g reen g
Februar 2022
Issue 435
busandcoach driving towards a greener future
ZE centre of excellence for Falkirk News and analysis of the transition to a zero emission bus and coach sector
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contents
andcoach
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greenbusandcoach
is published by Plum Publishing Ltd
Editorial
New report on climate action priorities for London
Steve Rooney steve.rooney@busandcoach.com
Contact address:
greenbusandcoach
Plum Publishing Ltd, Unit 4 Marshbrook Business Park Church Stretton SY6 6QE Telephone: 01694 731510 www.greenbusandcoach.com
Every care is taken over the accuracy of material in
6 Abellio electric bus fleet for Route 63
greenbusandcoach but the publishers cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Views and opinions of contributors
to greenbusandcoachare not necessarily those of the publishers who cannot accept responsibility for such contributions.
9 Euro Bus Expo to return in November 2022
© Plum Publishing Limited 2022
11 Battery electric school bus from BYD
February 2022
greenbusandcoach 3
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andcoach
New report shows challenge ahead for London in tackling climate change New research by Element Energy stresses key role for road pricing measures including combining Congestion Charge and Ultra Low Emission Zone.
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new report published by Element Energy and commissioned by the mayor of London, sets out the scale of the action required to move London towards a greener future and net-zero carbon emissions by 2030. The new analysis shows that more action will be required, particularly around reducing vehicle use in London, but that the mayor does not have the funding or powers to deliver everything that is required. Between 2000 and 2018, London achieved a 57 per cent reduction in workplace greenhouse gas emissions, a 40 per cent reduction in emissions from homes, but just a 7 per cent reduction in emissions from transport. In order to reduce transport emissions by anywhere close to the amount required to clean up London’s air, achieve net-zero by 2030 and cut congestion, the report finds that the capital will have to see a significant shift away from petrol and diesel vehicle use and towards walking and cycling, greater public transport use and cleaner vehicles. At the moment, just two per cent of vehicles on the roads in London are electric. Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, says: “This new
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report must act as a stark wake-up call for the Government on the need to provide much greater support to reduce carbon emissions in London. It’s clear the scale of the challenge means we can’t do everything alone. “But I’m not willing to stand by and wait when there’s more we can do in London that could make a big difference. We have too often seen measures to tackle air pollution and the climate emergency delayed around the world because it’s viewed as being too hard or politically inconvenient, but I’m not willing to put off action we have the ability to implement here in London. “I’m determined that we continue to be doers, not delayers – not only to protect Londoners’ health right now, but for the sake of future generations to come.” The capital has seen a shift to driving during the pandemic with the cost of congestion rising to over £5 billion last year, leading to gridlocked roads and toxic air pollution. The number of miles being driven in the capital has increased in recent years, despite statistics showing that more than a third of car trips in London could be made in under 25 minutes by walking, and that February 2022
analysis
TfL bus fleet share by powertrain in 2030 and 2050. Source: Element Energy/TfL.
