BYD ADL offer new charging options for e-buses made in UK
BYD UK and Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) confirmed that they are adding additional charging options to their range of electric buses built in the UK. Apart from AC charging, buses may now also DC charge.
Buyers of electric double-deckers can also opt for new opportunity charging via a pantograph. The option has BYD ADL install roof-mounted connector rails. Thus, the partners build on the capacity to deliver what they call “turn-key solutions to bus operators”.
As standard, the BYD ADL buses are fitted with dual AC sockets, allowing them to be charged with one 40kW plug or two plugs for a combined charging power of 80kW. The partners consider AC charging “a highly cost-effective solution for most use cases in bus depots”.
Yet, the DC plug for higher charging power through a single connection is now available as an option on all of the BYD ADL partnership’s electric buses. Batteries can be charged up to 102kW on the BYD ADL Enviro200EV and up to 112kW on the BYD ADL Enviro400EV. BYD ensures their liquid-cooled Battery Thermal Management System (BTMS) has the capacity to deliver a peak charging power of 300kW for rapid recharges. These are the case for pantograph charging in particular.
The partners also announce that operators can provide both AC and DC charging on the same vehicle. The system offers options for charging socket location. Customers can specify various installations of AC and/or DC sockets on the nearside or offside, subject to vehicle type and dependent on the depots’ parking.
Paul Davies, ADL President & Managing Director, said that “we understand that bus operators require operational flexibility to facilitate the transition to zero-emission buses. That is why we are adding DC charging and pantograph solutions for our electric buses, which are built in Britain to benefit our economy and develop the country’s expertise in clean vehicle technology.”
The UK Government pledged three billion pounds in a bus market “shake-up” in mid-March with provisions for funding requiring operators to buy zero-emission buses made in Britain. The budget aims to help fund 4,000 electric buses.
BYD ADL recently announced to begin building the entire chassis of their electric solo and double-decker buses for the UK market directly at ADL’s British plants from the second half of 2021.
The partnership between the Chinese e-specialist BYD and Scotland’s bus builder ADL goes back five years. Since the launch, they claim to have taken orders for over 750 electric buses and emphasise having “a strong track record of working with utility companies and charging infrastructure suppliers.”
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