Alexander Dennis/BYD Recall

[Noddy1]

Mod note: originally posted here - https://www.railforums.co.uk/threads/first-greater-glasgow.164437/
Please remember to provide links to your sources, as well as quoting the relevant points. Thanks

I have seen articles in online newspapers, eg. Mail o line saying that ADL/BYD vehicles built between 2019 - 2024 are to be recalled owing to fire risk. Being newspapers I am a bit sceptical about this but could this have implications for future orders including First Glasgow

 

[Volvodart]

I have seen articles in online newspapers, eg. Mail o line saying that ADL/BYD vehicles built between 2019 - 2024 are to be recalled owing to fire risk. Being newspapers I am a bit sceptical about this but could this have implications for future orders including First Glasgow

Link?

 

[EnviroExplorer]

Link?

Fire fears force recall of 2,000 British electric buses

Almost 2,000 electric buses build in the UK but powered by batteries made in China worth in the region of £800m have been recalled over fears their heating and air con units could catch fire.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Safety watchdogs have ordered the recall of almost 2,000 electric buses over fears they can catch fire if left unattended.

The Driver and Vehicle Standards Agency has warned operators who use the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 and Enviro400 single and double decker buses of the critical safety issue.

The buses are currently operational across the UK, with more than 600 in London and a further 100 in Manchester.

All of the affected vehicles were manufactured between May 3, 2019 and February 6, 2024. They all contain batteries supplied by Chinese firm BYD.

Initial investigations suggest the fault may be in the air conditioning and heating system. The alert was issued following a scare on board one of the buses - which can cost up to £450,000 each - putting the value of the entire fleet at £800m.

At present, there is no permanent solution to prevent future fires. Instead, operators using the high-tech buses are warned to 'switch off the Hipsacold HVAC system when the vehicle is left unattended'.

To remind drivers to isolate the power supply were they allowed to pay

Alexander Dennis told MailOnline they are working on the problem with regulators and their suppliers. They stressed the issue is not related to a string of recent fires involving 'different vehicle types and technologies'.

 

[GusB]

Having read past the first few paragraphs of the Mail article (and the scaremongering headline), it goes on to have a pop at EVs in general and has a swipe at Sadiq Khan. It then trots out a quote from the Reform Party candidate for London Mayor:

Howard Cox, who is running for City Hall in May's mayoral election in London said: 'I predicted a few years back that rushing into new idealistic based choices for our vital public transport infrastructure must be tempered.

'The rosy picture of the promise of zero emissions has clouded ill-informed politicos’ judgements to ignore safety issues and the cost of replacing reliable and proven safer lower cost diesel buses.'

Mr Cox is the founder of FairFuel UK and is the Reform candidate for Mayor of London.

He told MailOnline: 'And now we see the result of their stupidity, tax payers now have to fund these expensive buses being taken off the road due to a lack of any critical safety analysis and forward planning from our elected representatives and TFL.

'I call upon a full moratorium on all electric public vehicle transport fleets across the UK, until a guarantee of passenger safety is secured.'

Founder of FairFuel? No vested interests there, then!

Then we get to the actual issue:

According to a recall notice issued by the DVSA affected 105 buses, 'the low voltage harness connector of the control module may experience fatigue if subjected to excessive mating cycles leading to a localised thermal incident'.


A spokesperson for Alexander Dennis told MailOnline: 'Following an incident earlier this year, Alexander Dennis, BYD and other relevant parties have identified that there is a potential issue relating to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system supplied by Hispacold for some BYD–Alexander Dennis electric buses.

'The investigation is still ongoing and the root cause has not yet been identified. As the safety of our customers’ team members, bus drivers and passengers is of the utmost importance to us, a safety bulletin has been issued to all affected operators with temporary precautionary measures to ensure the highest levels of safety are met.

'Further updates will be provided to operators on conclusion of the investigation by Alexander Dennis, BYD and impacted suppliers, in consultation with the DVSA, when we expect to provide a permanent fix to resolve the issue.

