More than 500 yellow electric buses are now on Greater Manchester’s streets as the Bee Network marks a major milestone in making journeys greener, cleaner and quieter. Transport for Greater Manchester The 500th zero emissions bus, built by UK manufacturer Wrightbus, has crossed the Irish Sea by ferry, been delivered at Stagecoach’s upgraded depot in Oldham and is now serving communities.
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Enviro400FCEV Next-Generation Hydrogen Bus for Liverpool City Region
Alexander Dennis has unveiled its Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker at Euro Bus Expo 2022 in Birmingham as part of its next generation of zero-emission buses. The vehicle at the show is the first for the type’s launch customer, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.
Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador)
Building on its extensive experience as the UK market leader for clean buses and taking advantage of lessons learned across the NFI Group, Alexander Dennis has developed a cutting-edge new zero-emission technology platform as the foundation for a new generation of battery-electric and hydrogen-fuel cell buses.
The Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double decker is the first of a new series of zero-emission buses that Alexander Dennis fully developed, produced, and supported with AD24 whole-vehicle aftermarket support. Initial vehicles, which were first revealed last year, have now been finished, and deliveries to Liverpool City Region, the launch customer, are anticipated to start soon.
Up to 88 passengers may travel within the 11.1m long Enviro400FCEV, 73 of whom can sit down while two wheelchair users can be safely accommodated in designated bays. Alexander Dennis’s wide range of options allows it to be tailored to the individual specification of cities, transport authorities and operators.
The Enviro400FCEV uses the Voith Electrical Drive System next-generation electric driveline, which was developed especially for the needs of buses and features an efficient permanent magnet traction motor that delivers substantial torque and power in a compact footprint, freeing up vehicle space for passengers and maximising ride quality with low unsprung mass.
Alexander Dennis
This driveline is used in the upcoming new Alexander Dennis battery-electric buses as well as the current generation Alexander Dennis battery-electric buses. The Enviro400FCEV's heavy-duty unit's (VEDS HD) peak power output has been capped at 350kW to maximise fuel efficiency while still permitting a high top speed and great static and dynamic gradeability.
Through fillers on both sides of the vehicle, the Enviro400FCEV is fueled in about five minutes. Prior to being converted to electric energy in a Ballard FCmove-HD fuel cell power module that is rated at 45kW or 60kW depending on operational application in order to maximise efficiency, reduce heat rejection, and prolong fuel cell life, up to 29.4kg of hydrogen is safely stored in 350bar NPROXX composite pressure vessels mounted at the rear of the vehicle.
Between the fuel cell module and the motor, an on-board buffer storage system made of a 30kWh battery from Impact Clean Power Technology is included. It is designed to last the whole life of the bus and uses lithium-titanate (LTO) chemistry, which is well suited to frequent rapid charge and discharge. In normal use, there is no need for external battery charging.
Alexander Dennis
Every drive and power technology element has been calibrated for maximum efficiency and is supported by NFI Connect telematics. The Enviro400FCEV boasts an operational range of up to 300 miles on a single fill, making it particularly suitable to high-mileage applications such as busy urban corridors and interurban routes.
Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director Paul Davies says:
“The launch of the Enviro400FCEV signals the start of a new age for zero-emission buses with our next-generation technology platform. Using the expertise from earlier prototypes as well as our wider experience as the long-established market leader for greener buses, this is a mature product for an industry that needs customised solutions from a reliable partner.
“Sitting alongside our new battery-electric buses and the hugely successful products we will continue to build in partnership with BYD, the Enviro400FCEV adds a hydrogen-fuel cell bus to what is now the industry’s widest portfolio of zero-emission solutions, ready to meet the requirements of any bus operator, transport authority or city.”
The Enviro400FCEV displayed at Euro Bus Expo is the first for launch customer Liverpool City Region, which will introduce 20 of them on its busiest route, the 10A between St Helens and Liverpool City Centre.
They form part of an investment programme intended to reduce carbon emissions and significantly enhance bus services in the area. They will be jointly run by bus companies Arriva Merseyside and Stagecoach Merseyside and South Lancashire. They are publicly owned by the City Region and branded to match its newest trains.
More than 80 coaches, buses and minibuses will be on show when Euro Bus Expo returns to the NEC next month, and Bus Ambassador will be there to bring you the highlights. Euro Bus Expo The UK’s biggest coach and bus trade show takes place in Halls 17 to 19 at the NEC Birmingham from 3rd to 5th November. More than 200 exhibitors are expected, including 31 vehicle manufacturers, dealers and converters. Organisers say it will be the world’s largest collection of UK road-ready coaches, buses and minibuses, with several UK and global debuts.
Preserved buses from the Corporation, PTE and privatisation eras took to the road on Saturday 10th October for the 2026 Mersey Road Run, a members-only event run by the North West Vehicle Restoration Trust (NWVRT). The convoy travelled from Jackson Street garage in St Helens to Laird Street garage in Birkenhead via Liverpool city centre, just over a fortnight before the Wirral becomes the second part of the Liverpool City Region to have its buses brought under public control. Tom Harrison (Bus Ambassador) We joined the NWVRT for the day, along with local preservation groups Merseyside Transport Trust and the 201 Bus Group. The run marked the end of four decades of deregulated bus services on Merseyside and 125 years of Laird Street garage, and one brand-new bus was there to show what comes next.
Seven British-built Treka CitySprint minibuses are entering service in the Liverpool City Region, giving the new franchised Metro bus network a compact option for routes where larger buses are not suitable. The vehicles are built on the Mercedes-Benz Sprinter chassis, with bodywork by Treka Bus at its factory in Brighouse, West Yorkshire. They have been delivered to the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority (LCRCA). Three have gone to St Helens and four to Wirral. Treka Bus St Helens became the first part of the city region to bring its buses back under public control on 6th September. Wirral follows on 25th October 2026, and bus franchising will then be extended across the rest of the region throughout 2027.
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