Bus and Coach Professional - January 2021 by greenbusandcoach

January 2021

Issue 422

driving towards a greener future

UK production switch for BYD/ADL

comment Bus and Coach Professional is published by Plum Publishing Ltd

Lockdown blues

Editorial Steve Rooney steve.rooney@busandcoach.com

Contact address: Bus and Coach Professional Plum Publishing Ltd, Unit 4 Marshbrook Business Park Church Stretton SY6 6QE Telephone: 01694 731510 www.busandcoach.com

Every care is taken over the accuracy of material in Bus and Coach Professional but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Views and opinions of contributors to Bus and Coach Professional are not necessarily those of the publishers who cannot accept responsibility for such contributions. © Plum Publishing Limited 2021

January 2021

A reintroduction of lockdowns was hardly a surprise, but it is nonetheless a considerable challenge for the sector, pushing thoughts of any recovery well into 2021. With severely worsening infection rates and a frightening death toll, coach and bus businesses have no option but to pare back to providing only the essential services that are required to keep a fraction of the UK’s public transport network operating. The emphasis has to be to hunker down for a further period until there is clear light at the end of the tunnel. Coach operators in particular will be forgiven for feeling distraught at seeing their spring tour launches in jeopardy. It is of course possible that we will begin to see some activity possible before Easter, especially if the government can achieve its vaccination targets for priority groups, but all everyone can do for now is to plan and hope. The renewal of lockdown also brings the big issue of support for the coach sector back into play. While the treasury rejected it last time round, that was before we entered the new tougher regimes in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland which has stopped all leisure coaching for the foreseeable future. An urgent review of the way that government grants are made to the tourism sector is required. The decision to exclude coach operators from this support by not defining them as part of the tourism and leisure sector, never made sense and now needs to be resolved without further delay to enable firms to cling on. We are all looking forward to a strong recovery when it comes with huge pent-up demand, but, as has been the situation since March 2020, the challenge is to ensure your business is still there when the upturn comes to make the most of it. Stay safe.

in this issue comment 5-8 news • McGills acquires Xplore Dundee and Xplore More • Go-Ahead hires 650 bus and rail apprentices during Covid-19 pandemic • Alpine Travel helps to transport locals to vaccination appointments

5-8 news • York independent operators get behind myTrip app • CPT calls for home-to-school payments to continue

10 technology • Coachline internet portal opened up to all • Result re-rates garment washing

12-14 international • VDL Bus & Coach makes its debut in Icelandic intercity transport with five Futuras • Cummins achieves milestone in Hong Kong

17-27 green • BYD and ADL move to assembly of electric bus chassis in UK • Van Hool ships first electric coach to USA • BYD delivers largest pure electric bus fleet in Colombi • Keolis puts new 246-strong electric fleet into operation • Coventry and Oxford set to be UK’s first all-electric bus cities • Go-Ahead achieves record rating for carbon emissions reporting

January 2021

news

Alpine Travel helps to transport locals to vaccination appointments NORTH Wales-based independent coach operator Alpine Travel has introduced a scheme to help with the vaccine effort for those who are shielding or vulnerable in the North Wales coastal region. Alpine Travel has re-launched the Here to Help Campaign it ran in the previous lockdown, and has added help for the community to get to vaccination appointments. The operator is offering a complimentary community transport service to support anyone who is struggling to get to their vaccina-

tion centre, and who may be worried about using public transport as they are shielding. “Over the coming days we expect to see an uptake in the offer of our services for help with transport,” says Chris Owens, Alpine managing director. “Our intention is to help our community as much as possible, and although we do not want to take away from our commercial colleagues who offer transport solutions, we believe that there is a need within the community

for help with transport to get to the vaccination clinics. So, we are reaching out to our community and those in rural locations, and who are struggling to arrange transport. “We have been making some difficult decisions this year, but I am confident that as the troubled times pass our business will go from strength to strength. I hope in some small way that this offer of free services for the community will help.” www.alpinetravel.co.uk