two-thirds could be cycled in less than 20 minutes. The report sets out that to achieve anywhere near a 27 per cent reduction in car vehicle kilometres, London will need a new kind of road user charging system implemented by the end of the decade at the latest. Such a system could abolish all existing road user charges – such as the Congestion Charge and ULEZ - and replace them with a simple and fair scheme where drivers pay per mile, with different rates depending on how polluting vehicles are, the level of congestion in the area and access to public transport. The potential approaches under consideration are: • Extending the Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) even further to tackle more of the dirtiest vehicles: extending the current zone beyond the north and south circular roads to cover the whole of Greater London, using the current charge level and emissions standards. • Modifying the ULEZ to make it even more February 2022
impactful in reducing emissions: building on the existing scheme by extending it to cover the whole of Greater London and adding a small clean air charge for all but the cleanest vehicles. • A small clean air charge: a low-level daily charge across all of Greater London for all but the cleanest vehicles to nudge behaviour and reduce the number of short journeys by car • Introducing a Greater London boundary charge, which would charge a small fee to non-London registered vehicles entering Greater London, responding to the increase in cars from outside London travelling into the city seen in recent years. The Mayor and TfL will now begin a period of consultation with Londoners, local government and businesses. Subject to consultation and feasibility, the chosen scheme would be implemented by May 2024. www.london.gov.uk/what-we-do/environment/ climate-change/zero-carbon-london/pathways-netzero-carbon-2030
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ev buses
Abellio London Bus and TfL launch electric buses on Route 63
ABELLIO London Bus is introducing a fleet of new ADL/BYD electric buses on route 63. Abellio says the new vehicles on route 63 have a more open feel – with a skylight on the upper deck, larger rear window, and handles on the backs of seats rather than vertical poles for an unobstructed view. Jon Eardley, managing director, Abellio London Bus, says: “The investment in route 63 is part of our wider commitment to improve the travel experience for customers by introducing state of
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the art, best-in-class electric buses across London. “We’re very proud of the quality and comfort that these new zeroemission buses offer, and will continue to work in partnership with TfL to champion the adoption of innovative, customer centred features to create a safe, attractive and accessible green travel experience for Londoners. “Here at Abellio we believe that continued and sustained investment in the capital’s zero emission fleet is essential to attract more
people to use public transport, which in turn promotes other modes of active travel. Encouraging more people to use the bus by improving the offer to our customers is a catalyst for the decarbonisation of the network and helping to deliver the Mayor’s zero emission network and active travel targets.” The buses feature high-back seats throughout, a wood-effect f loor and USB chargers and mobile phone holders in the seats. www.abelliolondon.co.uk
February 2022
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autonomous
Autonomous Karsan bus for Norway
PASSENGERS in the city of Stavanger, Norway. Capable of reaching speed of up to 50 kilometres per hour in all weather conditions night and day when in self-driving mode, the bus can autonomously perform tasks previously done by a human driver such as pulling into bus stops on the route, managing the passengers getting on/off, navigating through roundabouts, thoroughfares or traffic lights etc. Karsan CEO Okan Baş says, “We made our first export in
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the Northern European market, to Norway with our 8-metre electric autonomous bus e-ATAK. We continue to lead the way in to the future of transportation with our products. This is another milestone for Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK, as it will be the first driverless big bus to carry passengers in real road conditions in Europe”. The autonomous e-ATAK will be operated by Vy Buss and will go into service for the regional PTA, Kolumbus. The autonomous technology is
supplied by Adastec whose CEO Ali Ufuk Peker says: “We are very excited to extend our flowride. ai Level-4 Automated Driving Software Platform in partnership with Karsan Autonomous e-ATAK to Norway.” The 8.3m autonomous e-ATAK carries 52 passengers and is powered by 220kWh batteries developed by BMW reaching 230kW of power, and claims a 300 km range. www.karsan.com www.adastec.com
February 2022
events
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Euro Bus Expo to return to NEC Birmingham in November 2022
THE first Euro Bus Expo for three-years is due to take place at the NEC Birmingham on 1-3 November. The exhibition will spotlight innovation, decarbonisation and the future of passenger transport. The organisers say there is strong support from leading manufacturers, including Alexander Dennis (which will be displaying its double-deck hydrogen fuel cell-electric Enviro400FCEV), BASE Coach Sales, Equipmake, G M Coachwork, February 2022
