NFYEF - NFI subsidiary Alexander Dennis announces contract with Reading Buses for 53 buses including next-generation Enviro400EV electrics | Benzinga
LARBERT, United Kingdom, June 11, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (TSX:NFI, OTC:NFYEF, TSX:NFI) NFI Group Inc. (NFI or the Company), a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, subsidiary Alexander Dennis Limited (Alexander Dennis) today announced that it has confirmed new orders for 24 zero-emission and 29 low-emission buses for English bus operator Reading Buses.
The 24 next-generation Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV double deckers will be the operator's first batch of electric buses. They are the result of a successful bid with Reading Borough Council for funding from the second round of the UK Government's Zero-Emission Regional Bus Areas scheme (ZEBRA 2).
Fitted with the heavy-duty variant of the Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) and utilizing high-performance batteries storing up to 472kWh of energy, the Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV is driving value through efficiency, longevity and flexibility. It is currently the most energy-efficient electric double decker tested to Zemo Partnership standards in the UK Bus Cycle and offers market-leading warrantable energy throughput of 1.6GWh over eight years.
The new buses will remove local exhaust emissions from Reading Buses' busy routes 17 and 21 when the zero-emission vehicles enter service in 2025. They will be easily able to run for a full day on these services, with charging taking place at the Reading Buses depot, which will be upgraded with 13 fast chargers that can each charge two vehicles at once.
Reading Buses Chief Executive Officer, Robert Williams, said: "We have been undertaking extensive testing of demonstrators from a number of suppliers. The two things of paramount importance were the experience for the customers and experience for our drivers, before we considered the technical side of things. Of all the demonstrators, the new Alexander Dennis Enviro400EV has the best layout for customers on board, and the drivers who tested it were very impressed."
The new zero-emission buses will allow route 17's current fleet of Enviro400CBG biogas buses to be redeployed on other routes to replace some of company's oldest diesel buses.