CPT seeks continued school payments

UNDER threat once schools reopen unless the government takes immediate action. In a letter to the schools minister, CPT has called for home-to-school payments to operators to continue during lockdown, warning that otherwise many family-run operators will struggle to keep going. CPT estimates that home-toschool transport provides up to 20 per cent of a coach operator’s revenue, with the rest coming from trips and tours. As a result of a collapse in demand due to the

pandemic, many operators have reported a fall in income of over 90 per cent for 2020. CPT has called on the government to repeat what it did during the March 2020 lockdown, and urge councils to continue to make payments as if schools were open. It says that if these payments are not made, the ability of the sector to provide 600,000 children with transport when schools reopen will be under significant strain. “It is vital that operators continue to be paid during this latest

lockdown so we can ensure that services can resume quickly when schools reopen,” says CPT’s Alison Edwards. “Without this, we risk difficulties in getting children to school in the future and mass congestion at the school gates. “Experience from the previous lockdown shows that without guidance from central government many local authorities will seek to reduce pressure on their budgets by not making home-to-school transport payments.” www.cpt-uk.org

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McGills expands with Xplore Dundee and Xplore More purchase

NATIONAL Express has sold its Dundee operation to Greenockbased McGill’s Buses. As a result of the deal, McGill’s, owned by Sandy and James Easdale, will operate up to 850 buses, and have 1,200 employees with a turnover of £60million. McGill’s Buses says the deal makes it the biggest independent bus operator in the UK. The Dundee business trades as Xplore Dundee brand for bus travel and Xplore More for coach

travel. There are 350 employees and a fleet of 120 buses. The business turnover is more than £18million and is based at the East Dock Street site that it has occupied since being owned by the council. Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s Buses, said: “We are purchasing the shares of the company and all activities will carry on as normal.” Roberts adds that there are no immediate plans to change the

branding of the buses.” McGill’s Buses has grown rapidly during the past decade following its purchase of Arriva Scotland West in March 2012. McGill’s chairman James Easdale says: “The Xplore acquisition is a perfect fit for us. Whilst others are shying away from investment, we are always looking for new opportunities in both construction and transport.” www.mcgillsbuses.co.uk

January 2021

news

Go-Ahead hires 650 bus and rail apprentices during Covid-19 pandemic

DESPITE the challenges of 2020, Go-Ahead says it has continued to invest in its workforce for the future and has recruited more than 50 apprentices a month during 2020 despite the disruption caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. In total during 2020 it recruited 650 apprentices. Go-Ahead London has hired more than 300 apprentice bus drivers, of whom 17 per cent are January 2021

female, compared to the 12 per cent national average of female bus drivers. Go-Ahead people director Scott Maynard says: “The pandemic has prompted many people to change careers – either through choice or because their previous jobs have become untenable. A lot of people who wouldn’t have previously considered working in bus and rail are looking at opportunities in the

industry in a new light. “Public transport is critical for our future and is essential in the fight against poor air quality and climate change. We will always need great people to help us drive our buses, maintain our trains and help passengers on their journeys. Apprenticeships are just one of the ways we are investing in our future.” www.go-ahead.com

York independent bus operators get behind myTrip app

YORK’S three independent bus operators, Reliance Motor Services, York Pullman and Connexionsbuses are now using myTrip - a multi-operator bus ticketing app which allows users to make contactless ticket purchases and tracks buses with live location updates. Reliance Motor Services, which operates 18 buses across North Yorkshire and the city of York, said the move is “a real bonus for passenger mobility in York”. Meanwhile, York Pullman carries more than a million passengers annually and Connexionsbuses

operates 35 buses on a network of schools and commercial services in North and West Yorkshire. myTrip was launched in September 2020 and was designed especially for smaller operators. It promises an affordable way for operators to offer cashless and contactless ticketing, live bus tracking and fulfil Bus Open Data Service regulations. Gary Newby, managing director, Reliance Motor Services, says “myTrip has changed the game for us. Feedback from passengers has shown a demand for the enhanced

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technology

The latest products and services for the bus and coach sector

Coachline internet portal opened up to all COACHLINE is offering a new online portal to provide advice to all operators in the wake of the Covid crisis. Previously the service was only accessible to clients, but now, as part of its response to the crisis, Coachline has adapted the online presence and made it available to everyone. “In these difficult times, we felt it was important to do what we could to support local companies and opening up our portal gives businesses an opportunity to access all kinds of advice that could help them navigate through the ongoing crisis,” says Coachline’s Dave Williams.

