greenbusandcoachn November/December 2022

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driving towards a greener future

Ten years for Nottingham Workplace Parking Levy

and analysis of the transition to a zero emission bus and coach sector

greenbusandcoach is published by Plum Publishing Ltd

Editorial Steve Rooney steve.rooney@busandcoach.com

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Report outlines successes of Nottingham’s Workplace Parking Levy ten years after its introduction

IT is a decade since Notting ham City Council introduced Europe’s first Workplace Park ing Levy which has helped to improve the city’s transport net work at a pace that hasn’t been possible in other parts of the UK, according to a new report.

It is still the only European city with a WPL, and Notting ham says its public transport remains the envy of other cities as recognised in awards includ ing a recent ‘Parking for a Better World’ title at the British Parking Awards.

A new impact report assesses how the WPL has changed the city and the benefits it has brought to Nottingham.

Since its introduction back in 2012, the WPL has directly raised more than £90million for sustainable transport in Notting ham by placing a levy on work place parking spaces at employers with eleven or more spaces. The scheme was introduced to tackle congestion growth by offering high quality, affordable and reli able alternatives to driving into the city and acting as an incen tive for employers to manage their workplace parking. Money raised by the scheme, which the council says has enjoyed 100 per cent compliance from day one, is ring-fenced for public transport or active travel improvements.

The new impact report shows that in 2007, congestion was costing the local economy £160million a year, and the WPL has played a part in constraining

congestion growth by 47 per cent, saving the city more than £15mil lion per year, with local businesses receiving direct benefits of around £7.7million per year.

The levy has also helped to improve air quality, contributing towards a 58 per cent reduction in CO2 emissions since 2005 and negating the need for a chargeable Clean Air Zone. Nottingham has an ambition to become the first carbon neutral UK city by 2028.

Nottingham City Council port folio holder for highways, trans port and parks, Audra Wynter, says: “As the Workplace Parking Levy celebrates its tenth anniver sary, we can look back with pride at how it has revolutionised how people travel around Nottingham and connected our residents with jobs, education and healthcare.

“From a seedling of an idea that set out to tackle congestion growth in the city, the WPL has

now transformed into a core part of the transport landscape in Nottingham. It has served as a catalyst for change, inspiring pioneering transport solutions and we’re proud of how our local businesses have risen to the chal lenge to affect change.”

Nottingham has one of the highest levels of public transport use outside London, with over 40 per cent of journeys into the city centre made by public trans port pre-pandemic - well above the national average. The city also has segregated cycle lanes, a dedicated ultra-low emission vehicle lane, comprehensive real-time public transport infor mation, nine park & ride sites, a new central bus station, 18km of bus lanes, traffic light priority on all bus corridors and the coun cil’s own fleet is over 50 per cent electric.

www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk

buses

Metroline orders 39 StreetDeck Electroliner BEVs

METROLINE has ordered 39 double-deck StreetDeck Elec troliner BEVs for services across London and Hertfordshire. The buses will be operating on Routes 297 and 142, which include ser vices in London boroughs of Brent and Ealing, Harrow and Barnet as well as Watford in Hertfordshire.

The new EV buses will be built at the Wrightbus facility in Ballymena.

Ian Foster, group engineer ing director, Metroline, says: “Metroline is extremely pleased to continue our relationship

with Wrightbus following the lat est additions to our electric vehi cle fleet, having previously worked closely with them on our hydrogen bus specification and roll out.

“Our testing of the new electric vehicle has shown an excellent level of power usage per mile, and we are confident that, working closely with the development team at Wrightbus, these figures will continue to improve.”

Ben Werth, chief commercial officer, Wrightbus, adds: “We are delighted to announce this order from Metroline, further dem onstrating their commitment to

offering zero-emission public transport.

“All of the buses will be man ufactured and assembled at our Ballymena factory, which means support for jobs in Northern Ireland, and wider across the UK through our domestic sup ply chain.”

This order follows a series of deals for Wrightbus with First Bus, the National Transport Authority in Ireland, as well as contracts in Australia and Germany.

ev charging

Zenobē supports expansion of EV bus charging at Newport Transport

ZENOBĒ is expanding its rela tionship with Newport Trans port with the installation of 16 new charging points, comprising eight double-headed chargers, to provide further charging support to the operator’s fleet of 32 elec tric buses. The new facility will enable the operator to have all its electric buses on the road at the same time, and enable dynamic charging strategies to provide greater charging flexibility for future fleet expansion.

