Steve O'Neill joins EVM UK to head AOS Isuzu brand
Steve O’Neill has joined EVM to head its work with AOS Isuzu vehicles in the UK market. His appointment forms part of wider business expansion for EVM that has also seen the unveiling of a new brand and a move to larger premises in West Sussex.
Mr O'Neill brings over 30 years’ coach industry experience into the role with EVM. That includes leadership of Gillingham operator The Kings Ferry, during which time he oversaw sale of the family business to National Express. After that, Mr O'Neill was involved in establishing the Irizar UK dealership until leaving during 2019.
With EVM, Mr O’Neill will first focus on the AOS Visigo mid-sized coach and the Grand Toro model, while the smaller battery-electric Novociti Volt bus will premiere at Euro Bus Expo at the NEC Birmingham on 1-3 November. It will be shown alongside the Visigo and Grand Toro and members of EVM’s established range.
Managing Director Danny McGee has confirmed that EVM has orders in hand for the “majority of initial stock units” from AOS Isuzu and that examples of the Grand Toro and Visigo are already in the UK being prepared for customers. He adds that EVM is “very excited” to have Mr O’Neill onboard and that the former coach operator’s presence will add momentum to UK rollout of the brand.
“Having known Steve for many years and worked with him on several projects, he was a natural choice to join our team and assist in the implementation of the AOS Isuzu brand,” continues Mr McGee. “Our focus for the future is to develop the product range for the UK market while delivering excellent customer service.”
Adds Steve O’Neill: “I am very excited to be joining EVM UK as the head of AOS Isuzu. I have had a great relationship with Danny and Sales and Marketing Director Peter Flynn for many years and always admired their approach to the market and their customer focused position.
"Now with the exciting range of coaches and buses from AOS Isuzu, it is great to join them for their next stage of development.”
Zero-emission coach interest: 'Marked increase' in 2022
Interest in the purchase of zero-emission coaches has seen a marked increase in 2022, sole supplier of the vehicle type Pelican Bus and Coach had revealed.
The dealership, with the battery-electric Yutong TCe12 in its coach range, has several customer orders for the model in hand for delivery over coming months. It also has 10 TCe12s that are due to arrive as stock by the end of 2022. Managing Director Richard Crump believes that most, if not all, of those coaches will be accounted for ahead of them landing here.
Mr Crump says that operators in and around larger cities currently dominate purchases of, and enquiries for, the TCe12. Several examples are on order for companies based in and surrounding London, while a potential debut in Manchester is in hand. Turners of Bristol also has a TCe12, and in Scotland, Edinburgh-based Ember has more due.
However, he adds that availability of sufficiently powerful mobile DC chargers that can run from a 415v, 63A three-phase supply and the inclusion of zero-emission coaches in scope of the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund (ScotZEB2) are both expected by Pelican to play a role in growing the TCe12’s appeal beyond city region operators.
Two chargers that use a three-phase supply are offered by Pelican. One is rated at 20kW, but Mr Crump says that a 42kW alternative has already proved its worth. A TCe12 recently delivered to Heathrow operator AirSym was supplied with the latter. It can replenish the coach’s 281kW/h of battery storage in around six hours when residual charge is factored in.
“The 42kW charger is a cost-effective way into the zero-emission coach sphere. Our engagement with the industry shows that most operators have a three-phase supply on site, and it can allow them to dip a toe in the water with battery-electric. We have certainly seen a shift in the breakdown of enquiries we are receiving for coaches to include more zero-emission interest as 2022 has progressed.”
For ScotZEB2, Mr Crump adds that Pelican is “confident” the scheme will generate further interest in zero-emission coaches among operators in Scotland. To that end, Pelican will soon offer a service where it works with potential customers to prepare a ScotZEB2 bid based on purchase of the TCe12. A demonstrator will also be taken to Scotland later in 2022.
ScotZEB2 extension of scope is welcomed by suppliers
Members of the supply chain have responded positively to diversification of vehicle types and technologies that are provisionally in scope of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB2) challenge fund.
ScotZEB2 is set to capture zero-emission coaches and buses that are used on a wide range of work, including private hire and tourism-related duties, home-to-school transport and community transport in addition to the previous core of registered services. It also indicatively includes support for retrofit of existing vehicles to zero-emission.
Pelican Bus and Coach, which has already supplied a significant number of battery-electric coaches and buses that have benefitted from previous rounds of Scottish Government funding, quickly welcomed the expansion of scope provisionally represented by ScotZEB2.
Head of Yutong Sales Ian Downie says that the Scottish Government should be “applauded” for the move, noting that the services operated by those parts of the industry that are new to zero-emission funding in ScotZEB2 “play a pivotal role in transporting people.”
Battery-electric retrofit suppliers Equipmake and Kleanbus have also welcomed ScotZEB2 provisionally including repower technology. Equipmake has additionally called on the UK government to follow suit with a funding strategy that incentivises the purchase of such buses.
CEO Ian Foley – who has previously advocated repowering – says the approach represents “an important and cost-effective transitionary technology to bridge the gap between diesel and a new electric bus fleet.” Mr Foley adds that the Scottish Government “is to be praised” for the changes it is set to introduce with ScotZEB2.
“We now call on the UK government to outline an electric bus strategy that will see the purchase price of a repowered electric bus incentivised in England and Wales,” he continues, adding that indicative inclusion of repower in the wider scope of ScotZEB2 will potentially permit the “accelerating of Scotland’s transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.”
Kleanbus has taken a similar approach, adding that various finance options further strengthen the case for repower. It claims that such technology can be achieved at 20% of the price of a new battery-electric bus and deliver operating costs that are one-third of those of a comparable diesel. Co-Founder and CEO Joe Tighe says that repower offers a “fast and efficient way towards zero-emission.”
ScotZEB2 will open to bids in spring 2023.