It is predicted that Alexander Dennis Limited also known as ADL one of the UK’s largest bus and coach manufacturers is to partner with China’s electric vehicle manufacturer BYD in an effort to design and assemble chassis for single and double deck electric buses purely for the British market.
The group has indicated that the assembling will be done in the ADL facilities in the UK. With BYD’s support, this process is scheduled to begin in the second half of 2021
It is said that the reason for these two companies to move forward in this is due to increase demand for zero-emission vehicles.
This venture will be an opening for more job opportunities and for the development of skills in the UK particularly due to the heavy demand for emission free vehicle technology.
The partnership between the two companies goes back to the year 2015 with more than 500 electric buses either on order or already delivered to their credit and have reached more than 16 million emission free miles of dependable service in London along with other towns and cities across the UK,
According to both companies, they have successfully reached more than 16 million emission-free miles of reliable service in London, as well as numerous other towns and cities across the UK, said the companies.
Paul Davies, president and managing director of ADL, said: “I am delighted that we’re moving our electric bus partnership to this next level and building complete zero-emission buses for the UK market in the UK. This ensures that investment in sustainable transport for our towns and cities delivers full economic benefits to communities’ right across the country.”
Prior to the delivery of the buses to the ADL facility in the UK for the fixtures of the body work, the chassis for the BYD ASL Enviro 200EV single deck and BYD ADL Enviro 400 EV double decks were fabricated by BYD.
Frank Thorpe, managing director of BYD UK, said this announcement underpins the “fantastic relationship” they have with ADL in the UK.
“We have always worked closely to deliver the highest-quality products and services, and we are confident that production of complete vehicles here in the UK will bring even greater efficiencies for our customers,” Thorpe said. “More importantly, this commitment from both BYD and ADL is also a reflection of the acceptance of eMobility from local authorities, bus operators and their passengers. Electrification in our towns and cities is gathering pace, and the BYD ADL partnership is spearheading the drive towards a more sustainable future.”
Between the UK, Europe, China’s Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and the United States, ADL has reported that they have more than 31,000 vehicles in service.
