亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro400 Alexander Dennis Enviro400
編號 Class：ATSE
還記得九巴首架雙層空調巴士是甚麼型號嗎？正是丹尼士喝采，以及其後的利蘭勝利二型，有關這兩架樣板車資料不在此詳述，如有興趣可以到本網的雙層空調巴士先驅者章節瀏覽。當年的試驗雖然不成功，卻影響了日後雙層空調巴士的設計，對於空調巴士之後在香港的發展有一定影響。事隔二十多年，兩軸空調巴士再次出現於香港，這次主角是亞歷山大丹尼士供應的Enviro400，並帶來了若干新設計。
二零零九年，亞歷山大丹尼士向香港提供兩架長十點五米的兩軸雙層空調巴士Enviro400，成為第三款於香港出現的Enviro家族成員。其中一架樣板車供予九巴試用，成為九巴第三架配歐五排放標準引擎的巴士。對比九巴昔日試用的兩輛兩軸雙層空調巴士，亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro400不單在排放方面存在明顯差異，在要求低地台設計今天來說，底盤是採用後置引擎設計，以滿足傷健人士上落需要，機械配置方面採用康明斯ISLe歐五引擎驅動搭配ZF全自動波箱的設計，足以驅動日本電裝供應之空調系統。
九巴接收的Enviro400樣板車，在到港初期跟城巴的樣板車一樣設有車頭樹擋，但在出牌投入服務前已被拆除，至於車頭燈下的五顆LED日行燈則在驗車之後，因未符合當時法例要求而切斷電源，直到二零一六年才恢復正常運作。九巴的Enviro400樣板車亦是車隊內首架採用LED光管作照明，而九巴最新採用下層車廂全玻璃太平門，亦有應用於這架Enviro400樣板車上，電子牌箱則由Hanover提供。由於香港法例兩軸車最多只可以負載16頓，不過因應載客需要，九巴以及城巴的Enviro400獲得有關當局批出豁免，令其最高負重為18噸，至於載客量為上層四十一個座位，下層二十三個座位及二十四個企位，總載客量八十八人。
兩架亞歷山大丹尼士Enviro400樣板車於二零零九年十一月二十二日到港，九巴樣板車隨即於同月二十六日接受驗車，並於十二月七日向公眾介紹這款歐五雙層兩軸空調巴士。於新聞發佈會後翌日，Enviro400接受傾側測試，並於二零一零年一月二十日作首次登記，車隊編號ATSE1，車牌號碼PC4053，在出牌後九巴未有立即安排ATSE1投入服務，反而再向公眾介紹新巴士各項新功能，而ATSE1最後於二零一零年二月十七日，正式安排行走往返彩雲及小西灣藍灣半島的606路線，服務乘客以作測試。
經過一年多測試後，九巴於二零一一年向亞歷山大丹尼士訂購五十架Enviro400，底盤從英國運到香港之後，再被安排運送到珠海廣通客車裝配車身。跟城巴及港鐵同型新車不同，九巴選用了Vogelsitze輕量式座椅，上層座位數目較ATSE1多出六個，相反下層企位減少四個，令到量產型新車總載客量較ATSE1多出兩個。除此之外，量產型新車保留了ATSE1車頭燈下的五顆LED日行燈，並且在投入服務時已經可以正常運作。另外量產型新車跟樣板車最主要的分別，是路線牌箱改用了Hanover橙色LED牌箱，成為九巴首款配這款牌箱的車型，至於全自動波箱亦改為使用福伊特產品。首批新車於二零一二年九月抵港，並於同年十一月初登記出牌行走，首批新車獲安排服務元朗及天水圍一帶的路線，包括63X，269M，276及276B，至於隨後新車則陸續分配到將軍澳，大埔，沙田及葵青區，行走41，72A，74A，84M，234X，690及692等線服務乘客。九巴量產ATSE原先配用九巴沿用的手動報站系統，但在投入服務短時間之後，便更換新一代全自動報站系統，自此有關系統成為了九巴車隊的標準裝置。
有鑑於多架ATSE在二零一八年九月颱風山竹吹襲後行走64K時，因撞到被吹倒的樹木導致上層車頭擋風玻璃爆裂，九巴便由同年十一月開始，陸續替全數ATSE裝上樹擋，藉此加強對車身的保護。隨著九巴於二零二零年引入同廠十一點三米版本的Enviro500MMC，作為接替十點六米丹尼士三叉戟及富豪超級奧林安的車型，相信再沒有Enviro400新車加入九巴車隊，而目前為止它們主要行走7B，46，53，64K，77K，91，91M及103等線。
Still remember the first two air-con. double deckers in KMB fleet? For details and the story of these two demonstrators, you can visit The Pioneer of Air-Conditioned Double-decker within Cute Bus File. The 2-axle air-con. bus was appeared in Hong Kong again in 2009 with the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 which was the third Enviro family member served in Hong Kong and came with a lot of innovative designs. KMB received it first Enviro400 from Alexander Dennis on 22 Nov., 2009 and this was the third Euro 5 bus in the fleet. Compared with the Dennis Jubilant and Leyland Victory Mk 2, this Enviro400 was much advanced in design like the super low floor compartment, a Cummins ISLe Euro 5 engine with a ZF fully automatic transmission was located at the rear and powerful enough to drive the Nippon-Denso air-conditioning unit.
