Electric vehicles
Electric vehicles
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
I don’t think an EV double deck exists that can run from first bus in the morning until last bus at night - they don’t in London or Manchester.
150/170 miles is about the maximum without a middle of the day top up.
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
I don’t think an EV double deck exists that can run from first bus in the morning until last bus at night - they don’t in London or Manchester.
150/170 miles is about the maximum without a middle of the day top up.
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
(22 Jan 2024, 12:23 am)Andreos1 Sounds like they're not very productive.
Hopefully someone can have a word and drive the cost of them down.
Don't want to be paying a premium for something that's not very productive.
Mind, when you mix a vehicle that's not very productive, with a driver who isn't very productive - it's got disaster written all over it.
(21 Jan 2024, 8:38 pm)busmanT Don’t bus companies only run the batteries down each day until they have 20% left?
(22 Jan 2024, 12:23 am)Andreos1 Sounds like they're not very productive.
Hopefully someone can have a word and drive the cost of them down.
Don't want to be paying a premium for something that's not very productive.
Mind, when you mix a vehicle that's not very productive, with a driver who isn't very productive - it's got disaster written all over it.
(22 Jan 2024, 11:22 am)Rob44 No cost effective but why not by 1.5 or 2 electric decker's for each diesel one? So on can be running the other charging then swap at eldon square and put a full charge one on at 2pm and take the one used on a morning back to the depot?
(22 Jan 2024, 11:22 am)Rob44 No cost effective but why not by 1.5 or 2 electric decker's for each diesel one? So on can be running the other charging then swap at eldon square and put a full charge one on at 2pm and take the one used on a morning back to the depot?
They're going to need some on the fly charging capability if they're going to be feasible for inter urban routes rather than just pootling round town like the existing GNE Yutongs do and like the 21 would do without going beyond CLS to Durham.
It's not just the cost of acquiring half as many vehicles again as the existing PVR, it's having somewhere to put them when not in service.
I wonder if there's provision for EV charging at Durham Bus Station.
EVs on the 21 has been on the cards for a while now, other than DCCs complete incompetence, there's no reason why it shouldn't be in place.
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(21 Jan 2024, 9:09 pm)MVK500R I was talking to a driver on the Q3 the other week. He told me they're not allowed to drive the Yutongs with batteries below 30%, though he didn't say why. Not sure what the case is for the demonstrator.
(21 Jan 2024, 9:09 pm)MVK500R I was talking to a driver on the Q3 the other week. He told me they're not allowed to drive the Yutongs with batteries below 30%, though he didn't say why. Not sure what the case is for the demonstrator.
(22 Jan 2024, 3:47 pm)NL62WVW Need to inform control when it's at 30% so a changeover can be done, they can still driven as long as control ok it.I thought they used LFP batteries which aren't susceptible to the issues Li-ion batteries have regarding keeping it between 10 and 80%.
Anything under 20% and it needs to be taken off ASAP.
It's to prolong the life of the batteries
(22 Jan 2024, 3:47 pm)NL62WVW Need to inform control when it's at 30% so a changeover can be done, they can still driven as long as control ok it.I thought they used LFP batteries which aren't susceptible to the issues Li-ion batteries have regarding keeping it between 10 and 80%.
Anything under 20% and it needs to be taken off ASAP.
It's to prolong the life of the batteries
(22 Jan 2024, 3:18 pm)streetdeckfan I wonder if there's provision for EV charging at Durham Bus Station.
EVs on the 21 has been on the cards for a while now, other than DCCs complete incompetence, there's no reason why it shouldn't be in place.
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(22 Jan 2024, 3:18 pm)streetdeckfan I wonder if there's provision for EV charging at Durham Bus Station.
EVs on the 21 has been on the cards for a while now, other than DCCs complete incompetence, there's no reason why it shouldn't be in place.
