The Enviro400EVs, in the livery of the Harrogate Bus Company, are fitted with roof-mounted charging rails to allow their 472kWh batteries be topped up by pantograph during layovers at Harrogate bus station.

Any need for additional energy for the 27-mile route, will be kept to a minimum due to the Enviro400EV’s driveline powered by the heavy-duty Voith Electrical Drive System.

Features include bespoke flooring, USB and wireless mobile device charging and audio-visual passenger information systems including displays facing the two wheelchair bays.

In addition, seats are arranged in a 2+1 pattern on the upper deck, with reclining single seats angled inwards alongside expanded window ledges and armrests.

Transdev Blazefield received funding for the purchase from the first round of the UK Government’s Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme (ZEBRA 1), via its partner North Yorkshire Council.

Henri Rohard, Transdev Blazefield Managing Director, said, “We are delighted to be working with Alexander Dennis on the next generation of the 36.

“This service has a special place in Transdev Blazefield network. I believe that the configuration considered in this bus is the best available and integrates all the latest innovation that we could think of. The design has been considered to improve our passenger comfort, safety, and accessibility.

“We will continue to integrate after the launch, additional features to further boost the quality of our passenger and driver on board information. We are looking forward to welcoming these buses into our fleet in the coming months.”

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The work, undertaken at UTAC’s approved test facility at Millbrook Proving Ground, confirmed an average energy consumption of just 0.67kWh/km across the UK Bus Cycle.

The UK Bus Cycle represents a mix of common operating conditions with separate phases modelled on inner urban, outer urban and rural routes.

Combined with the Enviro400EV’s future-proof battery system, which is supplied by Impact Clean Power Technology and allows 88% of its 472kWh capacity to be used, the 0.67kWh/km energy consumption in the UK Bus Cycle gives the electric double decker a theoretical operating range of up to 385 miles on a single charge.

The Zemo Partnership certifies vehicles following independent physical testing to ensure public money such as the UK Government’s Zero-Emission Regional Bus Areas (ZEBRA) or the Scottish Government’s Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) supports proven zero-emission vehicle technologies that will perform in service.

In addition to demonstrating the Enviro400EV’s energy efficiency, its zero-emission bus certification also confirms that well-to-wheel greenhouse gas emissions when charged with UK grid electricity are 84% lower than those of an average Euro-6 diesel equivalent vehicle.

Chris Gall, Alexander Dennis Group Engineering Director, said, “Our next-generation Enviro400EV’s energy efficiency of 0.67kWh/km sets a new benchmark and is testament to Alexander Dennis’s lineage and strength in designing innovative products meeting the needs of the UK bus industry.

“The result demonstrates not just to the expertise of our fantastic engineering team who designed and developed the bus – it also confirms the efficacy of the system of zero-emission bus testing overseen by the Zemo Partnership.”

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These buses will be based at Arriva’s Enfield depot and will serve passengers on Route 279, taking its fleet in the capital to more than 100 electric vehicles across its four electrified garages.

Wrightbus, based in Ballymena, Northern Ireland, will also deliver a previous order of 50 Electroliners to London this year, as well as a further 24 to Leicester.

Official assessments undertaken at UTAC Millbrook using the Zemo-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test showed that the Electronliner achieved a result of 0.69 kWh/km.

According to ULEB calculations, the StreetDeck Electroliner also produces 86% less CO2 per km than the Zemo Euro-6 Diesel baseline.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said, “Our continued partnership with Arriva is hugely significant in the drive to zero-emission public transport.

“Seeing the impact our fleet is having on communities is incredibly gratifying and we must continue to strengthen the case for further support for zero-emissions transport to ensure net zero targets are met.

“We are consistently at the forefront of zero and low-emission travel and look forward to progressing future orders with bus operators across the globe.”

Marcos Hart, operations director for Arriva UK Bus, said, “We are delighted to once again be partnering with Wrightbus to welcome a further 34 zero-emission electric vehicles into our growing electric operation.

