Loading...
As of today, we have already supplied the UK with more than 1,000 VEDS drive systems for buses, a figure that is set to increase sharply. Holger Seefelder, Vice President Sales EMEA Commercial Vehicles at Voith
According to the e-mobility expert, there are two reasons for this development: “First, bus manufacturers Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus are using the Voith drive system for all their battery-electric and fuel-cell-electric buses.” Moreover, no other European country offers such a clear and reliable government funding framework for bus manufacturers and operators.
This is part of the UK government’s ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas) funding program. According to the latest reliable government figures, total funding has amounted to around €2.34 billion since 2020. This already includes funding for the 2024/2025 financial years. What Holger Seefelder finds remarkable about this funding framework is the fact that “around 40 million pounds (approximately €47 million) has been provided specifically for rural communities. In the global metropolis of London and its commuter belt, the public transport network works extremely effectively. Via the ZEBRA 2 funding, the government is now focusing on rural regions,” says the mobility expert.
Voith sees the developments in the UK as very positive, not just economically but also from an ecological perspective. It is evidence that a functioning public transport system using electric vehicles can be developed not just in large cities but also across the country. The fact is that not just in the UK, but across the entire EU, more stringent exhaust gas emissions are resulting in the use of vehicles with much lower or zero CO2 emissions in cities and municipalities.
To bridge the gap between diesel and electric, Voith offers the DIWA NXT transmission technology, which is suitable for both diesel and gas-powered buses and enables fuel savings of 16 percent and correspondingly lower emissions. The zero-emission solution would be possible with a hydrogen combustion engine in combination with a DIWA NXT transmission. Other options are fuel cell or battery-electric vehicles where both variants are equipped with the VEDS drive system.
The series-produced VEDS has already been supplied to the UK more than a thousand times and offers 20 percent greater efficiency than comparable products by competitors. This figure was determined by the non-profit Zemo Partnership following a certification process in which Zemo tested the two bus models GB Kite Electroliner and StreetDeck from Wrightbus. According to Robert Best, Director of Engineering at Wrightbus, the Northern Ireland-based bus manufacturer wants to equip more than 1,000 vehicles with the VEDS by 2025 alone.
Zemo determined even better values for two models from English bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis, whose Enviro400EV double decker and Enviro100EV buses are both fitted with the VEDS. “Thanks to lower energy consumption we are reducing our customers’ running costs and ensuring that the transition to zero-emission technology is both sustainable and profitable,” says Chris Gall, Group Engineering Director at Alexander Dennis, which is already planning the production of around 500 new Enviro400EV buses for next year.
MD motor of Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) with 230 kW continuous power and 250 kW peak power.
HD motor of Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS) with 310 kW continuous power and 410 kW peak power.
The compact and light Future Inverter Platform (FIP) has been specifically designed to meet the special requirements of the commercial vehicle segment and will be integrated into future generations of the VEDS. Fitted with cutting-edge microcontrollers, it meets the most stringent cyber security standards for the automotive industry.
