The bus market is evolving rapidly. The pressing need for major cities around the world to improve air quality, alongside commitments by many governments to address climate change, are powering efforts to deliver zero on-road emission city bus fleet solutions. Over the next decade, these efforts will see these cities increasingly refuse to purchase anything but zero emission buses as they deliver on promised zero emission zones to protect the health of their citizens.
Last month, the UK government launched its long-awaited National Bus Strategy for England. Essentially the Strategy promises that buses will be more frequent, cheaper, greener, and easier to use, and it has also reiterated its earlier commitment to ‘invest £120 million next year to begin the introduction of at least 4,000 more British built zero emission buses’.
The government heralds the plan as a “£3bn bus revolution” for services and the “most ambitious reform to the sector in a generation.” The Government’s commitment to battery – and hydrogen fuel cell-electric power will help to “transition cities and regions across England to emission-free buses,”. (Source: Government’s Ten Point Plan for a Green Industrial Revolution)
There are around 32,000 buses in the UK. With cities shifting away from petrol and diesel to electric vehicles in order to reduce air pollution and meet carbon neutral goals, electric buses are the future of local mass transport. Earlier this month, Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD UK jointly announced that their electric vehicle partnership, the UK’s leading electric bus producer, has taken an order for 22 BYD ADL Enviro200EV electric single deck buses from First Bus.
In Europe, Denmark has the most zero-emission urban buses on the roads, with electric buses making up 78% of its new vehicles, according to the latest data from Transport and Environment (T&E). Luxembourg and the Netherlands are close behind with around two-thirds of new buses emitting zero emissions. T&E has stated other EU countries now have a chance to catch up by including emissions-free buses in the COVID recovery plans they must submit to the European Commission by the end of April 21.
With the commitment to Zero Emissions targets driving an ever-increasing demand for Electric Buses, LED Lighting is becoming an essential ‘fit’ to EV vehicles. LED lights are up to 80% more efficient than traditional lighting such as fluorescent and incandescent lights. 95% of the energy in LEDs is converted into light and only 5% is wasted as heat. This is in comparison to fluorescent lights which convert 95% of energy to heat and only 5% into light.
BMAC has recently secured new business with two European EV bus OEM’s supplying its latest range of exterior LED lighting products & wireless bell push systems (WBPS). Dancer Bus (Lithuania) and Tribus (Holland).
The Wireless Bell Push allows the OEM the opportunity to fit the bell push in any location on the vehicle without the need for cables or batteries, improving passenger safety, reducing vehicle assembly time and weight.
As more and more cities across the globe implement plans to restrict the use of vehicles powered by fossil fuels, BMAC is well placed to support the ever-increasing demand for low and zero emission vehicle technology.
Established in 1927, BMAC, part of Grakon group, a subsidiary of global leaders, Methode Electronics, designs and manufactures lighting and electronic control systems in its manufacturing facility, located close to Manchester in North West England.
For over 90 years BMAC has been developing and pushing the boundaries in vehicle lighting technology and is now one of the leading UK based manufacturers of exterior and interior lighting and associated electrical equipment for both the road and rail sectors.
Do you have a project you want to talk about? We would love to hear from you. Visit our website at https://www.bmac.ltd.uk/ or call us today on 0161 337 3070.
