亞歷山大丹尼士飛鏢E200 Alexander Dennis Enviro200Dart
編號 Class:AAS,AAU
繼Scania K230UB及富豪B7RLE兩款大型單層低地台巴士陸續於二零零九至一零年加入九巴車隊,為了接替即將退役中型巴士之空缺,九巴於二零一零年六月向亞歷山大丹尼士訂購三十架飛鏢E200,亦是九巴車隊中,第三款亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro系列成員。
亞歷山大丹尼士飛鏢E200早於二零零八年出現於港鐵巴士車隊中,全數屬最長的十一點三米版本,而九巴是次訂購則屬於十點四米長版本。飛鏢E200型是亞歷山大丹尼士於二零零六年三月推出巿場,以繼續維持其於中型巴士巿場的領導地位。在此之前,當時仍屬於Transbus年代,便曾經推出一款全新單層低地台巴士Enviro200及混合動力版本的Enviro200H,但設計跟大家熟悉的飛鏢完全不一樣,最為明顯是引擎及其他部件被安排於右側車尾角落,而引擎排放出來的熱氣及廢氣則經由車頂的「Enviro Pack」向上排出。可惜由於Transbus其後因財政問題而要進行重整,加上Enviro200的嶄新設計未能為巴士公司接受,最後,亞歷山大丹尼士以飛鏢底盤作基礎,配上經改良的Enviro200車身推出巿場。取得成功之後,亞歷山大丹尼士便將飛鏢E200簡稱為Enviro200作為產品名字。
話說回頭,這次由九巴引進的飛鏢E200,全數採用的EEV標準的康明斯引擎,排氣標準較歐盟五型規格還要高。這批飛鏢E200車尾太平門仍然採用傳統設計,未有採用全玻璃太平門。跟港鐵車隊中的飛鏢巴E200相比,除了長度上有所分野外,九巴的飛鏢E200跟同廠的Enviro400一樣,採用改良版本車嘴燈號組件,而中門亦被安排較前位置,以便於低地台區域提供更多座位。Hanover電子路線牌及日本電裝空調亦是這批單層空調新車的標準設備。
九巴第一部飛鏢E200於二零一零年十月中到港,並且於同年十一月二十五日接受驗車。全數飛鏢E200巴士提供了二十八個座位,以及三十四個企位。首架九巴飛鏢E200於二零一一年三月三十日出牌,車隊編號為AAU1,車牌PU4458,並於五月四日正式服務乘客,行走往返天慈及上水的276路線。全數飛鏢E200於二零一一年九月底前出牌,在這三十架飛鏢E200中,七架加裝了手動減速器(車隊編號AAU2,6,10,14,18,21及23),接替前輩飛鏢,走上荃錦公路服務乘客。值得一提是,AAU12(PX3045)曾經於二零一零年於伯明翰的歐洲巴士博覽展出。另外,除了前述七架加裝手動減速器的飛鏢E200外,九巴稍後先改裝了AAU22(PZ1073),在加裝手動減速器之後,亦能夠行走51路線,為應付車務調動,包括AAU1,3,8,16及22亦先後追加有關設備。另外,昔日只能夠使用三菱MK,往返將軍澳華人永遠墳場的特別路線14S,自飛鏢E200投入服務後,成為除十點六米版Scania K230UB之外,另一款能夠勝任此路線的車型。
二零一二年九巴除向亞歷山大丹尼士訂購三百七十架新款Enviro500雙層巴士,同時訂購十一架飛鏢E200,對比二零一零年訂購的同型號巴士,是次訂購的飛鏢E200除了電子路線換成最新的Hanover橙色LED款式外,更成為繼一九九六至九七年投入服務的「易搭巴士」(低地台版本丹尼士飛鏢)後,另一款採用單門車身設計的單層巴士。在採用單門設計之後,這批飛鏢E200雖然整體載客量只有五十九人,但座位數目較雙門版本多出五個。首架單門版本飛鏢於二零一三年四月抵港,但在新車出牌前曾經傳出九巴不會接收,並尋求其他買家購入,但最終九巴亦陸續替新巴士進行出牌前的驗車程序。首架單門版本飛鏢E200於二零一三年八月二十六日出牌,編號AAS1,車牌SE5971,隨後十架新車亦陸續投入服務。全數單門版本飛鏢E200目前被撥入荔枝角車廠管理,主要行走46,203C及208,而雙門版飛鏢E200則主要行走5M,53,54及211。
After the introduction of full-sized super low floor single decker, the Scania K230UB and Volvo B7RLE, in 2009-2010, KMB placed an order of 30 medium-sized single deckers, Enviro200Dart from Alexander Dennis, in Jun., 2010.
