New generation of battery-electric buses: Alexander Dennis and Knorr-Bremse UK cement their successful partnership.

Knorr-Bremse wants to step up its efforts to address SOE customers in the Commercial Vehicle Systems division, and Barbara Gerke, Vice President OE Sales & Marketing Europe, subscribes to this goal: “With our system solutions, we can play a decisive role in shaping sustainable mobility in terms of efficiency, reliability and safety. We have a compelling offering for bus manufacturers and bus operators, ranging from braking systems and connected driver assistance systems to solutions for enhanced driving comfort.” The next generation of battery-electric buses from Alexander Dennis is a true lighthouse project and a driver of sustainable public transport, says Gerke: “In discussions with the management of Alexander Dennis, including at Busworld 2023 in Brussels, I was impressed by their clear vision for environmentally friendly public transport. There is tremendous interest in our technological solutions and, with Knorr-Bremse UK, we are ideally positioned in terms of customer proximity in the UK.”

Knorr-Bremse customers take a very similar view. Chris Gall, Group Engineering Director at Alexander Dennis, underlines the strategic importance of the partnership: “Knorr-Bremse braking systems have been an integral part of the development of our next-generation of battery electric buses. Braking systems play a significantly greater role in electric vehicles and we have been delighted to have worked together with Knorr-Bremse in delivering a successful collaboration across the entire range of Alexander Dennis next-generation electric buses. This builds upon a long-standing relationship that our two business have had together and I am looking forward to continuing that relationship in the future.”

Gary Brown, SOE & Trailer Sales Manager at Knorr-Bremse UK, can take credit for a sizable part of the upbeat sentiment. He has supported Alexander Dennis, the world’s largest manufacturer of double-decker and lightweight buses, from day one of the business partnership and is excited to see the next generation of electric buses. It means his pending retirement will have to wait a little longer. Anna Tueshaus, Director SOE Sales: “I am very happy, that Gary will complete the project under his responsibility and will stay with the SOE team for a little longer. On behalf of the client, this will ensure an appropriate transition and transfer of knowledge to his successor".

Gary Brown explains his motivation: ”I want to see the project through to full production before handing over to my successor who is already shadowing in preparation. It’s a major project for Knorr-Bremse UK with significant growth over the next five to six years. With the next generation of buses going into production within the next two years, I’ll be able to say farewell with complete satisfaction”. The Knorr-Bremse UK team in Bristol and Gary Brown have laid the groundwork to realize this goal. In this interview, the SOE expert shares fascinating insights into the growing relationship with AD, how Knorr-Bremse UK is supporting its development and the direction that public bus transport is taking in the UK.

Is there a long-standing partnership between Knorr-Bremse and Alexander Dennis?

Gary Brown: We have been working closely with our customer Alexander Dennis (AD) for 20 years. We expanded our business relationship 15 years ago, when AD was looking to convert its buses from an ABS (anti-lock braking system) to an EBS (electronic braking system) platform. We won them over with our all-round package, and our technical support over the entire life cycle was particularly well received. AD is Knorr-Bremse’s largest SOE customer today, and still our partnership continues to evolve. For the new generation of e-buses, we were asked to supply advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) and screw compressors for the first time.

AD has full confidence in Knorr-Bremse. Rightly so?

Absolutely. We have met all the customer’s expectations over the years. AD relies on our expertise, our products in operation and our service. This customer confidence is underpinned by the strong backing of the Knorr-Bremse Group and, of course, the high standard of remote and on-site support from our Bristol team. Our commitment goes far beyond the technical, including warehouse monitoring, incoming customer orders and quality assurance support. We handle every single delivery process between Knorr-Bremse and AD.

What is behind the new e-bus project with Alexander Dennis?

Alexander Dennis has unveiled four new battery-electric bus models to the market. Two are twin-axle single-deckers, the Enviro100EV and Enviro200EV, and two are double-deckers, the Enviro400EV and Enviro500EV. Knorr-Bremse is supplying screw compressors, iAPU (intelligent air processing unit) and systems including electronic leveling control (ELC), braking system control (EBS) and driver assistance (ADAS) for all models.

How does Knorr-Bremse support AD’s development process?

Take the new bus platform: for each model, AD starts with a digital CAT design review, even before a decision is made on the hardware. Knorr-Bremse is already part of the team at this early stage and is involved in the early design concepts and system layouts. Based on our expertise, the components and systems tailored to the customer can be optimally placed in the design and correctly installed. Our tasks include, for example, ensuring the final design meets the legislation requirements and system specification requirements for the entire brake control system and foundation / actuator sub system. We also calculate in advance the key braking system performance data for AD and make material recommendations for the components.

Do you already have future product innovations in mind when carrying out these tasks?

Certainly. Before developing the new generation of buses, we talked to the customer about new products such as the SYNACT disc brake and global scalable brake control (GSBC), and worked on future scenarios together. It is part of our job to extend our development activities and collaboration with vehicle manufacturers beyond the implementation of existing products.

Moving forward in the development process: How do Knorr-Bremse systems in the bus interact with those of other suppliers?

Knorr-Bremse’s electronic systems need to interact seamlessly – both with each other and with systems from other suppliers. For example, the drivetrain or the battery control system. That’s why we bring our know-how into the earliest installation discussions during the prototype construction of the chassis. It’s all about ensuring correct installation and communication between the systems. We perform comprehensive application tests and make sure that all functions are optimized for the vehicle in question. Our local technical support for OEMs is more crucial than ever. Because every system is dependent on the electronics that bring additional features and complexity. I see this service as a unique selling point of Knorr-Bremse UK.

Are you supplying comprehensive driver assistance systems to AD for the first time?

From July 7, 2024, a new EU General Safety Regulation (GSR), which our customers in the UK will also adopt, will make driver assistance systems mandatory. As a result, Alexander Dennis buses for London, for example, will be fitted with these systems from mid-2024. One solution is the "automated emergency braking system" (AEBS). It automatically stops the vehicle, independently of the driver’s actions, if the system detects an imminent collision between the bus and a road user – motor vehicle, cyclist or pedestrian. Another detection system "move off information system" (MOIS) will only allow the driver to move off after properly checking the surroundings for obstacles and is safe to do so. As an additional third measure, "blind spot information system" (BSIS) will be installed in vehicles from mid-2024.

Has the public transport bus market in the UK completely switched to electric buses?

The targets for climate-friendly urban transport in the UK are similar to those in continental Europe. In 2023, Transport for London (TfL) stated that it would only accept zero-emission vehicles as new vehicles entering operation. So newly purchased buses for these cities must either be completely emission-free, i.e. electric or hydrogen-powered or ultra low emissions. This also excludes hybrid buses as potential new vehicles in the mid to long term. No doubt other cities will follow this policy for clean air. But while the transition to e-buses is already well advanced in large cities, small towns and rural regions in particular will continue to rely on additional hybrid or diesel vehicles. One reason for this is the lack of electric charging infrastructure.