Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart

Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart

A Compass Bus Enviro200 Dart used on services in West Sussex.

Interior of an Arriva North West Enviro200 Dart
Manufacturer Alexander Dennis
Built at Falkirk, Scotland, UK
Scarborough, England, UK
Capacity 42–77
Operator(s) UK
Arriva
FirstGroup
Stagecoach Group
Southdown PSV
BakerBus
London United Busways
Metroline
Abellio London
Selkent
Blue Triangle
London General
Transdev London Sovereign
Northumbria University
Halifax Joint Committee and others
Hong Kong
MTR Corporation(owned by Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation)
Kowloon Motor Bus
Veolia Transport
Specifications
Length 8.9 metres (29 ft) - 11.3 metres (37 ft)
Width 2,440 millimetres (8.01 ft)
Floor type Low floor
Doors 1 door (outside London)
2 doors (inside London/Hong Kong)
Weight 12000-13100kg
Chassis Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart
MAN 14.240
Engine(s) Cummins ISBe (ADL Enviro200 Dart)
MAN D0836 LOH 52 (MAN 14.240)
Power output 140hp/160hp/205hp/225hp (Cummins)
240hp (MAN)
Transmission ADL Enviro200 Dart
Voith DV500 or Allison 2100
MAN 14.240
Voith D854.5 or ZF 6 HP 504
Options Various customer options

The Alexander Dennis Enviro200 Dart is a midibus manufactured by Alexander Dennis since 2006 for the British market as the successor of the Dart SLF chassis and Pointer body.

It is probably the best-selling single-decker in the UK in the past few years.

Contents

Design

The Enviro200 Dart was announced by Alexander Dennis on 20 March 2006, with the vehicle being launched at a media event at the Alexander Dennis factory in Guildford in August of that year. The bus is available in five lengths, ranging from 8.9m to 11.4m.

Unlike the innovative but unsuccessful TransBus Enviro200, the chassis of Enviro200 Dart (also known as the Dart 4[1]) retains the conventional rear-engined layout of the Dart, and is offered with a choice of four or six-cylinder Cummins ISBe Euro IV engines with a range of transmission options, and features new front and rear axles.

It offers the same seating capacity of the Pointer, but with more 'fixed' seats rather than 'tip up' for each length. The vehicle features integrated chassis and body multiplexing, and cantilevered seats.

Externally, the bus features the same front panel as the double-deck Enviro400, projecting a "family look" onto the two models. The Enviro200 Dart chassis is also available with East Lancs Esteem and MCV Evolution bodywork.

As of February 2007 the body of Enviro200 Dart became available on MAN 14.240 chassis, this is to give the option of EGR emissions reduction as some operators prefer this technology to the Cummins' SCR.

In August 2007 due to very large orders for the Enviro400, Alexander Dennis announced that the production of Enviro200 bodywork would be moved from the Alexander Dennis's plant at Falkirk to the recently acquired Plaxton factory at Scarborough. This means that the Scarborough factory once again bodying the Dart chassis, and bodying the MAN 14.240 both with the Plaxton Centro and Enviro200 bodies simultaneously.

In 2008, Alexander Dennis unveiled the hybrid-electric powered version of Enviro200 Dart (known as the Enviro200H, not to be confused with the TransBus Enviro200H which was unveiled in 2003) using BAE Systems's HybriDrive series drive system with Cummins ISBe 4-cylinder engine fitted for power generation. [2]

From around 2009, most began to refer to the Enviro200 Dart simply as the "Alexander Dennis Enviro200". This creates confusion with the original TransBus model.

In early 2011, the Enviro200 Dart was modified in order to meet the regulations of European Community Whole Vehicle Type Approval (ECWVTA).[3] Modifications include:

The orders

60 confirmed vehicles were ordered at the vehicle's launch, with options for up to 50 more being declared. The first Enviro200 Dart entered service in August 2006 with Leigh-based Jim Stones Coaches, and is a single 10.7m version of the model. The first in the London area were two 8.9m models with Sunray Travel, for route 516 which was newly won from September 2006. The first for a Transport for London contract were six 10.2m Enviro200 Darts for Travel London for use on route 152 in December 2006. Another early customer for the Enviro200 Dart was East Yorkshire Motor Services, taking four 10.7m examples in December 2006 and eight 10.7m examples in 2007. Now most operators of London Buses routes own Enviro200 Darts.

The Enviro200 Dart was also sold for export. In January 2007 Kowloon-Canton Railway Corporation of Hong Kong ordered 11 Enviro200 Dart for delivery in 2008, [4] they are 11.3 metres in length and entered service in 2008/2009. Bus Éireann of Ireland received 23 in 2008/2009. One demonstrator had been exported to Australia.

For the Enviro200-bodied MAN 14.240, Stagecoach ordered 50 example in 2007 (for delivery in 2008) and 32 in 2008, making it one of the standard Stagecoach midibuses. These have rounded instead of squared gasket glazing.

Gallery

References

See also

Competitors (chassis/complete bus):

Competitors (bodywork):

External links