“In addition to enhancing the onboard experience for our passengers, this investment is a further demonstration of our commitment to delivering a sustainable and environmentally friendly bus network, while supporting TfL’s long-term vision for London.”

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The Volvo B5TL buses that have been identified for the pilot will be repowered using Kleanbus’ modular electric platform featuring an optimised battery size to perfectly suit its duty cycle without overburdening the vehicle with unnecessary weight, which would otherwise waste energy.

The Kleanbus repower programme begins with a full base vehicle evaluation and analysis of operator duty cycles, enabling a conceptual drivetrain to be modelled and validated through simulation.

In parallel, the diesel engine and all associated systems are removed. The packaging space is fully CAD scanned and digitised to create a bespoke electric e-drivetrain in a box platform that perfectly fits the engine compartment. Once prototypes are created, they are subjected to a rigorous test and validation programme ahead of certification.

Lothian recently published ‘Driving towards Net Zero’, a document which outlined its objective of a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035, with repowering playing a key role.

Colin Barnes, Engineering Director, Lothian said, “Repowering has a vital role to play in our Driving towards Net Zero strategy as we transition to an all-zero emission fleet.

“Lothian is committed to bolstering the efforts of the Scottish Government and City of Edinburgh Council to enhance local air quality.

“Working with Kleanbus to upcycle current diesel buses to electric helps us to accelerate our transition to a more environmentally friendly transportation network at pace and accelerate our net zero plan.”

Joe Tighe, Co-founder, and CEO of Kleanbus, said, “Our technology is an ideal solution for quick, cost-effective, and optimum use of resources.

“Upcycling is the most environmentally friendly solution to transform a current diesel fleet as it avoids unnecessary scrappage.”

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The 22 Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners will be the city’s first electric double-decks as well as Arriva’s first electric double-decks outside London.

They can each carry about 90 passengers and have a range of around 200 miles with a recharge time of two hours 45 minutes.

The vehicles also have enhanced specifications to improve the customer experience such as better onboard lighting, digital customer information screens and USB charging points.

The first of the zero-emission vehicles was delivered in September for driver-training.

Arriva UK Bus and Leicester City Council made a successful joint bid through the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme to unlock the £11 million worth of investment required to purchase the new buses.

Work is being completed at Arriva’s Thurmaston depot to install chargers and infrastructure for the battery-electric fleet and engineers are being trained about the zero-emission vehicles.

Alistair Hands, Managing Director for Arriva, said, “Welcoming the new Wrightbus electric fleet into Leicester is a game-changing moment in our continued drive to operating a greener, decarbonised bus network.

“It’s our aim to make Arriva UK Bus the best choice for passengers and we know our customers value our progressive attitude towards decarbonising public transport.

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said, “We are delighted to be partnering with Arriva once again in accelerating its investment in the electrification of its bus fleet and in the drive to zero-emission public transport in the industry.

“All of the buses will be built in Ballymena in Northern Ireland, lending further support to the wider regional economy and allowing us to create green jobs as we continue in our growth.”

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It includes 20 new Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro all-electric single deck buses, to be used on the operator’s busy urban route 1 between Harrogate and Knaresborough, route 7 linking Harrogate, Wetherby and Leeds, and rural route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge

There are also 19 new Alexander Dennis Enviro 400EV fully electric double deck buses, built in Britain, which will be used on the relaunched 36 service linking Ripon, Harrogate and Leeds.

The new vehicle orders follow successful trials of several types of all-electric buses on three varied routes in and around Harrogate, and on its high-frequency Shuttle route linking Bradford and Keighley.

During the trials, the bus operator invited its customers to rate key design features, with feedback incorporated into the specifications of the new buses.

Henri Rohard, Managing Director at Transdev, parent firm of The Harrogate Bus Company said: “In combination with our existing eight Harrogate Electrics-branded Volvo 7900E electric buses, the first of their kind in Britain, 47 fully-electric vehicles are now expected to be in service in Spring 2024.

“Higher power output delivered by today’s new generation batteries means each bus can go further between charge-ups – and to make sure we provide a reliable service, our buses will also have top-up charges at Harrogate Bus Station, as they will travel further in a day than the maximum range achievable by fully electric buses.”

