British hybrid bus technology hits Victoria's streets

The first hybrid double-decker bus in North America - an English-built Alexander Dennis Enviro 500H - hit the streets of Greater Victoria this week. The $1.2-million vehicle will be used on several of the region's busy routes over the coming year as a pilot project to test performance and reliability, fuel savings and greenhouse gas reductions, B.C. Transit officials said during an unveiling ceremony. It will be added to a stable of 51 double-deckers now used by transit in Greater Victoria and the third hybrid vehicle in the region's fleet now at 268.

Victoria has long been used as a testing ground for new bus technology as B.C. Transit introduced the first double-decker in North America a decade ago and the first hybrid single-floor bus in 2005. That made it a no-brainer for English bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) to use the Garden City as a testing ground for a hybrid version of the double-decker.

The hybrid bus uses a smaller engine -- nine litres as opposed to its conventional 11-litre counterpart -- and saves the most fuel in the startup mode, from zero to 24 kilometres per hour, when the electric cells power the bus. Steve New, vice-president operations and chief operating officer for B.C. Transit, said the bus service is still "in the testing mode" with its hybrid buses -- which now number four in Victoria and three in Kelowna. Hybrid varieties are considerably more expensive to purchase, so increasing the numbers of this kind of bus isn't in any immediate future plans as transit is still crunching the environmental benefits with the fiscal bottom line. "We still haven't got to that sweet spot yet," said New, where ridership, fuel costs and emission data would cover costs for the new technology.

The unveiling came following public transportation professionals from Canada and the USA descending on San Diego for their tri-annual convention and exhibition, Expo 2008.

“With fuel prices, traffic congestion and greenhouse emissions at the top of the transport agenda, now is the time to take hybrid technology to a new level,” said Colin Robertson, ADL’s Chief Executive Officer, as he launched the Enviro500H, a revolutionary hybrid bus that is expected to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by over 25%. Robertson also revealed that his British-based company, which exports to over 20 countries, expects to be building double deck buses in the USA by the summer of next year.

He commented: “Over the past five years we have steadily increased our presence in Canada and the USA with double decks now running in cities such as Vancouver, Toronto, New York, Las Vegas, San Francisco, Washington DC and Seattle, and we expect demand to remain strong as more and more transportation authorities recognize the benefits of two-tier buses.“In short, we have proved the point that double decks make sense. They have the same footprint as a standard single deck, are more fuel efficient, more maneuverable and can carry up to 100 passengers, almost twice as many as a conventional bus. It all adds up, particularly at a time when cities worldwide are facing increased traffic congestion and clean air issues.

ADL has now signed a collaboration deal with ElDorado National, which is part of Thor Industries. By the summer of 2009 ADL double decks will be coming off the production line at their state-of-the-art facility in Riverside, California. The deal will give us full Buy America Compliance and access to their 33 dealerships across the USA and Canada, broadening our sales and marketing opportunities in North America.