Zenobē and Newport Trans port began working together to bring Wales’s first fleet of elec

tric buses into service in 2020. The total number of electric buses in the fleet rose to 32 in June this year. But there was no means to charge them all at the same time overnight, something that will be addressed by the new charg ing points. The electric fleet now makes up 43 per cent of Newport Transport’s overall fleet, claimed to be the largest ratio of electric to diesel buses in a fleet outside of London.

Zenobē has also upgraded the grid connection at the depot to support the increased energy demand and provided financ

ing for the infrastructure, the batteries on the Pelican Yutong vehicles, and any replacement batteries required in the life of the contract.

Scott Pearson, managing direc tor, Newport Transport, says: “We are leading the way in Wales, with our EV fleet improving air quality and CO2 emissions across the city and surrounding areas. We at Newport Transport are excited for further collaboration with the team at Zenobē, as we work towards our vision of a net zero fleet in the near future”. www.zenobe.com

PSVAR

COACHES

2019 Volvo B11R Jonkheere 430 bhp E6, 12.6m 53 & CST (x2)

2019 VDL Futura 2 12.9m, 57 seats & CST

2018 MAN RR8 360 Automatic Mobipeople Explorer 55 + CST PSVAR

2018 MAN Tourliner P21 400 bhp E6, 12.1m 49 Seats & CST

2018 Yutong TC9 E6 35 Seat Executive spec Midi Coach

2016 MB Tourismo E6, 12m 57 seats 3 pt belts PSVAR (x3 available Nov )

2016 MB Tourismo E6, 12m 51 seats & CST PSVAR (x2 available Jan)

2016 MB Tourismo E6, 12m 49 Seats & CST (x 2 available Dec)

2016 MB Tourismo E6, 13m 3 axles, 76 seats PSVAR (x1 available Nov)

2016 MB Tourismo E6, 13m 3 axles, 76 seats PSVAR (x2 available Nov / Dec)

Ebusco receives firm order for 76 Ebusco 3.0 buses in Rouen

MÉTROPOLE Rouen Nor mandie has confirmed an order for 76 Ebusco 3.0 18m buses with an initial 28 to be delivered by the end of 2023. The remaining 48 buses will be delivered in 2024 and 2025.

A contract signed in Febru ary this year contained three options which Métropole Rouen Normandie has now decided to exercise in the order for 76 buses.

Peter Bijvelds, CEO, Ebusco, says: “We are delighted with Rouen’s confidence to convert the option into a firm final order. We will continue the path initi ated by bringing our innovations to the region and the whole of France as the biggest bus market in Europe. Ebusco and Metro pole Rouen Normandie continue

to join forces to demonstrate the benefits of an all-electric transport network in France.”

Jean-Francois Chiron, manag ing director France, Ebusco, adds:

“It fills us with pride to accom pany the Norman metropolis of Rouen in its strategy to massively decarbonise its public transport.” www.ebusco.com

and wins first order for Ebusco 3.0 13.5-metre and first with EBS

EBUSCO has signed a contract with Dutch public transport operator EBS for 31 Ebusco 3.0 13.5m buses. The delivery of these buses is planned for end 2023.

The two-axle Ebusco 3.0 13.5m buses have an all-electric heating system and will be equipped with a combination of 49 seats for regional transport and additional standing places for urban transport. EBS

operates in three regions: Water land, Voorne-Putten & Rozen burg, and Haaglanden Streek and has approximately 1,000 employ ees which will grow within a year to more than 2,000 employees as a result of new contracts in IJsselVecht and Zaanstreek-Waterland.

EBS will operate more than 500 electric buses by the end of 2023.

Steven van der Burg, sales director, Ebusco, says: “Together we can fulfil our common goal to make public transport in the Netherlands even more sustainable.”

www.ebusco.com

Krakow to take first Irizar electric buses in Poland

IRIZAR e-mobility has signed a contract with Polish operator MPK Krakow (Miejskie Przeds iebiorstwo Komunikacyjne) to supply four ie buses with an option to provide three more. The order will make Krakow the first Polish city to have Irizar e-mobility electric buses in their fleet.

The model chosen by the oper ator is the 12m-long Irizar ie bus

which uses in-house Irizar battery technology, has three doors, and 26 passenger seats with capacity for 91 passengers. They can be charged using a pantograph or a Combo 2 charging outlet in the garage. The chargers will be sup plied by Jema Energy, an Irizar Group company.

