The bus is one of two destined for the Connector project, led by the Greater Cambridge Partnership, where they will link Trumpington park & ride and Babraham Road park & ride sites with Cambridge Biomedical Campus. Trial passenger services are expected to start this autumn.
The Alexander Dennis Enviro100AEV is the autonomous version of the manufacturer’s “big small bus”, an 8.5m long and 2.35m wide electric vehicle offering room for up to 26 seated passengers in the same style and comfort as larger vehicles. Powered by the Voith Electrical Drive System and equipped with 354kWh batteries, the Enviro100EV has extensive operational range on a single charge – certified as up to 573 km (356 miles) in standardised testing of the manually-driven variant. The range is further enhanced by efficiency gains from autonomous driving using Fusion Processing Ltd’s CAVStar® automated drive system.
Jamie Wilson, Head of Concepts and Advanced Engineering at Alexander Dennis, said: “We’re delighted to present our autonomous electric bus to the connected automated mobility world at Cenex Expo, showing the UK’s leading role in developing autonomous bus technology for real-world applications. Passengers will soon be able to experience our Enviro100AEV in action when it starts public service trials in the Connector project.”
Dan Clarke, Head of Innovation and Technology at the Greater Cambridge Partnership, said: “The arrival of the Enviro100AEVs in Cambridge marks another step forward in understanding how autonomous technology can support the future of public transport. With Connector, we’re testing how automation can make services more reliable, efficient and accessible, while gathering the evidence we need on how people feel about using self-driving buses. This is about building knowledge and confidence in the technology so that, in time, it can play a role in delivering a more sustainable and inclusive transport network for Cambridge and beyond.”
Connector is part of CCAV’s CAM Pathfinder Programme, funded by the UK Government. Part of the UK’s modern Industrial Strategy and the Advanced Manufacturing Sector Plan, the programme is delivered by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous Vehicles, a joint unit between the Department for Business and Trade (DBT) and the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with Innovate UK and Zenzic.
