Jema electrifies the longest bus line in London
The project has been used to validate the future corridor of opportunity charging points planned for London.
The United Kingdom has approved the implementation of a corridor with opportunity charging points for electric city buses throughout the country. In this sense, and in order to validate in advance the operation of this future corridor, the installation of charging equipment on a specific line of electric buses in London has been approved.
In this scenario Jema Energy has been contracted by London’s largest bus operator for the electrification of the London bus line 358 which runs approx. 16 miles (longer than standard).
The e-mobility solution implemented by Jema Energy was the installation of two opportunity charging stations using inverted pantographs and fire detection and extinguishing systems, which made the electrification of the line a reality. In this way, buses are fully charged at the start of each day and use a pantograph to charge via overhead wires at the end of the route at Orpington and Crystal Palace, the two ends of the route.
This has been the first route in London to use this technology.
Technical characteristics of the charging stations supplied:
Two charging stations comprising a 500 kW charger feeding the buses via an OppCharge inverted pantograph, as well as a set of auxiliary systems for monitoring, control and protection.Equipped with protection systems such as dual power supply with automatic changeover for sensitive elements, UPS and fire detection and extinguishing modules.
About Jema
Jema Energy is a leader in the technology that is writing the future of energy innovation. With more than 65 years' experience in energy conversion systems, Jema Energy has been at the forefront of innovation in the design and manufacture of energy conversion systems. As a result, Jema supplies complete turnkey systems to achieve the best performance and minimise operating and maintenance costs in the field of energy conversion.
Ardent Group announces brand integration of vehicle safety division Forman
Safety expert Ardent Group has announced it will officially transition Forman Vehicle Services, its public vehicle specialist division, into the Ardent brand in a relaunch taking place at the Euro Bus Expo in November.
Forman was acquired by Ardent Group in May 2019, providing Forman with the global infrastructure support and bolstered supply chain it needed to grow. Since then, it has operated as a division of Ardent. Now, the two brands will become one, sharing a unified message and voice.
Welcoming the move, Neil Crowther, Managing Director of Ardent, said, “We’re delighted that Forman is formally transitioning and adopting the Ardent brand. The expertise and vehicle safety specialism of Forman’s staff has been a tremendous asset to us since they joined the Ardent family in 2019. We now feel the time is right to unify our brand messages and speak with a single voice.
“As one of the biggest events of its kind in the world, the Euro Bus Expo is the perfect setting for us to launch our integrated brand. We’ll get to combine the strengths of both brand identities and our customers in the bus industry and beyond will get the exceptional service and support that they expect from Ardent going forward.”
Ardent has been renowned as a world leader in industrial fire suppression for decades. Its acquisition of Forman in 2019 allowed it to further develop into a complete safety solutions provider with a diverse product portfolio that offers a wide variety of safety and accessibility systems to a broad range of sectors.
Crowther added, “This strategic move to unify our brands helps us to further develop our global footprint. Ardent is now an international brand that serves many different sectors with various vehicle safety and electronic solutions, and we feel it is only right that we speak with one voice in every market. This will help us better communicate with both new and existing customers, no matter what their needs are or where they are based.
“We now have one voice and one message; ‘We are Ardent and we are First for Safety’. We look forward to sharing this message across the world, and there is no better place to start than at Euro Bus this November.”
Ardent’s leading range of safety solutions for buses and coaches include automatic fire suppression, pedal safety, vehicle diagnostics, and accessibility systems, including an induction loop hearing aid system to ensure hearing aid users can receive important announcements from bus drivers. All of these solutions and more will be exhibited at Ardent’s booth on stand D26, at the Birmingham NEC between 1-3 November.
Journeo demonstrates the importance of connected transport technology at Euro Bus Expo 2022
Journeo is marking the return of Euro Bus Expo to showcase the latest innovations in transport technology, which help operators, authorities and hubs deliver smarter, safer and more sustainable services.
These technologies have been combined into an interactive ‘connected transport experience’, showcasing the benefits and efficiencies integrated and open architecture solutions can provide. Visitors to Stand T10 at the event can explore:
- The latest release of the Journeo Portal, which generates insight from critical on-vehicle systems – from CCTV and passenger counting, to telematics, driver behaviour and more.
- A preview of the forthcoming Journeo Blind Spot Information System, which is designed to detect vulnerable road users intelligently and alert drivers to their presence.
- QR-code-driven real time passenger information that improves accessibility and passenger experience.
- An augmented reality showcase of passenger information displays, including the newest, sustainably powered e-paper units and options for every part of a transport network or hub.
Russ Singleton, Chief Executive Officer at Journeo, commented: “Euro Bus Expo has always been a chance for us to connect with everyone across the industry. This year, more than ever, the event is crucial, as we emerge from the shadow of Coronavirus and face new opportunities and challenges. The team has worked incredibly hard to develop new solutions designed to give the public renewed confidence to choose public transport and move away from private vehicles.”
Mark Johnson, Director of Fleet Systems at Journeo, said: Euro Bus Expo really is the place to showcase the latest products. Which is why we’re delighted to highlight the supercharged version of the Journeo Portal with new telematics and driver behaviour features. The Portal is already used by several operators – such as Abellio, First Group and Arriva – to improve the management of CCTV and footage requests, system maintenance procedures and operational management processes. These new capabilities offer more opportunities for customer experience improvements and efficient fleet management.”
Darren Maher, Group Development & Communications Director at Journeo, added: “The Journeo Portal is also the solution of choice for transfer and shuttle operations at many of the nation’s busiest airports, including Gatwick and Stansted, where it combines vehicle data and systems with journey time predictions and real time passenger information.
The future roadmap for the Journeo Portal includes increased integration with vehicle sensors and sub-systems, and a fully featured content management system for RTPI solutions. By the start of next year there will be over 10,000 vehicles connected to the platform, with this figure continuing to increase as new customers join.”
The Journeo team will be on hand to demonstrate the capabilities of all these solutions, as well as the existing range of technologies, on Stand T10 in the Technology Zone at Euro Bus Expo 2022.