Kent’s leading independent bus operator used the opportunity to put the Enviro100EV through its paces on normal routes under a simple remit – to use the next-generation Alexander Dennis electric bus like any other bus in the fleet.
Engineering Director Austin Blackburn was impressed with how easily the Enviro100EV fitted into Go-Coach operations: “We took drivers out of Enviro200 diesels and put them straight on the Enviro100EV because you can seamlessly jump across without necessarily having to retrain people. It’s works like any normal bus; you just drive it.” There’s an added benefit for drivers, as Austin discovered: “Even though the bus is narrower, the cab feels bigger!”
Operational flexibility is helped by the Enviro100EV’s efficient Voith Electrical Drive System and ample energy reserves from its 354kWh batteries, the largest available in this market segment in the UK and Ireland.
“Range is amazing,” says Austin. “If you’re on rural services like we are, you know you can do anything any day. It really gave us the confidence it can do anything we do with a diesel bus, even in winter.”
The Enviro100EV was well received by Go-Coach’s passengers, who found it comfortable with easily accessible seats in the spacious interior combining with good suspension to give them a smooth journey.
However, it was in the workshop where the Enviro100EV really came into its own for Go-Coach, thanks to the manufacturer’s engineering philosophy. Alexander Dennis’s team of experts designed the bus in the UK, focusing on continuity and commonality.
Austin Blackburn explained why this makes the “big small bus” easy to repair and maintain: “Under the surface, it looks like any other Alexander Dennis product – you look under the back, and you could be under a classic Enviro200. For engineers, that means it’s a familiar product which is Alexander Dennis through and through.
“Altogether, whether it was our engineers, drivers or our passengers, everyone came away really impressed with the Enviro100EV. It feels like a game changer in that it looks like a normal bus, but it’s electric!”
Shaun Millar, National Account Manager for Alexander Dennis, thanked Go-Coach for taking the time to test the Enviro100EV and to share operational insights: “The feedback from Austin and his team on their experience with our demonstrator has been hugely appreciated, helping us to understand the real-world performance of our ‘big small bus’ and how to further refine it.
“We were able to follow the trial with our live AD Connect telematics, noting an excellent 0.64kWh/km energy consumption over Go-Coach’s routes that is testament to the efficiency of the Voith driveline and our entire energy storage and management system.
“The trial at Go-Coach confirms the Enviro100EV as a highly capable performer for town services as well as more rural routes, where it easily covers a full day’s work with energy to spare.”