“We’re very happy that next year, passengers in Krakow will be travelling in new Irizar e-mobility

electric buses”, says Marek Gan carczyk, MPK Krakow. “This will be the first electromobility pro ject in Poland for this company. We’re looking forward to good cooperation with Irizar e-mobil ity in the future.”

The order follows a trial in January of this year of an ie tram that was doing tests in several European cities.

www.irizar-emobility.com

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Two Caetano fuel cell buses on the way to Gran Canaria

CAETANOBUS will deliver its first hydrogen-powered bus H2.City Gold to the operator Guaguas Municipales in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. The contracts have been awarded in partnership with Spanish Group Domingo Alonso, which handles sales and aftersales of Caetano hydrogen buses in the Canary Islands. The vehicles will be delivered in 2023.

The 12m Caetano H2.City Gold was originally launched in 2020 and there are now more than 80 units in operation in var ious European cities. The vehi cle is the result of a partnership between Toyota and Caetano with the former providing the fuel cell technology.

The Toyota fuel cell has a nom inal power of 60kW, and the vehi cle has a 44kWh LTO battery, and a powertrain with a peak power of 180kW.

The buses were specified in

accordance with the requirements of both customers and designed to operate in the Canary Islands.

These will be the first hydrogen buses in Gran Canaria.

www.caetanobus.pt

Transdev Group takes ten more Caetano electric buses for Aveiro

TRANSDEV Group has acquired 10 new e.City Gold electric buses from CaetanoBus, following an international tender. These units will be delivered in the first half of 2023 and join four already in operation in the city of Aveiro .

The buses will have a new bat tery which promises increased range which will avoid the need for intermediate charging

throughout the day.

Nuno Lago de Carvalho, chief commercial officer, CaetanoBus, says: “We are happy to deserve the confidence of a prestigious operator like Transdev, to be able to contribute with 10 more zeroemission buses that will help to decarbonise another Portuguese city.”

In addition to the buses, the

entire charging infrastructure will also be supplied, which will include five SICHARGE UC 100 chargers and 10 Siemens dispensers, also manufactured in Portugal. The project also includes Depot Finity charging management software, provided by Siemens.

www.caetanobus.pt

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ev charging

£1 million Sutton power upgrade for forthcoming electric bus fleet

UK Power Networks has imple mented new electricity infra structure work in Sutton to charge 84 new electric buses for Go-Ahead London’s Sutton Bus Garage.

An extra 3.8mW of electricity has been made available, ena bling electric buses to charge and this includes a new high voltage underground cable along a 1.5km route.

Eighty-four new electric buses are expected to start operating out of the Bushey Road garage by the end of 2023 on routes in south west London.

Adam Lakey, UK Power Net works, says: “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 sup porting green recovery.

“We are delighted to be working with local authorities, commu nity 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.”

Louise Cheeseman, director of bus at TfL, adds: “These works at the Sutton Bus Garage are helping drive forward our zero-emission bus agenda, giving bus operators the capacity to charge the signifi cant number of vehicles now oper ating in London.

“London has one of the largest and greenest fleets in the world, but we won’t stop until every single one of the capital’s buses is zeroemission. With their smooth, quiet

journeys and innovative features, zero-emission buses don’t just help reduce the effects of climate change and improve air quality – they help to make our city bet ter for everyone and offer a great alternative to the car when get ting around town.”

John Trayner, Go-Ahead Lon don managing director, says: “As the capital’s most experienced ZE provider, with a fleet of around 400 electric vehicles, we are deliv ering 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 loca tions making the change to alter native clean technologies.”

www.ukpowernetworks.co.uk www.go-ahead.com

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Karsan, Iveco and Irizar win Sustainable Bus Awards 2023

THE international jury of Euro pean trade magazine editors awarded the 2023 Sustainable Bus Awards to the Karsan e-ATA 12, Iveco Bus Crossway LE Hybrid CNG and Irizar i6S Effi cient have won the sixth edition of the prize.

Karsan won the Urban cat egory with its e-ATA bus range, while the CNG-powered Iveco Crossway, won in the Intercity category, and the Irizar i6S was top in the Coach sector.

