First Bus orders 169 Yutong electrics for ZEBRA 2 successful bids
First Bus has ordered 169 Yutong battery-electric buses from dealership Pelican Bus and Coach. They form part of four successful local authority (LA) bids to the second round of the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA 2) scheme in England.
Notably, 127 of them will be the U11DD double-decker, with the remaining 42 being E10 and E12 single-deck models. The total makes First Bus the biggest customer thus far for Yutong products in the UK and narrowly eclipses a 158-unit order recently placed by Stagecoach.
Depots in Basildon, Hengrove (Bristol), Taunton and Weston-super-Mare will receive the buses. Nine more battery-electrics from Wrightbus form part of the ZEBRA 2 work at the depots involved to give a total of 178 buses for First Bus via that initiative, which when combined represents an £89 million investment in vehicles and infrastructure.
When complete, the order will take to in excess of 800 the number of battery-electric with First Bus, and to 14 the number of its depots with supporting infrastructure. It says that some of the latest vehicles will be used on rural and interurban services.
Speaking about the deal with Yutong, First Bus Chief Operating Officer Andrew Jarvis says: “We are delighted to place this order with the team at Pelican. [It] marks another significant milestone as we invest further in our journey towards a zero-emission bus fleet across our UK operations.
“We are excited to be able to bring new state-of-the-art vehicles to our customers, who will see the immediate benefit of these transformative projects, and we look forward to getting these vehicles out in service for customers in the months to come.
“It is an exciting time for our colleagues at all four of these sites as we start to transform and futureproof out depots. This is also great news for our customers, who will see the benefits of these state-of-the-art vehicles – including improved local air quality and the enhanced customer experience that EVs bring.”
The Yutong order by First Bus follows successful operation of E10 and E12 single-deckers in Aberdeen, Leeds, and South Wales. First South Yorkshire has trialled a U11DD demonstrator and Head of Yutong UK Ian Downie notes that it “was found to be as reliable and economical as our market leading single-decks” during that work.
Mr Downie adds that the latest vehicles will come with air-conditioning, USB charging points, enhanced passenger information systems, and induction hearing loops. After arrival from China, they will be completed by Pelican at its premises in Castleford, with delivery of all 169 to First Bus scheduled for completion within 16 months of 1 July.
Basildon depot will receive 24 of the U11DD double-deckers and 31 single-deckers; Hengrove will get 67 double-deckers and seven single-deckers; Taunton will take 12 U11DDs and four single-deckers; and Weston-super-Mare will welcome 24 double-deckers.
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.”