Ilesbus, Irizar UK, London Hire, MAN Truck & Bus, Nu-Track, Pelican Bus and Coach, PHVC Minibus & Fleet Suppliers, Scania, Stanford Coachworks, Switch Mobility, Treka Bus and Volvo. Graham Vidler, CEO of show partner, Confederation of Passenger Transport says: “With the road to net zero at the top of the political agenda, operators and manufacturers know how crucial it is that we act now to achieve ambitious targets and tackle climate change. It is great to see that Euro
Bus Expo will be looking closely at how our industry can play its part in decarbonising transport. “The event is an industry staple that has been sorely missed - this year will be an opportunity to reconnect and continue to have important discussions around the top challenges facing us today.” The show will also include a free seminar programme featuring a range of speakers from across the sector. www.eurobusxpo.com
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zero emission
ADL backs new zero emission centre of excellence in Falkirk Investment Zone
ALEXANDER Dennis welcomed a recent visit from UK minister for Scotland Iain Stewart on a visit to the planned Falkirk Investment Zone. ADL is among the investment zone’s industry partners with a project for a zero emission bus technology centre of excellence. As part of the Falkirk Growth Deal, 11 projects from different partners can utilise £80million investment from the UK and Scottish governments, £45million from Falkirk Council, and £5.8million from Scottish Canals to create an investment zone for
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Falkirk and Grangemouth. ADL aims to create a centre of excellence to focus on the development, testing and manufacture of zero emission bus technology, building on the company’s established technical expertise and product innovation. This centre of excellence would be part of a public transport net zero technology cluster, led by ADL in collaboration with other industry partners, which could also include a hightech incubator and dedicated carbon neutral manufacturing space. Paul Davies, ADL president & managing director, says: “As we
continue on the road to net zero, we are excited to build upon nearly a century of manufacturing history in Falkirk with our vision for a new technology centre of excellence for the zero emission age.” Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council, adds: “This investment by the UK and Scottish governments will bring a massive economic boost to the local area and has the potential to create up to 2,000 jobs and attract £1billion of private sector investment.” alexander-dennis.com
February 2022
ev buses
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andcoach
BYD Introduces new battery electric school bus with V2G technology
BYD has introduced its Type A battery electric vehicle, a zeroemission school bus that offers innovative vehicle-to-grid technology, allowing the vehicle to serve as a power storage resource when it is not transporting students. The Type A can seat up to 30, and has a range of up to 140 miles on a single charge. Stella Li, president, BYD North America, says: “The BYD combiFebruary 2022
nation of top-notch safety features, innovative design and reliable performance makes this a practical and highly affordable zero-emission solution.” The school bus is available in lengths of 26.7-ft, 24.5-ft and 22.9 ft and can be equipped with threepoint belts, integrated child seats, and portable restraints. “Just like our Type D bus introduced last year, our Type A bus’ bi-
directional charging capability is a game changer,” says Samuel Kang, BYD head of total technology solutions. “School buses can be charged overnight when energy demand is low, and clean emission-free energy can be fed back into the classroom during school hours when the bus is parked keeping classrooms welllit and students plugged-in.” www.byd.com
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andcoach
Ventac offers complete noise control solutions for electric buses and coaches International providers of Noise Control Solutions for Vehicle Noise for over 15 years.
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entac has recently invested in HEAD acoustics top of the range test equipment and sound analysis tools. Ventac has for many years worked to be a one stop shop for acoustic solutions, and the vehicle noise team has worked with a diverse range of Bus and Coach OEM’s, to design and supply the best possible acoustic solutions to their global customers. The rise of electric buses and coaches across all markets means that the acoustic challenge is now about sound quality instead of overall levels. Sound quality metrics, if appropriately selected, can be used as a measure to objectively establish the comfort and refinement of a vehicle’s sound signature. Newly developed tonal metrics are especially relevant to electric buses and coaches where noise levels may not be excessive but may be particularly intrusive. Noise measurements from electric buses and coaches are usually conducted under several experimental test conditions. Acoustic performance is evaluated through binaural playback of recordings in listening rooms or
artificial simulators, vehicle demonstrators, as well as subjective assessments when driving on test tracks.
