BVG confirms order to take Berlin’s ADL Enviro500 double deck fleet to 200
Following the earlier delivery of two double-decks to Berlin operator BVG, Alexander Dennis has now received orders for 198 Enviro500 double deck buses, to be delivered to the German capital by the end of 2022. ADL will build the buses in the UK.
The first two Enviro500s were delivered to BVG in October 2020 as part of a multi-year framework contract signed in 2018. Following the successful completion of a testing programme with this initial pair of vehicles, BVG’s supervisory board approved the conversion of options for another 198 buses into firm orders, taking the fleet to 200. The contract also has an option for a further 230 Enviro500s.
Berlin’s new generation of iconic yellow double-deck buses is the first to have been designed in Britain by ADL, the world’s leading supplier of double-deck buses. Production of all 198 units will take place in the UK, with the Scarborough site leading final assembly.
Once delivered, they will be supported locally by a team from ADL’s recently-opened Berlin office, service workshop and parts warehouse. ADL plans to increase its investment in Berlin to underpin the fleet roll-out and support its European expansion, and recruitment is underway for additional team members.
Berlin’s Enviro500s are 13.8m long and 4.06m high and have three doors and two staircases to facilitate rapid boarding and alighting for up to 112 passengers, including 80 seated.
“This fantastic news is testament to the incredible efforts of the hugely talented team that we have here at ADL, who have yet again demonstrated that they can innovate and execute on highly complex product development projects,” says Paul Davies, ADL president & managing director. “The successful results of BVG’s testing programme and the award of this milestone contract are yet another ringing endorsement of our global double-deck expertise and customer focus. “We are delighted to confirm that we will build these buses in Britain to help underpin our skilled jobs and apprenticeships.”