“We’re committed to delivering effective and straight-talking advice, and we’re the only broker in the region to offer this bespoke online service.” The new MyWave Connect portal is designed to offer information on health and safety, human resources, risk management, legislative updates and insurance requirements. The system is designed to deliver automatic updates to keep businesses informed of relevant hot topics in the insurance sector and in individual industry sectors, so that they’re up to date with all the latest developments without

having to spend time searching the internet. “The portal gives businesses the option to select their preferences so that they receive the latest breaking news from the world of business and insurance – all tailored to their specific interests and area of business,” adds Williams. “They can access thousands of free articles on all kinds of topics including risk management, risk education, the best ways to communicate with employees, wellness resources, workplace policies, and loss control.” www.coachline.co.uk

Result re-rates garment washing and highlights recycled range FOLLOWING a testing programme conducted on its clothing range, Result is now rating garments for a 60-degree wash. The company says the move is in response to customer requests during the first Covid lockdown for a higher temperature wash. Result has advised a 40-degree wash on the majority of its garments as standard: not just for fabric and colour stability but also to help the environment by reducing the need for heating water to a higher temperature. However, over the summer, it re-tested vari-

ous clothing styles in-house at 60 degrees, monitoring for possible delamination, distortion, shrinkage and colour run. Those styles that passed the tests for a 60-degree wash, including the popular polo shirt, f leece and printable softshell, have now been recategorised on resultclothing.com. Whilst current stock of these styles may still have 40 degree wash label instructions, on-going production wash labels have been updated to show the new 60 degree wash status. Result has also released a new

16-page recycled brochure featuring garments produced from recycled plastic materials, including 16 recycled jackets and five recycled beanie styles for 2021. Garments in the range are made from as close to 100 per cent recycled materials as possible and each hat in the range is made from 50 per cent recycled materials. Result says its Genuine Recycled products have already stopped the equivalent of 3.5 million 1-litre plastic bottles from landfill, and it hopes to double this figure every year. www.resultrecycled.com

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international

Bus and coach news from around the world

VDL Bus & Coach makes its debut in Icelandic intercity transport with five Futuras

WITH the deployment of five Futura FMD2-148 vehicles for Icelandic operator Hópbílar, VDL Bus & Coach is making its debut in public and intercity transport in the country. “Although our coaches have been a familiar sight on Icelandic roads for many years, never before has a Futura FMD2 been delivered in Iceland,” says Pieter Gerdingh, business manager coach range, VDL Bus & Coach. “We are proud that with these multifunctional buses we can further contribute to making this beautiful island even

more accessible for visitors and residents. The still young cooperation with VélRás, our independent distributor in Iceland, is already bearing fruit. “It is our ambition to remain the market leader and attract more new customers to our overall portfolio.” Hópbílar, based in Hafnarfjörður, is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year and has a f leet of more than 110 vehicles, including coaches, public transport buses and mini/midi buses. The five VDL Futura FMD2

vehicles are in the longest available version (14.8metres) and some will be equipped with a wheelchair lift. The vehicles will operate mainly in the south and south-west of Iceland on different lines connecting the capital Reykjavik and the surrounding areas. In addition, they will regularly travel to Iceland’s second city, Akureyri, in the north of the country. Futuras will also be deployed on lines to the south, to the ferry that operates to the island of Vestmannaeyjar. www.vdlbuscoach.com