Head acoustics sound analysis tools
Head acoustics’ tools allow for the precision and rapid sound quality analysis of complicated noise sources. The HEAD acoustics’ analysis tools are designed to objectively measure and present the different acoustics criteria as the human ear actually perceives the sound. Tonality for example is becoming one of the most important acoustic criteria in electric vehicles yet standard methods for assessing it are woefully limited. HEAD acoustics analysis allows for rapid measurement of this parameter even in dynamic conditions. The representation of these results are both objective and intuitive. Reduced noise would appear to be a “win” for vehicle acousticians in electric bus original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). Unfortunately, the new challenge emanating from lack of broadband masking and characteristic of electric vehicle architecture is the variety of new tonal noises. A new challenge for acoustic engineers is that components of EV powertrain noise sources emit mid to high-frequency tonal noises, also referred to as whining noise. Passengers have become somewhat accustomed to the conventional broadband noise of ICE powertrains, whereas the whining noise of the EV powertrain is an unexpected intrusion for a vehicle widely marketed as “quiet” or “silent”.
Ventac innovation | Electric motor wrap
• 10-15 dB achieved in Tonal Noise level • Audible improvement in Sound Quality The Electric Motor Wrap is one of the solutions that is used in treating tonal noise from electric buses and coaches at source, and the problem is identified with head acoustics equipment. The acoustics
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February 2022
advertorial
motor wrap addresses identified problems of tonal noise and quality. The bespoke solution is designed by the Engineering team and validated in Ventac’s Acoustics and Innovation Laboratory. Noise quality is significantly improved with the motor wrap with reductions of over 15 dB achieved on narrow band peaks following treatment of EV noise sources using Ventac’s motor wrap.
Acoustic testing capabilities
Ventac’s on-site Innovation & Acoustic Laboratories located in our HQ in Ireland are used for acoustic materials development and vehicle noise testing. We use two acoustic cameras for our acoustic testing and analysis programs which provides quick and precise identification of the acoustic problem and solution.
Ventac has additional European testing facilities located in Czech Republic for modal analysis, sound intensity, sound quality, sound treatment and development. Remote acoustic testing is also available with The Ventac noise consultation mobile app, which provides our global customers with responsive remote access to our team of experienced acoustic experts. The app enables our customers to make good quality acoustic measurements of their vehicles using the accuracy of a Class II, externally connected microphone. The noise measurement is shared directly with the Ventac technical team for expert level analysis, and feedback to the customer on appropriate next steps.
About Ventac
As a complete noise control solutions international provider, Ventac provides Noise Analysis and Testing Programs, Component Design, Material Composites, Engineering and Manufacturing services for over 15 years. We guarantee to make vehicles quieter, with our targeted noise reduction solutions, and very much results driven with a 100% success rate. HQ in Ireland with offices in the UK, Netherlands, Czech Republic and Turkey to provide customer and engineering support to our international customers. If you would like to learn more about our Vehicle Noise Control Solutions please contact our R&D Director, Mark Simms on +353 (045) 851500 or email msimms@ventac.com
February 2022
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fuel cell
andcoach
Italian tour for H2.City Gold in collaboration with Arriva Italia
THE Caetano H2.City Gold is carrying out demonstrations with Arriva Italia. The 12m bus is equipped with a Toyota fuel cell and offers a range over 400km. The trial is designed to test the practical operation of the hydrogen technology and obtain data on daily driving conditions with varying weather, usage, and traffic environments. Nuno Lago de Carvalho, chief
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commercial officer, CaetanoBus, says: “It is a very important step and opportunity for us to show and raise awareness for H2 mobility in Italy, where our electric hydrogenpowered buses can play an important role in the decarbonisation of public transportation. “Italy is a key market for us and it is good to be aligned with the operators in the fight against climate change and help people mov-
ing in a greener way.” Angelo Costa, CEO, Arriva Italia, adds: “The transition from carbon dioxide forms of power supply to green traction sources has now become fundamental. The planned replacement of 330 vehicles by 2026, 45 per cent with alternative propulsion, will make it possible to save up to 5,400 tons of CO2/year, once fully operational.” www.caetanobus.com