There was a tree guard at the top front, but this had removed before the Enviro400 shown to the public. In addition, the daytime running lamp on this demonstrator was disconnected until 2016 as a result of failed to comply with the related ordinance. The Enviro400 was the first bus adopted the LED lighting in KMB fleet and the safety door at the lower saloon was made of a single piece of toughened glass. Hanover was chosen for the electronic display. The law restricted the maximum load 16 tonnes for 2-axles vehicles, however, as the operation need, Enviro400 was allowed to have the maximum load for 18 tonnes and total capacity was 88 passengers (41 upper seatings and 23 lower seatings with 24 standees).
The KMB Enviro400 demonstrator was undergone type approval test on 26, Nov., 2009 and exhibited at the press release about the launch of the Enviro400 just a day before receiving the tilt test on 8, Dec., 2009. This demonstrator was registered as PC4053 on 20, Jan., 2010 and classed as ATSE1. ATSE1 was first used to promoted the new features on the Enviro400 before entering service on route 606 since 17, Feb., 2010 for revenue evaluation.
KMB ordered it first batch of 50 Alexander Dennis Enviro400 in 2011 and like the Enviro500, all chassis were first sent to HK before completed their bodywork by Guangtong Automobile Company Ltd in Zhuhai. The first of the batch was delivered to KMB in Sep., 2012 and registered in early Nov., 2012. The production unit Enviro400 had some differences between the prototype and first to be mentioned was the transmission unit was changed from ZF to Voith. The carrying capacity was increased from 88 to 90 with 47 upper seatings and 23 lower seatings with 20 standees and Vogelsitze light-weight seats were chosen. The daytime running lamp was retained and connected when entering service. Finally, the Alexander Dennis Enviro400 was the first in KMB to be fitted with Hanover orange coloured LED route display.
KMB first deployed the Enviro400 on routes 63X, 269M,276 and 269M which serving Yuen Long and Tin Shui Wai, further new buses were then allocated on routes serving Tseung Kwan O, Tai Po, Sha Tin and Kwai Tsing like 41, 72A, 74A, 84M, 234X, 690 and 692 etc. Earlier generation next stop announcement system which was manual operated was first fitted on Enviro400, but soon replaced with a latest version system featured with automatically operated and this was become the standard in KMB fleet.
As several Enviro400 upper deck windscreen was damaged when working on route 64K after the typhoon Mangkhut on 16 Sep., 2018, tree guard was fitted at the top front since Nov., 2018. After the Enviro500MMC 11.3m was chosen as the successor of the Dennis Trident 10.6m and Volvo Baby Super Olympian, no more Enviro400 joined KMB was expected and at present, they were mainly seen on route 7B, 46, 53, 64K,77K, 91, 91M and 103.
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