January 2021

international

Bus and coach news from around the world

Keolis wins €190million bus contract in Denmark

KEOLIS has been awarded a bus contract worth €190million by Nordjyllands Trafikselskab, the public transport authority of the Northern Jutland region in northwestern Denmark. The contract will start in August 2021. The group will operate and maintain a total of 77 buses, including 67 fossil-free vehicles, and serve a population of 500,000 in the city of Aalborg and nearby towns. Keolis current ly operates

around 500 buses in 10 Danish cities as well as the first light rail network of the country in Aarhus and will soon run a second light rail network in Odense. “We are pleased to deliver highquality, largely fossil-free transport to the people of Northern Jutland - and particularly proud of the trust the region’s public transport authority has placed in us by renewing our contract and adding a new one to the mix,” says Ber-

nard Tabary, CEO international, Keolis Group. “A greener planet is everyone’s responsibility, and we will continue to play our part.” The network features 25 lines, one main depot and 14 smaller ones, for parking, washing and refuelling vehicles. The 77 buses, including 65 new Scania-made buses, will travel nearly 10 million kilometres a year, with 67 running on renewable energies.

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& PREVENTA • TDS offers onsite TIVE MAINTENA bus door systemstraining programmes to NCE improve worksho • TDS also provide . OE specific training availabl p confidence including Peters preventative maintenance e on TDS & Ventura door when maintaining typical systems. without excessiv & Deans and offers attractiv & healthcheck inspecti ons for older e expense. e parts inclusive packages. Prolong UK fitted door systems the life of your UK DOOR MAN system UFACTURER TDS is the primary supplier of 4000 systems which currentl Pneumatic Glider door systems Folder door systems y operate in the to the Optare UK to key welfare & Worldwide Group and has Optare Metrocit locations. We supplied over y, Solo, Olympu vehicle producers includin also supply Electric s, Tempo & Versa. g Trekabus. Familiar Glider & Trekabus 16 & Mellor Maxima vehicle models include /Strata HF.

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international

Bus and coach news from around the world

Cummins achieves milestone in Hong Kong

T H E a r r iva l of new A DL Enviro500 three-axle double-deck buses to the Hong Kong franchised fleets during 2020 has taken the Cummins L Series engine population up to an in-service record high of 4,500 buses in the territory. Built at the Cummins Darlington UK facility, the 8.9-litre engine has proven to be a robust performer in Hong Kong, operating for up to 20 hours daily on both city and rural routes, together with high-speed airport express services accumulating up to 200,000 km per year. The latest Enviro500 three-axle double-deck buses specified for Hong Kong, feature a Euro VI L9 engine. Rated at 340hp and with 1,500Nm peak torque at 1,200rpm, the Cummins L9 enables smooth, quiet operation when fully loaded

with over 140 passengers. The high power density of the L9 provides generous levels of power-take-off for the heavy air-conditioning required in Hong Kong, according to Cummins, and a variable geometry turbocharger ensures rapid engine response for vehicle acceleration. Hong Kong has the largest number of three-axle double-deck buses in the world, with more than 600 routes operated by the bus network, undertaking over 4.2 million passenger journeys every day. Cummins powers almost 70 percent of the double-decks operated by the franchised bus fleets. The Cummins 8.9-litre engine can also be found powering Ankai sightseeing buses operating around the territory.

“Hong Kong presents an arduous bus duty-cycle with very high passenger loadings, a humid climate and steep gradients to climb, but Cummins L Series engine has proven to be more than equal to the task and we are delighted to reach a landmark population of 4,500 double deckers during 2020 in partnership with ADL,” said Ashley Watton, Cummins Director, bus business Europe. “The L9 shares many heavyduty design attributes such as the XPI fuel system with larger displacement Cummins engines, delivering premium performance but with the lower operating costs and fuel-efficiency of a compact, midrange engine.” www.cummins.com

January 2021

green BYD and ADL move to assembly of electric bus chassis in the UK

ELECTRIC single- and doubledeck buses will now be built as complete vehicles in the UK following a agreement between Alexander Dennis and BYD. To date, the chassis have been produced by BYD and imported into the UK for bodybuilding at ADL plants. Electric bus chassis assembly will now take place in ADL’s facilities with support from the BYD team, from the second half of 2021. The two companies say that the move is in response to increasing demand for zero emission vehicles and will strengthen the partnership’s market-leading position while underpinning jobs and developing skills in Britain. January 2021