Before KMB introduced Enviro200Dart, KCRC Bus Division already ordered 11 samples in 2007 and served with MTR Bus since 2008. The Enviro200Dart ordered by KMB is different from MTR in terms of length, only 10.4m while the Enviro200Dart operated by MTR Bus, is 11.3m long, the longest variants of the Enviro200Dart.
During the age of Tansbus, there was an innovative single decker, Enviro200 and the hybrid version Enviro200H, introduced to the market. The main differences among the Dart is the engine placed vertically at the rear offside together with other driveline components. A unit called "Enviro Pack" is located at the roof so all the exhaust emissions and heat was away from the ground. Unfortunately, the collapsed of Transbus and the concept of Enviro200 was not welcomed by operators, except the demonstrator, no more Enviro200 and Enviro200H was produced. As to maintain the leading role in the medium sized bus market, Enviro200Dart was first released in Mar., 2006 by Alexander Dennis based on the Dart chassis with an improved Enviro200 bodywork. Alexander Dennis simplified the name to Enviro200 when Enviro200Dart gained much success in the market.
All Enviro200Dart ordered by KMB are fitted with Cummins EEV standard engine, the emission standard even higher than Euro 5, and a traditional emergency exit is placed instead of a single piece of toughened glass was chosen. Compared with the Enviro200Dart in MTR Bus Division, instead of length, the Enviro200Dart in KMB shared the same modified front scuttles with Enviro400. In addition, the exit is located forward than the MTR model to provide more seats in low floor area. Both Hanover route display and Nippon-Denso air-conditioning unit were the standard among this batch of Enviro200Dart.
The first Enviro200Dart was delivered to Hong Kong in the mid. of Oct., 2010. and received approval test on 25, Nov., 2010. The first of the fleet, AAU1, was registered as PU 4458 on 30, Mar., 2011 and was first entered service on 4, May, 2011 with route 276 and all Enviro200Darts finally entered service by the end of Sep., 2011. As a replacement of Dennis Dart served route 51, 7 of them (AAU2, 6, 10,14,18,21 and 23) are fitted with manual retarder. To go one step further, Enviroo200Dart is another bus model can deploy on route 14S operated between Yau Tong Railway Station and Tseung Kwan O Chinese Permanent Cemetery besides the Scania K230UB 10.6m. AAU12(PX3045) was as an exhibit in the Euro Bus Expo 2010 which held in Birmingham, UK. An additional Enviro200Dart (AAU22/PZ1073) can serve route 51 after a manual retarder was fitted with AAU1, 3, 8 and 16 followed.
ADL instead of successfully won an order of 370 Enviro500MMC from KMB in 2012, an additional order of 11 Enviro200Dart was included. The Enviro200Dart ordered in 2011 not only featured with the orange coloured LED display as the one fitted on the production Enviro400, they are the first single decker fitted with single door bodywork after the Dennis Dart SLF commissioned between 1996 and 97. The first single door Enviro200Dart was delivered in Apr., 2013 and though rumored that KMB would not receive this batch of new buses and ask for selling to other operators,the first of the batch registered on 26 Aug., 2013 and as AAS1 (SE5971). Total capacity of AAS-class is 59 passengers compared with 62 passengers carried by the AAU-class, however, 5 more seats offered on the single door version Enviro200Dart.
Following the other new buses entering service, they are now stationed at Lai Chi Kok Depot and mainly serving route 46, 203C and 208. While the dual-door version Enviro200Dart, mainly seen on route 5M, 53, 54 and 211.