieman]

Although I'd like to see anyone trying to cram 91 people in an Evora in reality! Maybe possible if you removed all seats on the low floor section.

91 on a single-decker sounds thoroughly miserable!

 

[MotCO]

TfL stipulate that double deckers should have a capacity of 87 passengers - so in theory, all routes could be single-decked

 

[aswilliamsuk]

It's been suggested on another group that these are part of a smaller, separately-funded order for the Shuttle route and that an order has not yet been placed for the 27 ZEBRA vehicles, which it's also been suggested will all be long single deckers....so the B12 would no doubt be a good shout anyway.

Ah, that might explain murmurs earlier in the year that there had been a small order placed, then...

 

[Teapot42]

Although I'd like to see anyone trying to cram 91 people in an Evora in reality! Maybe possible if you removed all seats on the low floor section.

True, plus if anyone tall is standing at the back I hope they don't go over any bumps too fast otherwise your head will likely impact the roof.

I'm not sure how Hulleys E200MMCs and eVoRas compare on length and how much impact this has on plated capacity, but the E200MMCs are only plated for 75. I think they are shorter, but whether being lightweight also impacts I don't know.

 

[Edvid]

It's been suggested on another group that these are part of a smaller, separately-funded order for the Shuttle route and that an order has not yet been placed for the 27 ZEBRA vehicles, which it's also been suggested will all be long single deckers....so the B12 would no doubt be a good shout anyway.

That might explain the five-vehicle tender exercise conducted a few months ago (thread post), which I previously thought was linked to the Herts ZEBRA bid as well.

 

[Astradyne]

How can they use the term "lightweight" for a vehicle nearly 20 tonnes?!

19.5t will be it's GWT. It actual weight will be 19.5t less 68.5kg x 91.

 

[Goldfish62]

True, plus if anyone tall is standing at the back I hope they don't go over any bumps too fast otherwise your head will likely impact the roof.

Plus of course in reality passengers are very reluctant to stand on the rear high floor section of single deckers anyway.

 

[dmncf]

The article appears to have been withdrawn from the Route One website.

That seems strange.

 

[PG]

Plus of course in reality passengers are very reluctant to stand on the rear high floor section of single deckers anyway.

Yes indeed. Back in pre low-floor times certain operators, e.g. SBG and some municipals, mainly had mid-engined single deckers so the 25 odd permitted standees didn't have any choice in the matter as the whole floor was at high level. IIRC drivers still had to encourage folk to "move right down the bus" on busy workings.

 

[Mikey C]

Plus of course in reality passengers are very reluctant to stand on the rear high floor section of single deckers anyway.

I've no idea, but I wonder if the numbers on low floor double deckers take it into account also. There's a difference standing at the back of buses with a flat floor right up to the back like E400s, Streetdecks and B9TLs, and the hybrid B5LH where the floor at the back is raised.

 

[158756]

First bus in Aberdeen are always having arguments about passengers saying a bus is full and the social media team says it is not, presumably they go by the plated capacity.

Passengers will often complain the bus is overcrowded if there are any more than a handful of standees. On the other hand, the thing worse than standing on an overcrowded bus is being left behind by a bus with space for more people. The company might think if there are fewer passengers than the plated capacity then everyone got on, but in reality it is difficult to fit the plated number of standees on many buses, and drivers will often stop picking up new passengers without making much or any effort to get people to move down the bus.

Edit:In either case, the best solution is a bigger bus.