Since it started in 2015, the BYD/ADL collaboration has delivered or has on order more than 500 electric buses, with a combined mileage of over 16 million miles. Frank Thorpe, managing director, BYD UK, says: “This news underpins the fantastic relationship we have with ADL in the UK. We have always worked closely to deliver the highest quality products and services, and we are confident that production of complete vehicles here in the UK will bring even greater efficiencies for our customers. More importantly, “this commitment from both BYD and ADL is also a reflection of the acceptance of eMobility from local authorities, bus operators and

their passengers. Electrification in our towns and cities is gathering pace, and the BYD ADL partnership is spearheading the drive towards a more sustainable future.” Paul Davies, ADL president & managing director, adds: “I am delighted that we’re moving our electric bus partnership to this next level and building complete zero emission buses for the UK market in the UK. This ensures that investment in sustainable transport for our towns and cities delivers full economic benefits to communities right across the country.” www.alexander-dennis.com www.byd.com

green

OUR PICK OF THE LATEST ENVIRONMENTAL DEVELOPMENTS IN THE BUS AND COACH SECTOR

BYD wins largest electric bus order outside of China The buses are scheduled to be delivered during 2021 and in the first half of 2022, and will be put into operation on 34 bus routes across five regions of the capital. To date, BYD has won 1,472 orders for electric buses in the Colombian capital. In addition to Bogotá, BYD buses operate in Medellin and Cali. “This order for more than

1,000 buses marks a fresh start, which will effectively promote the rapid development of green transportation in Latin America and the coming era of global bus electrification,” says Stella Li, president, BYD Motors. “In the move towards electrification globally, BYD will continue to make great contributions moving forward.”

“Assembling the bus body parts in Colombia will not only help boost the national economy by creating skilled jobs for the local community, but also improve the quality of transportation services, cut carbon emissions, and improve the environment,” adds Maria Fernanda Ortiz, head of Transmilenio. www.byd.com

BYD delivers largest pure electric bus fleet in Colombia

BYD is delivering 470 electric buses to Bogota, the capital of Colombia. This is the country’s largest pure electric bus fleet, and also the largest bus f leet BYD has delivered in the Americas. The Bogota city government and the Bogota city public transport authority, Transmilenio, held a launch and delivery ceremony for the first batch of 120 buses. This batch of buses was

delivered to nine bus routes across the city last month, and will serve approximately 69,300 passengers along the routes. The remaining 350 units will be put on the other 30 routes during the first quarter of 2021, by which time a total of 302,000 passengers can enjoy a zero-emission bus service. Also supporting the bus fleet is a charging station located in the Fontibon district of Bogota, which

is equipped with 56 double electric chargers with a power output of 150kW. The 120 buses include 12m and 9m models, with a passenger capacity of 80 and 50 people respectively. They take 1.5 to 2.5 hours to fully charge, with a range that exceeds 300km on a single charge, according to BYD, compared to the likely daily operating mileage of 260km. www.byd.com

January 2021

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Van Hool ships electric coach to USA REFURBISHMENT

