LARBERT, Scotland, United Kingdom, March 3, 2021 /CNW/ - (TSX: NFI) Alexander Dennis Limited ("ADL"), together with BYD UK today announced that its electric vehicle partnership, the UK's leading electric bus producer, has taken an order for 22 BYD ADL Enviro200EV electric single deck buses from First Bus. ADL is a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc. ("NFI"), one of the world's leading independent global bus manufacturers and a leader in zero-emission mobility.
The buses, which are part-funded by the Scottish Government, will be deployed in Glasgow in time for the COP26 United Nations' Climate Change conference, ahead of further electrification of the First Bus fleet in the city. This comes just seven months after First Bus announced its commitment to purchase no diesel buses after 2022 and to operate a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035.
The Scottish Government has supported First Bus' purchase of these 22 BYD ADL Enviro200EV through the first round of the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme.
The new electric vehicles, which will be 11.6m long and seat up to 40 passengers each, will be based at the state-of-the-art First Bus Caledonia depot in Glasgow. Charging facilities have already been installed there as part of an earlier project, which also saw a pair of similar BYD ADL Enviro200EV introduced at the start of 2020, giving the company valuable experience in the operation of electric buses.
This new award reflects the ongoing success of the BYD ADL partnership. Since launching in 2015, the partnership has gone from strength to strength, with over 500 electric buses delivered or on order, and has completed more than 16 million emission-free miles of service. ADL is a subsidiary of NFI, a leader and innovator in battery-electric and fuel-cell electric buses and coaches, while BYD is a global leader in batteries, energy management and electric mobility. Using BYD's battery electric driveline technology, ADL will assemble the buses at its factory in Falkirk, ensuring the investment benefits the local economy in Scotland's Central Belt.
Andrew Jarvis, Managing Director for First Bus in Scotland, said: "We are delighted to have been awarded this funding. Cleaner air is vitally important to all of us in society and we are determined to play our part in the communities that we serve. In January last year, we launched the city's first electric buses on a commercial bus route since the 1960s and we are proud that we can now build upon this with another 22 fully electric vehicles, which will replace the oldest buses in our fleet to further improve air quality in the city of Glasgow. We have led the way with bus operators in Glasgow as a key partner with Glasgow City Council for the country's first ever LEZ rollout and we have ambitious plans to help accelerate this process and make up for lost time due to the pandemic."
Paul Davies, ADL President & Managing Director, said: "COP26 will be a showcase of Britain's commitment to fighting climate change, and First Bus' new electric buses will be a testament to the initiative taken by the transport group to achieve a zero-emission fleet by 2035. Built in Scotland, these electric buses for Glasgow keep Scottish Government investment in the country to maximise the benefit to our communities, underpinning jobs and developing skills in clean vehicle technology."
Frank Thorpe, Managing Director at BYD UK, added: "Once again we have a high-profile operator in a major British city making a firm commitment to eMobility. With BYD battery technology at the heart of these vehicles, First Bus can look forward to clean, reliable and efficient operation for years to come. Of course, we're thrilled at the prospect of our vehicles taking centre stage during COP26," he said, "although the real winners will be the people of Glasgow who are set to benefit from a new way of travelling around their great city–a way that is truly sustainable, as well as extremely safe and comfortable."
About NFI
Leveraging 450 years of combined experience, NFI is leading the electrification of mass mobility around the world. With zero-emission buses and coaches, infrastructure, and technology, NFI meets today's urban demands for scalable smart mobility solutions. Together, NFI is enabling more livable cities through connected, clean, and sustainable transportation.
With 8,000 team members in ten countries, NFI is a leading global bus manufacturer of mass mobility solutions under the brands New Flyer® (heavy-duty transit buses), MCI® (motor coaches), Alexander Dennis Limited (single and double-deck buses), Plaxton (motor coaches), ARBOC® (low-floor cutaway and medium-duty buses), and NFI Parts™. NFI currently offers the widest range of sustainable drive systems available, including zero-emission electric (trolley, battery, and fuel cell), natural gas, electric hybrid, and clean diesel. In total, NFI supports its installed base of over 105,000 buses and coaches around the world. NFI common shares are traded on the Toronto Stock Exchange under the symbol NFI. News and information is available at www.nfigroup.com , www.newflyer.com, www.mcicoach.com, www.alexander-dennis.com, www.arbocsv.com, and www.nfi.parts.
About Alexander Dennis
Alexander Dennis Limited ("ADL") is a global leader in the design and manufacture of double deck buses and is also the UK's largest bus and coach manufacturer. ADL offers single and double deck vehicles under the brands of Alexander Dennis and Plaxton, and has over 31,000 vehicles in service in the UK, Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada and the United States. Further information is available at www.alexander-dennis.com.
About BYD
BYD Company Ltd. is one of China's largest privately-owned enterprises. Since its inception in 1995, the company quickly developed solid expertise in rechargeable batteries and became a relentless advocate of sustainable development, successfully expanding its renewable energy solutions globally with operations in over 50 countries and regions. Its creation of a Zero Emissions Energy Ecosystem – comprising affordable solar power generation, reliable energy storage and cutting-edge electrified transportation – has made it an industry leader in the energy and transportation sectors. BYD is listed on the Hong Kong and Shenzhen Stock Exchanges. More information on the company can be found at www.byd.com.
About BYD UK
BYD UK was established in London, UK in March 2013 and moved to Iver, Buckinghamshire, England in June 2018 to further develop its business. It is primarily engaged in providing British customers with a series of new energy buses together with interrelated after sales service. Its main focus is to provide UK customers with BYD new energy solutions, including electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, solar panels, energy storage systems, rail transit and other new energy products, as well as related after-sales services.
About First Bus
First Bus is one of the UK's largest bus operators. Making journeys easier for our customers, we were the first national bus operator to accept contactless card payments across all of our services and our First Bus App is voted 'best in class' amongst UK bus operators. Our most recent investments are in new, state-of-the-art buses across our key networks. We work proactively with our local authority partners, making a positive impact on air quality, tackling congestion and improving customer experience. We are focused on First Bus becoming a leader in the transition to a low-carbon future and are committed to operating a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035; we have pledged not to purchase any new diesel buses after December 2022. We also operate the Aircoach network in Ireland. First Bus is a division of FirstGroup.
SOURCE NFI Group Inc.
For ADL media inquiries, please contact: Jacqueline Anderson, +44 7796 715 607, [email protected]; For investor inquiries, please contact: Stephen King, 204.224.6382, [email protected]; For BYD media enquiries, please contact: Penny Peng, Marketing and PR Director, [email protected]
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