Low-Floor Single Deckers
NUEVO
For many years, individuals with disabilities, wheelchair users, and parents with young children faced challenges when attempting to access single-deck buses with high steps and raised floors.
However, a pivotal shift occurred in the 1980s when a new generation of buses with stepless entrances and level floors was introduced. This transformation reached the UK in 1992, prompting operators to gradually phase out older high-floor single-deckers in favor of these innovations.
Many of these buses were adaptations of existing European models, but UK-based manufacturers, such as Dennis, Optare, and Wright, designed more cost-effective models tailored to the domestic market. The most prominent example is the best-selling Dennis Dart, which later evolved into the Alexander Dennis Enviro200 series.
Traditionally, low-floor single-deckers were powered by diesel engines. However, environmental concerns in the early 2000s spurred engineers to reconsider this approach, leading to the emergence of diesel-electric hybrids, gas-powered buses, battery electric buses, and currently, hydrogen-powered buses. Diesel models are gradually giving way to zero-emission alternatives as the latter gain popularity.
Illustrated with over 150 images, this book tracks the evolution of low-floor single-deck buses from their initial introduction three decades ago to the latest gas, electric, and hydrogen-powered models.
Autor: | Gavin Booth |
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Presentación: | 96 páginas, 24.5 x 17 cm, tapa blanda |
Ilustración: | 150+ fotos a color |
Editor: | Key Publishing Ltd (GB, 2023) |
ISBN: | 9781802824872 |