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Belgium-based Van Hool has shipped the first CX45E, a 100 per cent battery electric coach, to the US. The CX45E is now being commercially launched by Van Hool’s North American exclusive distributor ABC Bus Companies Inc. An additional 10 units will be shipped to the US in the ‘routeONE magazine’ first half of 2021. magazine’ The all-electric ‘routeONE CX45E will then be delivered to two North American customers. The CX45E is an electric6 Coaches from £900 Coaches from £900 tel: 01522 p powered coach developed for parts: graham@bhiuk. Service buses from £750 Service buses from £750 the North American market and incorporates E2 batteries from Minibuses from £600 Minibuses from £600 Proterra. The electric coach has a @routeoneteam Deckers from £950 Deckers from £950 @routeoneteam range of up to 500km, according Quotes on any other Quotes on any other to Van Hool, depending on the vehicles on request vehicles on request climate conditions and the route’s topography. “A few years ago we put the North American market, and the “Though not as prominent first technical concepts of the platform of our successful Exqui. as in North America, in Europe CX45E on paper, and today the City trambus can be equipped too we see growing interest in a /routeONEtv /routeONEtv end-result leaves for the US,” says with different electric drivetrains. European version of the electric Filip Van Hool, CEO. “We were “In total, more than 1,000 elec- coach. ” of course able to draw on our vast trically-powered vehicles have The 07774 CX45E485310 was designed, Day Day 07774 485310 experience we have built up over left Van Hool’s we developed and prototyped Night 01789 296884 at the Nightfactory. 01789 And 296884 decades in the design and pro- will continue our efforts to mar-Emailparent company in Koningshooj.chandler1946@btinternet.com Email j.chandler1946@btinternet.com duction of electric buses. In 1985 ket environmentally friendly and ikt, Belgium and theLunn first ten Steven Daniel VEHICLES FINISHED ALL VEHICLES Sales Manager we built the first trolley electric cost-efficientALL electric vehicles in CX45E coaches FINISHED planned for the Senior Sales IN CERAMIC 2K PAINT IN CERAMIC 2K PAINT ‘Route OneweMagazine’ One Magazine’ buses. In 2005 were the ‘Route first the future, both in HARD Europe and in first half HARD of 2021 will also come EXTRA WEARING EXTRA WEARING manufacturer to design a hydro- our second home market North from the Belgian factory. www.vanhool.com gen-powered electric bus for the America.

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January 2021

green Ireland’s first plug-in hybrid Enviro400EVs delivered Ireland’s National Transport Authority has unveiled the first of an initial batch of 100 Alexander Dennis Enviro400ER plug-in hybrid buses, with a further 180 on order for delivery in 2021. The orders form part of a fiveyear framework agreement for a total of up to 600 Enviro400ER buses that was announced in January 2020. Of the initial 100 vehicles, 74 will be operated by Dublin Bus in the Irish capital, and a further 26 will be operated by Bus Éireann in Galway. The first vehicles are expected to enter service in

early 2021. The double-deck diesel-electric hybrid is capable of at least 2.5km continuous electric range with no exhaust emissions. It utilises the BAE Systems Series-ER hybrid system with a 32kWh lithium-ion battery that can be charged externally via a plug-in connection. The Enviro400ER is recognised as a ‘clean vehicle’ by the European Union’s Clean Vehicles Directive. In addition to its continuous zero tailpipe emissions range within geofenced areas, the Enviro400ER switches off its diesel engine at low speeds during

approach to and departure from stops and when stationary. “The NTA is committed to the transition to zero and low emission public transport vehicles, and with these new ADL buses, we are taking a significant step towards a more sustainable bus fleet,” says NTA chief executive officer Anne Graham. “These vehicles will also add some badly-needed extra capacity to our city fleets in Dublin and Galway and we look forward to them becoming operational early in the new year.” www.alexander-dennis.com

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Scottish Power takes first Yutong bus into service in the country

PELICAN has delivered the first Yutong bus into service in Scotland with Scottish Power. Funded by Hitachi Capital, the 10.9m vehicle was delivered last month to Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre. Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore wind farm, located on Eaglesham Moor 20 minutes from central Glasgow. Its 215 turbines generate up to 539mW of electricity, enough to power just under 350,000 homes.

The first Yutong zero emission bus in service in Scotland, the new E10 bus is also the first fitted with seatbelts. The vehicle also has full electric air-conditioning, 360-degree camera and passenger information systems. The vehicle can be fully charged in less than 3 hours. “It is a fantastic story, that with the increased focus on wind generating clean energy, that Scot-

tish Power has invested in a zero emission vehicle powered by renewable electricity,” says Ian Downie, head of Yutong Bus UK. “This has to be one of the cleanest vehicles in the world, showcasing wind generating electricity and zero emission passenger transport to the visitors. “This is a live example of building back greener.” www.pelican-yutong.co.uk

January 2021

green Cologne test for Caetano H2 bus COLOGNE’S RVK is testing a Caetano hydrogen bus on different routes for two months until mid-January. During the demonstration, the Caetano H2.CityGold will be based on RVK’s two main bus depots, which are Meckenheim and Wermelskirchen, and will be refuelled in two different hydrogen stations so it can be tested in several bus routes to demonstrate performance capability and technical compatibility. The Caetano hydrogen bus has a Toyota fuel cell and generates electricity and water through chemical reaction to drive the traction motor. The 12m H2.City

