Arriva North West and Wales 2014-15 orders

[126th street]

RE: Arriva North West and Wales 2014-15 orders

(04/03/2015 21:40)Enviro400 Wrote:  Anybody know what the difference in fuel consumption is between these new Enviro 400s and the Birkenhead hybrids? I guess the main reason for the Enviro 400s is the price, but it would be nice to see more hybrids on Merseyside's roads, particularly in Liverpool.

Hybrids are only viable if there is some kind of additional funding available to make up the difference between a conventional diesel and a hybrid. The payback time for this additional cost if not subsidised by either the government or A N Other tendering body is around 15 years, and that's the reason why operators don't buy them without subsidy. The 'on cost' for a Micro Hybrid system in a StreetLite, while not saving as much fuel as a full hybrid, is paid for in fuel savings over around two years.

Volvo B5LHs are noted as being the most fuel-efficient hybrids bar the New Routemaster, but they also have a price tag to match.

It is also worth considering that as manufacturers incorporate things like Wright's Micro Hybrid (and other smart parasitic engine load management systems, which Optare and ADL no doubt have under development) and flywheels, to reduce fuel consumption, they are actually devaluing the attractiveness of their own full hybrid offerings as the fuel consumption gap between hybrid and conventional diesel is narrowed. Wrights are claiming 9mpg for the StreetDeck. That sounds a bit high, but I imagine it will be possible when they get a flywheel and full Micro Hybrid onto it.