'As far as is currently known, the issue does not directly affect core driveline components such as electric motors or traction batteries. Neither is there currently any suggestion that the issue is linked to other bus fires that recently received media attention as these involved different vehicle types and technologies.'

So, in other words "We've detected a small electrical problem in a low voltage system. We've notified the operators and suggested a temporary workaround while we find a permanent solution"

Doesn't quite fit the "E-BUS TICKING TIME BOMB" headline, does it?

I need to go and cleanse myself after reading an entire article from that site. Luckily i only just glanced at thr first few comments!

 

[RELL6L]

Flying visit to the forum so sorry if inadequate but two articles in the old-tech print copy of the Sunday Times. One about this, another about how Wrightbus may or may not be suing Blackpool Transport about buying Chinese or not Chinese buses with ZEBRA money…..

 

[Silent]

So this is maybe why the 371 has been using more diesel e200's for a few weeks? Although I'm aware that the BYD Enviros are still able to be use but just with safety procedures in place.

 

[hassaanhc]

So this is maybe why the 371 has been using more diesel e200's for a few weeks? Although I'm aware that the BYD Enviros are still able to be use but just with safety procedures in place.

Those BEs are ending up on the 33. Currently six BEs on the 33 and five DLEs on the 371.

 

[LT02 NVV]

Fire fears force recall of 2,000 British electric buses

Almost 2,000 electric buses build in the UK but powered by batteries made in China worth in the region of £800m have been recalled over fears their heating and air con units could catch fire.

www.dailymail.co.uk

Yeah, the headline is a bit of an over blow to something that could be fixed.

(SIDE NOTE: I recommend none of you to check out the comments on the news article.
It’s full of nutcases saying things I can’t even repeat.)

 

[jon0844]

I get why people involved in the oil industry will do and say anything to put down electric vehicles, but I never quite get people who 'simp' for the oil industry and slag off technology that would save them money.

If you're not being paid as an influencer to cast doubt over EVs (and pretending you're 'just asking questions) then why are you doing it? Are they giving you 50p off a litre of petrol or something? No. They're ecstatic that you're helping them protect their business against the threat of progress.

 

[mattb7tl]

It's interesting that diesels are allowed to catch fire without a million articles or recalls.
If you gave the electric treatment to B7TLs? You wouldn't see them again

 

[slowroad]

It’s a bit depressing really. Whenever (most of) the media covers an issue you know something about you realise that accuracy is given almost no priority.

 

[Trainman40083]

It’s a bit depressing really. Whenever (most of) the media covers an issue you know something about you realise that accuracy is given almost no priority.

More about click bail, than facts now, sadly. More people believe fake news than fact

 

[Leyland Bus]

They'll send a van round and they'll be done a couple at a time, or have folk working nights to get them done. The papers make it sound like they'll be mass groundings and a huge issue...

 

[JumpinTrainz]

It's interesting that diesels are allowed to catch fire without a million articles or recalls.
If you gave the electric treatment to B7TLs? You wouldn't see them again

First Glasgow went through a period of their diesels all catching fire. So far touch wood nothing with our EVs.

 

[EMU303]

Fix for potential BYD ADL battery-electric bus recall 'in hand' - routeone

A fix for a potential recall issue affecting BYD ADL battery-electric buses is in hand, Alexander Dennis has confirmed.

www.route-one.net

Interesting comment in the article which rightly throws a barbed comment at the Daily Mail….

The Mail also quoted FairFuelUK founder and Reform UK candidate for the London mayoral election Howard Cox as claiming that taxpayers will “have to fund these expensive buses being taken off the road.”

It is unclear what Mr Cox is referring to on both points. Neither Alexander Dennis nor DVSA’s recall advisory service says that affected buses should be removed from service, leading to a source close to the matter to observe that it has been twisted by the parts of the mainstream media to “fit their narrative.”