Electric, Hydrogen & Hybrid Electric Buses in Ireland

bk wrote: »

Why? What is up with the Streetdecks? Not good enough emissions or fuel savings?

It would be a big change for DB to move away from Wrights after all these years.

Very interesting.

There is nothing "up" with the Streetdeck 96V per se,indeed it is picking up a steady few orders out foreign (in the UK ).

However the recently issued E-Tender documentation contained a small sting-in-the-tail for the Wrights own "mild" hybrid product.

https://irl.eu-supply.com/ctm/Supplier/PublicTenders/ViewNotice/215834

The buses to be provided under the Framework Agreement are intended to:
• be double-deck vehicles with a minimum of 40 seats on the upper deck, a minimum of 17 seats (not including longitudinal tip-up seats) on the lower deck and an overall capacity (including standees) of 70 passengers or greater, subject to the vehicle length not exceeding 11.50 metres;
• be equipped with a chassis incorporating a low-floor section within which the following are located:
- a wide front entrance doorway fitted with a twin-leaf door and a motorised ramp suitable for unaided wheelchair access;
- a dedicated wheelchair space, which can be easily accessed from the front entrance doorway ramp;
 a dedicated buggy space, which can be easily accessed from the front entrance doorway ramp; and
- a wide centre exit doorway fitted with a twin-leaf door;
• conform to EU/UNECE Vehicle Category M3 and belong to UNECE Class I;
• be designed for both seated and standing passengers;
• be suitable for use on city and suburban routes with frequent passenger stops;
• be suitable for travelling on mixed roadways at speeds of up to 65 kilometres per hour;
• meet the relevant definition of a ‘clean vehicle’ under the European Union’s (EU’s) forthcoming revised Directive on the promotion of clean and energy-efficient road transport vehicles (a.k.a. the ‘Clean Vehicles Directive’), which is anticipated to enter into force from mid-2021 onwards;
• be capable of zero-tailpipe-emissions operation, in order to leverage the air quality benefits of zero-emission vehicles in advance of the roll-

Since the Streedeck 96V,as currently configured,apparently cannot meet that Zero-Tailpipe-Emission spec point,it is difficult to see what role it now fulfills in this comparison test.

This would appear to leave the ADL and Volvo B5LH as the two left slugging it out for the championship,with perhaps,the scales tilted ever so slightly towards the Volvo,with potentially an alternative body,as in the Volvo approved MCV Evo-Seti which was flashed around last year.

What is more interesting,to my mind,is that all of the large-scale hybrid bus suppliers now appear to be rethinking their Euro6(D) Engine requirements,with both Cummins and Daimler heading back to,6 cylnder 7 litre+ capacities,following less than spectaularly successful operational experience,with the current 4 Cylinder,5 Litre offerings.

In the UK & Ireland,Volvo would be well ahead in terms of vehicles in-service,with the undoubted advantage of a very comprehensive after-sales and warranty system,however,it is a valid question as to how long any manufacturer can continue to maintain that level of comprehensive backup and remain commercially viable ?

The results of the NTA's comparisons will be eagerly awaited.

Stephen15 wrote: »

It would be interesting if they went for the MCV bodied buses alright but surely the NTA and DB would request a Wright bodied bus in order for there to be commonality with body parts with the SGs and other Wright bodied vehicles in the DB fleet. Would expect the NTA to request it going by DB and BE requests.

Anyone got any idea of what proportion NTA/DB are of Wright's order book?

Also given they could well be outside of the EU come the end of Oct, would that have any effect in a no deal scenario, so it would be advisable to pivot away rather than deal with, tariffs from an NTA POV?

One of DB's new hybrid buses where carrying members of the government for a press conference on their Climate Action Plan in Dublin today.

Stephen15 wrote: »

I saw that yeah they all looked liked they'd never been on a bus in their lives a bit like Ross' spin on the 44. I wonder when these buses are due to enter service?

They may still be some driver training to do yet before it goes out for it's hybrid trial on the 25.

Does anyone know which bus was it out today? Was it WH1 or WH2? Is WH3 delivered yet?

Can't wait to try them out, would love a rumnin fully EV though...

Funny in the EV ones they have a diesel heater for winter.

devnull wrote: »

Unfortunately the NTA have took a lot of a battering about not consulting people enough so I've been under the impression that orders may have come from higher up that they need to consult more, all of that fake 'we wasn't consulted' stuff we heard about BusConnects has probably played into this as well.

Every time I hear of this I think of that sign in my doctors office "To Google is not research".
You're asking people totally unqualified to render an opinion and they'll usually get it wrong, because they are only interested in their own little patch of the picture.


This idea has lately taken hold that public representatives and bodies are delegates for peoples opinions and must slavishly follow public opinion on every topic. I see it with Brexit. Like all the PC stuff and the constant need to add new letters to LGBT it's probably an overcorrection of a legit problem, where people vote a govt in on policy x then they do a total u-turn ignoring policy x (Labour in Ireland, Lib Dems in the UK, both with college fees)....but it has to stop.


They're not delegates they are representatives, public opinion is meant to be put through the prism of elected and appointed people who do this stuff as a full time job and temper that opinion with expert advice.


That's before getting into the fact that a certain % of the Irish population are just professional whingers who will complain at everything.

StreetLight wrote: »

First one went into service this morning on the 25A.

More interestingly; it was WH2 that made the first ever revenue earning service on the route today.

What happened to WH1. Is that having more driver testing done or not?

The first of the new AH's have arrived in Broadstone 3 days ago. It's said that the bus is brand new but built to a London spec.

It looks brilliantly well. No decals have been painted on it though when the photograph shows it on Darren's Hall Flickr.