摘要: |
Transport for Ireland - the republic's national transport authority - has stopped buying pure diesel urban buses. Early last year, it announced its first framework agreement to buy up to 600 electric range hybrid double-deckers and shortly before Christmas set out plans for 800 pure electrics. The hybrids - the first volume order for them in the 26 counties - are coming from Alexander Dennis, ending over 30 years of the state-owned operators' purchase of Volvo double-deckers and a dozen of specifying them with bodywork by Wrightbus. The announcement last January included a firm commitment to take 100 of an 11m bespoke version of the Enviro400ER electric range hybrid, the design first built for Brighton & Hove (it now has 54 in service) and which combines a four-cylinder Cummins ISB engine, BAE Systems Series-ER drive and a 32kWh lithium-ion battery to enable at least 2.5km of continuous zero-emission operation. |