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These electric BYD–Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV single deck buses will be the first zero-emission buses in the city, reducing emissions inside its Clean Air Zone, which launched earlier this year.

They will convert the Sheffield Connect service to electric operation.

Linking destinations around the heart of the city and running up to every 10 minutes, the route provides residents and visitors with easy links to and from train, tram and other bus services.

The 10.2m long buses will be publicly owned by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, which will provide them to the bus company chosen to operate the service.

They have been part-funded by the UK Government’s Zero-Emission Regional Bus Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.

Martin Dunleavy, Regional Sales Manager at Alexander Dennis, said, “We look forward to playing our part in supporting South Yorkshire Mayor Oliver Coppard’s vision to transform the public transport network with the four publicly-owned zero-emission buses for the city of Sheffield.

“The new electric buses will be supported by our aftermarket team based locally in South Yorkshire at our AD24 service centre in Anston.”

Frank Thorpe, Managing Director, BYD UK, said, “This is a superb example of ‘thinking outside the box’ to adopt electric bus transport for which we applaud the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority.

“In partnership with Alexander Dennis, in which BYD brings the world’s most advanced battery technology, we look forward to being part of this ongoing ‘electric bus journey’ in South Yorkshire.”

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The buses represent the first Sigmas in Scotland, as well as the first customer examples of the electric midi-bus.

They are capable of carrying 27 seated passengers with 27 standees and have been configured to Mellor’s ‘rural’ specification with a single passenger door.

Now in daily service, the two vehicles were part-funded by Transport Scotland under their ScotZEB scheme, with financing from Virgin Money Asset Finance Direct.

Before placing an order, the long-standing Mellor customer tested a Sigma 10 demonstrator.

The second model in Mellor’s six-strong Sigma range, the Sigma 8 is 2.35 metres wide, making it ideal for service routes with low patronage, operating in environments such as housing estates and on narrow lanes where vehicle size is a limiting factor, and on demand-responsive transport programmes.

As a ground-up electric bus, Sigma has also been engineered for a service life of 15 years and has undergone accelerated testing to ensure durability throughout its time in service.

Ross Granger, managing director of Shuttle Buses, said, “Our two Sigma 8s have settled down well and we’re achieving 145 miles a day with battery power to spare, even in a Scottish winter.

“Drivers and passengers alike appreciate the ‘big bus’ feel of the Sigma, and we look forward to continuing to partner with Mellor as we move towards an all-electric fleet”.

Morgan Clissett, Bus Division Managing Director at Mellor said: “Shuttle Buses were undoubtedly impressed with the quality, engineering and refinement of the Sigma.”

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In a nine-month upgrade project, the company has made an extra 3.8 megawatts of electricity available to Go-Ahead London’s Sutton Bus Garage, including a new high voltage underground cable along a 1.5km route.

These electric buses are expected to start operating out of the Bushey Road garage site by the end of 2023 to run on routes in south west London.

The works are part of a programme from UK Power Networks to deliver £66 million of ‘green recovery’ investment supporting low carbon energy projects to achieve the Government’s Ten Point Plan towards Net Zero by 2050.

A total of 86 schemes are being fast-tracked by the electricity company across a range of sites including EV charging hubs at motorway service stations, fleets of electric buses, community energy schemes and heat pumps.

Adam Lakey, leading the projects for UK Power Networks, said: “Our programme of investment in Green Recovery network upgrades will enable more low carbon technologies to connect to our networks, while improving air quality and supporting green recovery.

“We are delighted to be working with local authorities, community groups and commercial fleet operators to make it as easy as possible for more electric vehicles, electric heating and community energy schemes to connect to the network.”

John Trayner, Go-Ahead London’s managing director said, “As the capital’s most experienced ZE provider, with a fleet of around 400 electric vehicles, we are delivering improved air quality by decarbonising the iconic red bus fleet and I am pleased to add that Sutton will imminently be joined by other Go-Ahead London locations making the change to alternative clean technologies.”

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