February 2022
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news
Go-Ahead expands Ireland workforce GO-AHEAD is seeking to recruit 180 staff at its Go-Ahead Ireland bus business, bringing its total workforce in Ireland to nearly 800 people across all functions. The company is looking to recruit bus drivers, engineers, administration, supervisory and business support functions. Go-Ahead Ireland currently operates 25 Outer Dublin Metropolitan Area routes, and five Dublin Commuter routes, with a f leet of over 200 buses. The company also operates two services on the recently launched ‘C-Spine’ BusConnects network. Christian Schreyer, group chief executive, Go-Ahead Group, says: “Go-Ahead is committed to international expansion and Ireland is a key market. We are pleased with the way our
bus operations in Dublin have performed since 2018 and we’re delighted to be creating new jobs for the local community.” Andrew Edwards, managing director, Go-Ahead Ireland, adds: “This is an important milestone
for Go-Ahead Ireland, and we are delighted to announce this growth. Since entering the market, we have steadily increased our presence, focusing on providing service excellence.” go-ahead.com
New partnership for Karsan in North America market KARSAN aims to enter the North American market in a partnership with Damera Bus Sales, a leading bus supplier and maintenance services provider in Canada. Under the agreement, Mississauga Bus Group subsidiary Damera, will distribute Karsan products and offer aftersales support in Canada. Karsan CEO Okan Baş says: “We continue our global partnerships in North America with Canada in line with our corporate strategy. In August, we delivered our e-JEST buses, which we had showcased at ACT, to Damera. The e-JEST is currently tour-
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ing North America drawing great interest from potential customers. “We also delivered our Autonomous e-ATAK bus, another mem-
ber of our electric product family, for trials with Michigan State University on its campus.” www.karsan.tr
February 2022
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ev bus
andcoach
First BYD K6 eBus begins service in Port Louis, Mauritius
BYD has delivered the first K6 electric bus to Port Louis, the capital of Mauritius. Operated by the National Transport Cooperation, the K6 electric bus will be put into operation
as a city shuttle bus, transferring passengers and tourists between Metro Express stations. The 20-seater K6 electric bus can run up to 225 km with a single charge. BYD entered the Mauritius
market in 2019 along with its distributor LEAL Energie supplying its T3 electric logistics vehicle.
www.byd.com
Quantron premieres electric new 12m-long city bus Cizaris QUANTRON has unveiled its Cizaris electric city bus, initially available as a BEV version at a price that it claims is below comparable electric buses. An FCEV version of the 12m vehicle, with fuel cells from Ballard Power Systems, is under development. The 12m bus uses LiFePo4 batteries from CATL with charging power up to 80kW with a battery capacity of up to 422kWh, giving a range of up to 360km and an overnight charging time of three to five hours. quantron.net
February 2022
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andcoach
policy
Urban Transport Group responds to Levelling Up White Paper
THE Urban Transport Group has responded to the UK government’s Levelling Up White Paper by welcoming the commitment to devolving more transport power to local transport authorities, but warning that continuing investment in recovering from Covid is required to maintain bus services. Laura Shoaf, chair, Urban Transport Group and chief executive, West Midlands Combined Authority, says: “Devolving more powers over transport is the right
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approach as mayors, leaders and local transport authorities are far better placed to make the right calls than command and control from Whitehall. “However, we need to see this translated into action, including on the devolution of more powers over local rail networks, over bus funding, as well as less micromanagement of our capital investment programmes. “We welcome the investment that the government is making in
the future of bus services which will bring real benefits in some places. However, those same bus networks face a more immediate challenge which is the ending of additional Covid revenue support from 1 April. “This is one reason why we are already seeing service cuts and inevitably there will be more to come without a sustainable, longer term revenue support package for the bus.” www.urbantransportgroup.org
February 2022
ev buses
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andcoach
Pelican Engineering delivers new electric fleet to Cardiff Bus