Gold offers a range of more than 450km based on full zero emission running, being able to match the conventional diesel buses, according to Caetano. “It is important for us to test new manufacturers to gain even more

experiences in operating hydrogen buses,” says Marcel Frank, RVK CEO. “After this test operation, we will be able to evaluate how the H2.CityGold performs in our wide traffic area.” www.salvadorcaetano.pt

Coventry and Oxford set to be UK’s first all-electric bus cities COVENTRY and Oxford may become the first towns in the UK to run all-electric bus services, following the announcement by transport secretary Grant Shapps of the results of an England-wide competition to switch an entire area’s bus fleet to electric vehicles. Subject to successful business cases, each town could be awarded up to £50million to replace its entire fleet of buses with all-electric versions, and to also install new infrastructure, including charging stations, and electric grid updates. Transport Secretary Grant Shapps says: “Coventry and Oxford could soon be at the foreJanuary 2021

front of our plans for a new era of bus services, helping us develop the green transport network of the future and support jobs right here in the UK.” Coventry and Oxford were selected from 19 bids from across England to become the first allelectric bus town or city. Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands, says: “This news is brilliant for Coventry and the West Midlands, and I am delighted the secretary of state and his department have once again put their faith in our region to deliver. “Turning all of Coventry’s bus fleet electric is not only a major boost to public transport in the city, but it will also help tackle the

climate emergency we face both here in the West Midlands and the wider UK. Oxfordshire county council leader Ian Hudspeth adds: “Oxfordshire’s bid comes at a time when our council is determined to take concerted climate action to cut vehicle air pollution and expand the provision of bus services with our Zero Emission Zone and Connecting Oxford plans. “This council is committed to offering our residents a clean and environmentally sustainable future through a series of steps including through better public transport.” www.gov.uk

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Go-Ahead achieves record rating for carbon emissions reporting

THE Go-Ahead Group has received its highest accreditation yet for commitment to reducing its carbon emissions. The bus and rail operator received an a “A-minus” grading from CDP (Carbon Disclosure Project). Since 2016, Go-Ahead has achieved a 22 per cent absolute reduction in group-wide carbon emissions. This includes a period in which the company has expanded into Germany, Norway, Singapore and Ireland. Go-Ahead said the ‘beast from the east’ storm that swept across Britain in February 2018 prompted a review of its strategy towards climate change as it recognised the impact of increasingly common severe weather incidents on both rail and bus

services. Go-Ahead is already the UK’s largest provider of electric bus services, and the operator of Britain’s first all-electric bus garage in Waterloo, London. It has also committed to run a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 and has launched a new fleet of electric buses in the north-east of England. All the group’s UK premises – including rail stations and bus depots - are powered by zero carbon electricity generated from fully renewable sources, such as solar, wind and hydro power. The amount of electricity that was generated through solar power increased by 490 per cent from the financial year 2017/18 to 2018/19. The group has introduced incentives for employees to contribute towards carbon reduction, includ-

ing cash bonuses for bus drivers who conserve fuel as measured by a telematics system, and a prize of an electric car at GoAhead London for the employee with the best energy-saving idea. “Public transport is part of the solution in addressing climate change and poor air quality,” says Go-Ahead chief strategy and commercial officer Katy Taylor. “The ‘Beast from the East’ was a wake-up call to much of Britain on the impact of climate change. We’re delighted that the CDP’s ranking ref lects our commitment to contribute to a cleaner, greener world. “As a responsible business we will continue to investigate solutions for cutting our carbon footprint even further.” www.go-ahead.com

