ENDICOTT, N.Y. — BAE Systems has delivered the first plug-in capable, electric hybrid-propulsion systems to Larbert, Scotland–based Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), which is supplying new buses for Ireland.
The series-ER (electric range) systems will power Ireland’s fleet of up to 600 Enviro400ER hybrid buses. BAE Systems has supplied systems for the first 100 buses and will supply an additional 180 systems for buses next year, the firm said in a news release.
BAE Systems develops and services its technology at its facilities in Endicott (Broome County) and in the United Kingdom.
Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, BAE Systems, Inc. is the U.S. subsidiary of UK–based BAE Systems plc, a global defense, security, and aerospace company. Its website says the firm employs nearly 86,000 globally. That figure includes more than 1,300 employees in Endicott, per a company spokesman.
The series-ER system powers more than 13,000 buses around the world. That technology is on buses in service throughout Europe, including cities such as London and Paris. The Irish buses are the “first in the world” to benefit from the company’s new plug-in technology, BAE contended.
Besides using the “efficient” onboard generator to charge themselves while on the move, the buses can now also plug into the grid for power, “giving operators another way” to recharge their buses.
The series-ER system enables buses to run for up to 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) at a time with the engine turned off. The capability provides towns and cities with a “new opportunity to improve air quality.” The buses will use up to 35 percent less fuel “when compared to a conventional bus.”
The bus-propulsion system includes a “highly efficient” electric motor and generator, an “enhanced” battery, and “smart” electronic controls to create a clean form of electric-drive propulsion for the buses. It allows operators to take advantage of green-grid power, and sets them up for full electric operation in the future. Operators can now use the grid for power — much like an all-electric bus — and add more battery capacity to increase their engine off time. In many instances this will mean an entire route can operate on grid power when the necessary charging infrastructure is in place, BAE said.