PELICAN Engineering has delivered 36 Yutong E12 zeroemission single-deck buses to Cardiff Bus. In an effort to improve air quality and make sustainable transport the future of mobility in the city, the investment is a collaboration between the bus company and its shareholder, Cardiff Council, after a successful bid for funding from the Department for Transport’s Ultra-Low Emissions Bus Scheme. The purchase of the f leet marks the start of the operator’s fleet modernisation plans, with the new vehicles accounting for February 2022
24 per cent of its fleet. Ian Downie, head of Yutong Bus UK for Pelican, says: “With over 127,000 zero emission Yutongs in service, completing 27 billion km of operational service, the vehicles are tried, tested and proven. Cardiff ’s specification required a number of UK supplied components to be fitted, which our team of UK engineers in Castleford completed over the past six weeks.” Paul Dyer, managing director, Cardiff Bus, adds: “We are extremely proud to unveil our new fleet of 36 fully electric buses. It is a huge step in not only our goal to reach zero emissions, but also our
goal of providing a first-class service to our customers. “We take our role in improving the air quality in Cardiff very seriously and we know that this development is going to be instrumental in ensuring city life can continue in a more green and sustainable fashion.” Zenobē has financed and implemented the charging infrastructure for the 36 vehicles and an end-to-end software solution to manage fleet charging, as well as the resulting power requirements. www.pelicanyutong.co.uk www.zenobe.com
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carbon
Go-Ahead achieves A-minus rating for carbon mitigation
THE Go-Ahead Group has received an ‘A-minus’ rating from CDP (formerly the Carbon Disclosure Project) for the second year in a row – the highest score of any UK public transport company. CDP is an international, expert group that reviewed more than 13,000 companies worldwide for its 2021 rankings. G o -A he a d h a s re duc e d CO2 emissions per vehicle mile by 25 per cent in just under five years (2016/2017 baseline) across its UK, Ireland and Singapore bus
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operations. The group is the largest electric bus operator in the UK, and owns one of the largest electric bus garages in Europe, Northumberland Park in London. Go-Ahead pioneered ‘geofenced’ technology in Brighton with buses that operate in zero emission mode in the city’s clean air zone, and ‘air filtering’ buses in Southampton. The company has also ordered 20 hydrogen-fuelled buses that will come into service in summer 2022.
Go-Ahead commercial and customer director Mark Anderson said: “Public transport is part of the solution for fighting climate change and poor air quality. We therefore need to ensure we’re doing everything we can to provide green, clean services for our passengers. “Our A-minus rating shows there’s still more we can, and plan to do, to fighting climate change, but we’re well on our way.” go-ahead.com
February 2022
policy
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andcoach
Green Bus routes planned for business Liverpool corridors
T R A NSFOR M AT IONA L upgrades are being implemented on Liverpool city region’s busiest bus corridors to create ‘Green Bus Routes’ designed to improve journeys, starting in Knowsley. The Combined Authority is seeking to invest £1.9million from its Transforming Cities Fund into Prescot bus station to not only improve bus services and the passenger experience but also support the nationallysignificant Shakespeare North Playhouse development. The proposed measures, which would be delivered in partnership with Knowsley borough council, include public realm enhancements such as decorative streetlighting and trees as well as improving bus stops by adding tactile paving, dropped kerbs and February 2022
‘Visrail’ guardrails. If approved, this investment will also kickstart the CA’s £32million Green Bus Routes programme, designed to transform bus journeys including punctuality and accessibility, improve air quality by reducing carbon emissions while boosting the local economy. The Green Bus Routes are designed to offer passengers faster, smoother, safer and more reliable journeys and will benefit from traffic signal upgrades, remodelled junctions, priority lanes and bus stop build-outs. The A57 St Helens to Liverpool corridor, 10A route, will be the first major route to benefit from this investment and is also soon to be served by the region’s first zero emission hydrogen buses. Steve Rotheram, mayor of the
Liverpool City Region says: “Over the last few years, Prescot has undergone something of a renaissance. The high street is bustling again, local people are spoiled for choice with some fantastic bars and restaurants and the eagerly awaited Shakespeare North Playhouse will open later this year. “Prescot will also be one of the first places benefiting from our new Green Bus Routes, which will make journeys quicker, cleaner and altogether better. They’re a small part of my plans to make public transport across the region cheaper, faster and more reliable by developing a London-style transport network designed around the needs of local people.” liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk
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ggreenbus
andcoach
ev buses
Ebusco expands customer base in Germany
EBUSCO has received an order from Südwestdeutsche Landesverkehrs-GmbH (SWEG) for ten Ebusco 2.2 buses for operation in the Baden-Württemberg region. SWEG is a public transport company in south-west Germany, and together with its subsidiaries, it manages a fleet of 470 buses. This order comprises ten Ebusco 2.2 buses of 12m length and ten 100kW Ebusco chargers. Peter Bijvelds, CEO Ebusco, says: “It is great to see that, yet
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another renowned German party has chosen us. SWEG chooses to contract both the electric buses and the charging infrastructure to one party and this is fully in line with our vision. “By supplying both buses and charging infrastructure, we can better guarantee the high quality and performance, including high up-time, of our buses. We look forward to contributing to improved air quality in the Baden-Württemberg region with our zero emission
buses.” Thi lo Grabo, managing director, SWEG, adds: “After a careful process, the Ebusco lowfloor buses with a large battery pack, combined with the Ebusco charging infrastructure, turned out to be the ideal solution for us. “With this investment, we are taking the next step towards making climate-friendly mobility the new standard.” www.ebusco.com
February 2022
ev buses
ggreenbus
andcoach
First 130 vehicles ordered in plan for UK’s first all-electric bus city
A f leet of 130 zero-emission double decker buses will be introduced next year as part of a £140million project to make Coventry the UK’s first all-electric bus city. National Express Coventry has ordered the zero-emission buses to enter into service in early 2023. Last year Transport for West Midlands secured £50 million funding from the Department of Transport to ensure every bus in Coventry is zero-emission. Under a deal with Tf WM, National Express Coventry is making an additional multimillion pound investment into the All Electric Bus City project February 2022
with the purchase of the 130 new buses. The company is set to order further buses at a later date. Similar agreements with other bus companies and those running subsidised services are likely to follow, with the aim of putting up to 300 electric buses on the streets of Coventry, guaranteeing an allelectric fleet by 2025. Andy Street, mayor of the West Midlands and chair of the WMCA, says: “It really is incredibly exciting to think next year we will have 130 all-electric buses on the streets of Coventry thanks to the deal we have signed with National Express. “These clean and green dou-
ble-decker buses will not only be fantastic for passengers with their comfort and state-of-theart technology, but it will also help in reducing air pollution and tackling the climate emergency.” David Bradford, managing director, National Express Bus, adds: “Ten of our existing electric double-decker buses have already driven over 850,000 miles and saved 1,400 tonnes of carbon dioxide from going out into the atmosphere. Hundreds more of these zero-emission buses are now on their way. It is really great news for Coventry residents and visitors.” www.tfwm.org.uk
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ggreenbus
andcoach
policy
New House of Lords inquiry into public transport in towns and cities
THE House of Lords built environment committee has launched an inquiry into public transport in towns and cities in England and is inviting written contributions. The inquiry will assess public transport travel trends in towns and cities. It will consider how public transport choices vary across different demographics and the impact of technology on how people travel. The committee will consider future trends in public transport innovation and how pub-
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lic policy may be shaped in light of these trends. The inquiry will also assess if local authorities have enough money and powers to provide high-quality public transport services. Baroness Neville-Rolfe DBE CMG, chair of the built environment committee, says: “People are changing the ways in which they travel – for work, school and leisure – partly driven by digital change. On top of this, the COVID-19 pandemic has had a dramatic impact on how people
use public transport in towns and cities, although it is not clear how much of this change will be permanent. Our inquiry will focus on finding out how public transport will be used in the future. It will make recommendations to the government on how its policies can be shaped in light of new innovations.” The deadline for the submission of written evidence is 11 March 2022. https://committees.parliament.uk/callfor-evidence/714/
February 2022