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(22 Jan 2024, 4:17 pm)Storx No use for it at Durham since none of them terminate there. If only there was a depot they could go into near the one of the terminus...They could terminate a few at Durham instead of Brandon just to give them half an hour on charge. That should give them a good 30-40% boost
(22 Jan 2024, 4:17 pm)Storx No use for it at Durham since none of them terminate there. If only there was a depot they could go into near the one of the terminus...They could terminate a few at Durham instead of Brandon just to give them half an hour on charge. That should give them a good 30-40% boost
(22 Jan 2024, 4:54 pm)streetdeckfan They could terminate a few at Durham instead of Brandon just to give them half an hour on charge. That should give them a good 30-40% boost
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(22 Jan 2024, 4:54 pm)streetdeckfan They could terminate a few at Durham instead of Brandon just to give them half an hour on charge. That should give them a good 30-40% boost
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(22 Jan 2024, 5:47 pm)R852 PRG But then you would have to account for half an hour of unproductiveness from a driver.
Unless, of course, someone thought outside the box and scheduled meal breaks around such an idea.
(22 Jan 2024, 5:47 pm)R852 PRG But then you would have to account for half an hour of unproductiveness from a driver.
Unless, of course, someone thought outside the box and scheduled meal breaks around such an idea.
(22 Jan 2024, 5:47 pm)R852 PRG But then you would have to account for half an hour of unproductiveness from a driver.
Unless, of course, someone thought outside the box and scheduled meal breaks around such an idea.
(22 Jan 2024, 6:51 pm)DeltaMan Sending a driver from Riverside to Durham just to take over another driver, who then needs to travel back to Riverside doesn't sound very productiveBut we all know GNE aren't as productive as other companies.
(22 Jan 2024, 6:51 pm)DeltaMan Sending a driver from Riverside to Durham just to take over another driver, who then needs to travel back to Riverside doesn't sound very productiveBut we all know GNE aren't as productive as other companies.
While I was in the Arnison Centre today, I spotted the U11DD on it's way to Durham, so I cancelled my plans for the rest of the day (sitting in Spoons) and waited for it to come back on it's way north to give it a try.
The ride is a bit fidgety, but over the bigger bumps is rather smooth. For example, over the bump pulling into the 21 stand at CLS there's less of a jolt than in the Streetdecks or B5s, and on the speed bumps in Low Fell it didn't feel like my back was about to break. I feel like the 67 plate Streetdeck I had on my journey back was a smoother ride overall, but it was close. While I obviously haven't tried them back to back, from memory alone a 20 plate Streetdeck or E400 is better.
The cabin feels spacious and bright, the ambient lighting is quite nice although I wouldn't have picked orange. There was weird LED light under the windscreen upstairs pointing straight back, quite blinding when you're looking forward!
Overall, it looks very ADL inside (design wise and with the shiny plastics), but feels much better built. Although there seemed to be a fair bit of flex in the wall cladding when I pushed against it with my knee.
Being electric, it is quiet, but there is a bit of wind noise coming from the windows upstairs when they're open.
Interestingly, it lacks a 'stopping' light upstairs, and the bell sounds like a door bell rather than the usual ding. I did quite like the light around the button that lights up when you push it, it's a nice touch.
The seats on the demo are alright, more comfortable than the Enviros despite less padding (probably better for it since they're firmer), and the hospital spec vinyl is much better than the arse sweat absorbing moquette GNE moved to with the last batch of orders.
The power delivery feels weird, it feels as if there's a 2 speed gearbox, or there's a sort of 'turbo lag' built into the torque curve. Soft acceleration to start with, then there's a noticeable increase in power. Although it could just be the driver feathering the accelerator to make it smoother?
When I got off at Gateshead, I had a quick look at the dash and it indicated 85 miles range remaining (couldn't figure out where the battery percentage was on the display). A quick check on bus times suggests the bus had done about 135 miles. If we assume it left with a full charge in the morning, and the remaining range is correct (it never is, on our Leaf and Zoe there's a good 10 miles left once it reaches zero), that gives a range of around 220 miles, and (if my maths is correct) an average efficiency of 0.55mi/kWh. That seems to be on part with the official figures for the E400EV and better than the Streetdeck Electroliner.
(22 Jan 2024, 6:37 pm)busmanT Would Go North East drivers accept a mealbreak in Durham?
(22 Jan 2024, 6:51 pm)DeltaMan Sending a driver from Riverside to Durham just to take over another driver, who then needs to travel back to Riverside doesn't sound very productive
(22 Jan 2024, 6:37 pm)busmanT Would Go North East drivers accept a mealbreak in Durham?
(22 Jan 2024, 6:51 pm)DeltaMan Sending a driver from Riverside to Durham just to take over another driver, who then needs to travel back to Riverside doesn't sound very productive