January 2021

green Yutong autonomous buses city-wide pilot in Zhengzhou

Zhengzhou City will put 200 autonomous vehicles into operation in 2021 backed by cooperation between Yutong Group and WeRide, the first autonomous specialist company in China. Initially, 10 autonomous buses and 10 autonomous cars will operate between the central business district, financial centre and Zhengzhou East Railway station. “We expect to operate 200 autonomous vehicles in the first January 2021

half of 2021 to build the biggest and most advanced 5G autonomous drive pilot zone,” says Niu Ruihua, deputy secretary, CPC party committee and director of the management committee of ZhengDong New District. Yutong’s autonomous mini Robobus has been updated to support 5G remote drive. Robobus can achieve level 4 autonomous driving functions including cruise, dynamic obstacle avoid-

ance, autonomous overtaking and accurate parking, and can also park itself, auto recharge and drive remotely. The side walls are two thirds glass at front and rear, providing a panoramic view, and intelligent voice interaction and navigation systems in the bus enable users to communicate information and control common functions with the vehicle by voice. www.yutong.cn

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Successful Caetano hydrogen bus trial in Dublin

H YDROGEN Mobility Ireland ran an in-service, trial of a Caetano H2.CityGold hydrogen bus in the Dublin area. The H2.CityGold, powered by a Toyota fuel cell stack, was the first hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) put into public service operation in Ireland and provided in-use information about the potential for large scale introduction of this technology. Since November the vehicle operated on different routes with CIÉ Group bus companies, Bus Éireann and Dublin Bus as well as by Dublin City University and Dublin Airport, although carrying limited passengers’ due to Covid’s current restrictions. The buses covered a total of 3,000km

with hydrogen consumption of 5kg/100km, based on actual operational conditions with passengers and heating. The Caetano H2.CityGold was refilled with ‘green’ hydrogen produced in Dublin by BOC Gases Ireland using renewable electricity and water. “CaetanoBus was very honoured to support Ireland’s first hydrogen fuel cell bus trial with its H2.CityGold,” says Kohei Umeno, chief commercial officer, CaetanoBus. “Being part of this project, showing the capability of our hydrogen bus solution in real operation and supporting Ireland, is a significant step to prove that our H2.CityGold will be the solu-

tion to achieve decarbonisation without any compromise of bus service and passenger comfort.” Ray Coyne, Dublin Bus CEO, adds: “Hydrogen will play a really important role in the journey towards an even more low emission public transport f leet in Dublin. “It was very exciting that our customers were amongst the first people in Ireland to travel by hydrogen during our threeweek operation of the Caetano hydrogen fuel cell bus in November 2020. Driver and customer feedback was very positive and we gained important experience ahead of our deployment of three hydrogen vehicles in 2021.” www.salvadorcaetano.pt

January 2021

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VDL Bus & Coach delivers its largest electric bus fleet to date

THE largest electric bus fleet to be supplied by VDL Bus & Coach will be in service in Oslo from January 2022. With the delivery of 102 Citeas, VDL Bus & Coach is contributing to an important objective of the Norwegian city: by 2028, public transport must be completely emission-free. The 83 Citeas SLFA-180 Electric and 19 SLF-120 Electric will cover a total of approximately seven million kilometres a year. “We are keen to use our knowledge and experience as a European frontrunner in electric public transport to contribute to Oslo’s ambitious climate targets,” says Frank Reichel, man-

aging director, VDL Bus & Coach Norway. “Our 40 electric Citeas already operating in Oslo and the 8 Citeas Electric used as shuttle buses at Avinor Oslo Airport have already driven nearly two million electric kilometres. “We are extremely proud that the largest e-bus fleet in Norway will consist almost entirely of VDL buses. “This is further proof that our strategy of proactively approaching the market in Norway is a successful one.” The operation in Oslo is provided by Norgesbuss. The 83 VDL-Citeas SLFA-180 Electric are equipped with a roof-mounted

pantograph and the 19 Citeas SLF-120 Electric have a CCS charging point. The buses will mainly be charged at the depot, and will run south of Oslo, in the districts of Søndre Nordstrand, Nordstrand and parts of Nordre Follo. Some vehicles will be in use 24 hours a day. The delivery of 102 electric Citeas to Norgesbuss, which operates for the public transportation authority Ruter, is the largest order for VDL Bus & Coach to date, topping its previous record delivery to Amstelland Meerlanden in 2018, with 100 electric articulated Citeas. www.vdlbuscoach.com

January 2021