ADL announces order of 244 buses from Stagecoach
Alexander Dennis (ADL) has confirmed an order of 244 buses from Stagecoach, which the operator says is the biggest it has received yet for zero-emission vehicles.
The order, supported by the second-round of the government's Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme (ZEBRA2), covers three models of ADL's next-generation integral battery-electrics.
It includes 54 Enviro200EV in lengths of 10.9m and 11.7m - representing the first order for the single-decker due to be launched next year.
Also in the batch are 180 Enviro400EV double-deckers and 10 8.5-long Enviro100EV single-deckers.
All vehicles will be delivered in 2025 and 2026, says ADL.
Following launch last autumn of the Enviro400EV and 100EV, Stagecoach in Oxfordshire in March became the first operator to take delivery of the new version of the double-decker.
The order forms the bulk of the 367 units for which which Stagecoach gained ZEBRA2 part-funding, which came courtesy of 11 successful bids in collaboration with local authorities.
Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis President and Managing Director, says: “This landmark deal with Stagecoach confirms the benefits of our next-generation electric buses, which have been carefully designed to deliver a highly attractive total cost of ownership proposition.
“We are particularly delighted that Stagecoach will benefit from our platform approach to vehicle development, which maximises the number of common parts and solutions across all three vehicle types to make them easy to drive and maintain.
"Our Enviro100EV ‘big small bus’, the new Enviro200EV all-rounder and the crowd-shifting Enviro400EV double decker will be driving value together through efficiency, longevity and flexibility.”
Claire Miles, Chief Executive Officer for Stagecoach, adds: “We're excited to place the largest electric vehicle order to date for Alexander Dennis with these 244 new vehicles, which reflect Stagecoach’s commitment to transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.
"We will continue to build on our work to tackle climate change and connect communities across the UK sustainably and efficiently.”
Zenobe partners with Big Bus Tours to launch repowered fleet
The first 10 repowered Big Bus Tours electric buses have entered service in London, courtesy of Zenobe financing.
The agreement has financed the repowering of the 10-year-old diesel buses with a 328kWh battery and powertrain by Equipmake as well as the associated charging infrastructure.
A further 10 repowered buses will be put on the road by Big Bus Tours at the end of the year after the business doubled its contract with Equipmake in January.
Zenobe has installed 10 temporary direct current chargers at the operator's Wimbledon depot.
Steven Meersman, founder of Zenobe, says: “We are working with Big Bus and Equipmake to deliver cleaner transport for London – one of the world’s most visited cities.
"Research shows travellers are increasingly looking for ways to reduce their impact when on holiday, and leading operators like Big Bus have recognised that going electric is not just the right thing to do, but also a competitive advantage.
"We’re excited to explore more opportunities like this to speed up decarbonisation of the transport sector in the UK.”
Pat Waterman, Chairman at Big Bus Tours, adds: “We take immense pride in leading the change towards electric vehicles in the sightseeing industry.
"Our commitment to sustainability is not just words; we are taking concrete actions to ensure a cleaner and greener future for our customers, future generations and our planet.”
TransMach extends ticket machine scope to Sheffield Supertram
Electronic ticket machine supplier TransMach has built on its longstanding work with bus operators by supplying 90 hand-held TM920 Pro devices for use by conductors on the South Yorkshire Supertram.
Arm's length company South Yorkshire Future Trams operates that network on behalf of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), it having recently been taken in-house. The ticket machines will allow conductors to retail paper and smart tickets and accept pre-purchased smart tickets, as well as process cash and contactless transactions.
The units are compatible with ITSO standards and accept codes that are fully integrated with an app that uses TransMach’s own dynamic barcodes. SYMCA will also benefit from work by the supplier on a cross-industry PAR Deny List and real-time barcode checking to protect revenue and minimise the risk of contactless ticket fraud.
SMYCA was able to appoint TransMach thanks to the supplier’s inclusion on the National Mobilities Procurement Hub.
That UK-wide membership resource enables national and local government, other public sector bodies and transport operators to have direct access to a full range of ITSO and wider transport mobility services without needing to complete individual procurement applications.
Speaking about the ticket machine supply deal, TransMach Director Minesh Vandra (pictured, left) says: “We are delighted to be supporting SYMCA as it takes over the operation of South Yorkshire Supertram.
“Our mission is to help local authorities and transport operators to make significant efficiencies in cost and time by harnessing the benefits of security-assured contactless ticketing technology, backed up by a dedicated support function and cloud-based asset management.
“Being part of a cross-industry group in the development of the PAR Deny List protocol sets a new standard in safeguarding critical data and systems, and this important work will strengthen SYMCA’s operation considerably. TransMach takes a bespoke approach to every project to ensure that customers can identify areas where improvements can be made.”