Yutong chosen for TrawsCymru T1 battery-electric fleet
Carmarthenshire County Council has ordered eight Yutong E12 battery-electric buses for the electrification of TrawsCymru route T1 between Aberystwyth and Carmarthen. They are expected to be delivered before the end of 2022 and will be supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach.
Work on charging infrastructure for the new fleet is already in hand. Pelican says the E12s for TrawsCymru T1 will be the first battery-electric buses in the UK capable of accepting 240kW of plug-in charging. As previously explained by Head of Yutong Bus UK Ian Downie, that will be via dual connections of 120kW each. The buses will come with the standard 422kW/h of onboard energy storage and an enhanced battery management system.
Procurement has been via a competitive tendering process. The E12s for Carmarthenshire will complement six other E12s that have already been built for TrawsCymru routes in North Wales and they will be equipped with enhanced seating, air-conditioning, wi-fi, USB charging and high-specification passenger information displays. Rear-view cameras from 21st Century in place of mirrors also form part of the specification.
Additionally, the Carmarthenshire buses will be equipped with the Yutong Electrical Safety System. It is a flagship part of the manufacturer’s work on battery-electric buses and is designed to remove any risk of battery fire.
Says Mr Downie: We are delighted and honoured to have been awarded this prestigious contract by Carmarthenshire County Council. The specification that it has stipulated for the buses will be unique in the UK and take passenger comfort to the next level.”
Adds Carmarthenshire County Council Head of Transportation and Highways Stephen Pilliner: “We are delighted to be working with the Welsh Government and Transport for Wales on this vanguard project for South West Wales. These buses will provide passengers with a modern service that will decarbonise transport and provide and attractive public transport operation for customers.”
Service T1 is currently operated by First Cymru, with buses allowed around 140 minutes to complete the approximately 55-mile one-way trip. Purchase of the Yutongs continues the marque's dominance of the market thus far for zero-emission buses in Wales.
Freeway integrates Wheely-Safe into fleet maintenance offer
Freeway Fleet Systems and Wheely-Safe have joined forces to integrate wheel security and tyre pressure monitoring into Freeway's fleet maintenance platform.
The development will add intelligence to help prevent tyre degradation and wheel failures on coaches and buses.
Wheely-Safe's offering includes what is believed to be the world's first in-motion driver alert system for wheel loss, which uses sensors on wheel nuts to detect movement. In the event of a nut loosening, an alert is sent to a display unit in the cab, telling the driver to pull over.
The system also includes heat sensors to warn of high temperatures on brake discs and hubs, and a tyre pressure monitoring system which helps ensure tyres are maintained to optimum pressures.
Freeway can receive the data directly from the devices via the vehicles telematics or CAN bus, or wirelessly on return to the depot. Tyre pressure data is able to be transmitted to a driver's mobile phone using the Freeway app during walk-round checks.
"Wheely-Safe adds crucial data to Freeway’s pool of vehicle maintenance data. It’s all the more important as Wheely-Safe picks up defects that are not that evident to the human eye and therefore are easily missed during driver first-use safety inspections," says Freeway Managing Director Patrick Tandy. "Wheel loss is of course a particular worry but whether reducing this risk or identifying incorrect tyre pressures, Freeway is very much a system that helps operators improve safety while reducing unnecessary costs."
Adds Steve Jackson, Managing Director of Wheely-Safe: "Our patented and multi award-winning technology offers a full suite of protection against major road safety issues that no single solution has ever tackled before.
"Many of the UK’s largest public transport operators are already protecting their vehicles with Wheely-Safe and working with Freeway as one of the driving forces in the digitisation of fleet maintenance represents a perfect partnership for both of us."
Mistral launches 'The Bus Shop' website for ex-rental vehicles
Mistral Group has launched a new dedicated website for used vehicle sales called The Bus Shop.
The site lets operators view and buy stock formerly used on Mistral's rental fleet.
The Bus Shop will act as a home to late registered ex-rental fleet vehicles built by Alexander Dennis at what Mistral describes as "affordable pricing" and with "flexible finance packages". Every ex-rental vehicle will be rigorously inspected and supplied with a long MoT, as well as up to three months' warranty.
The venture is being headed up by Mistral Used Vehicle Sales Manager Andy Biggs.
"The launch of this dedicated used vehicle disposal arm of the Mistral Group will allow us to engage more directly with a hugely important segment of our industry - those operators that see high quality used vehicle purchase as a key strategy toward enhancing their vehicle fleets," says Mr Biggs. "Mistral Group continually invests in new vehicles for its rental fleet, and works hard to keep the market aware of new stock availability, but in the past we've been less visible in offering the same market place our end of rental life fleet disposals which still represent great quality vehicles that remain ready to enter service for the next operator.
"Our new website is easy to navigate and contains search, select and finance features that allow prospective buyers to find the vehicles they need and at the same time understand the funding options available through our associated asset finance business Mistral Asset Finance – together, this offers a true one stop shop when it comes to finding the right used vehicles for fleet.”
It is expected The Bus Shop will also act as a sales agent for end-of-lease contract vehicles belonging to partner finance companies.
The website is live now and already hosts a variety of used coaches and buses.