The Sustainable Bus Awards 2023 were presented at Milan’s Next Mobility Exhibition

The jury represents a leading

sector-related magazine in seven European countries: Mobilités Magazine (France), Omnibus. news (Germany), Autobus (Italy), Infotrucker (Romania), Revija

Tranzit (Slovenia), Carril Bus (Spain) and green bus and coach (UK).

www.sustainablebusoftheyear.com

ADL unveils first Enviro400FCEV hydrogen bus for Liverpool City Region

ALEXANDER Dennis formally launched its Enviro400FCEV hydrogen-fuel cell double-deck at Euro Bus Expo 2022 in Birming ham. The vehicle at the show was the first for launch customer, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority which will be jointly operated by bus operators Arriva and Stagecoach.

The 11.1m long Enviro400F CEV can carry up to 88 passen gers, with 73 seats and up to two wheelchair bays.

Similar to the forthcoming new Alexander Dennis batteryelectric buses, the Enviro400F CEV uses the Voith Electrical Drive System next-generation electric driveline. This has been developed specifically for the requirements of buses with an efficient permanent magnet traction motor that delivers substantial torque and power in a compact footprint, freeing up vehicle space for passengers

and optimising ride quality. Peak power output is limited to 350kW on the Enviro400FCEV to maxim ise fuel economy, while still ena bling a high maximum running speed.

The Enviro400FCEV is fuelled in just five minutes through fill ers on both sides of the vehicle. Up to 29.4kg of hydrogen is stored in 350bar NPROXX composite pressure vessels safely mounted at the rear of the vehicle before being converted to electric energy in a Ballard FCmove-HD fuel cell power module that is rated at 45kW or 60kW depending on operational needs. A 30kWh bat tery from Impact Clean Power Technology provides on-board buffer storage between fuel cell module and motor. Using lith ium-titanate (LTO) chemistry, it is suited to frequent rapid charge and discharge and is expected to last the life of the bus. No exter nal battery charging is required in

daily operation.

Alexander Dennis president & managing director Paul Davies says: “The launch of the Envi ro400FCEV signals the start of a new age for zero-emission buses with our next-generation technology platform. Using the expertise from earlier prototypes as well as our wider experience as the long-established market leader for greener buses, this is a mature product for an industry that needs customised solutions from a reliable partner.

“Sitting alongside our new bat tery-electric buses and the hugely successful products we will con tinue to build in partnership with BYD, the Enviro400FCEV adds a hydrogen-fuel cell bus to what is now the industry’s widest port folio of zero-emission solutions, ready to meet the requirements of any bus operator, transport authority or city.”

www.alexander-dennis.com

buses

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New electric bus fleet for City Sightseeing Glasgow

CITY Sightseeing Glasgow has announced it will launch a full fleet of new electric open top buses in a bid to make it one of the world’s greenest tours.

The open top tour serves the city’s key attractions includ ing Glasgow Cathedral, Glas gow Green, Clydeside Distillery, Riverside Museum, Glasgow University, The Hunterian and Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

The Glasgow operation is part of the City Sightseeing World wide franchise, a global company delivering open top tours in just under 100 cities across the world; including Edinburgh, London, Dublin, Berlin, New York, Dubai and Johannesburg.

The launch of 10 new electric buses involves a £4.5million investment and includes funding

from the Scottish Ultra Low Emis sion Bus Scheme.

Sharon Morrison, communica tions director, City Sightseeing Glasgow, says: “We are excited to be introducing a full electric fleet to our open top tour in Glasgow. It’s great for the city’s green cre dentials and reinforces our com mitment to meeting Scotland’s climate change goals.

“Whilst we already offer one of the most sustainable ways for visi tors to enjoy the best of Glasgow, the move to full electric means we can showcase our city’s wealth of cultural heritage, and of-course its green spaces, with zero envi ronmental impact on our city, its residents and visitors.

“As well as the environmen tal benefits of operating an elec tric fleet, the buses will offer an improved customer experience,

with a much smoother and qui eter journey for those enjoying Glasgow’s story.”

Glasgow Life chief executive, Susan Deighan, adds: “This investment in a fleet of electric City Sightseeing Glasgow buses is a great example of how our tour ism industry partners are driving forward climate-change action. Boosting their green creden tials will help Glasgow further enhance its reputation as a lead ing international destination for responsible tourism and achieve its aims of becoming one of Europe’s most sustainable cities.

“Promoting the sustainability of the visitor experience Glasgow not only supports tourism, it also greatly benefits the people of our city, our economy, and of course our environment.”

www.citysightseeingglasgow.co.uk

Go-Ahead London route to be first with ultra-fast opportunity charging

IRIZAR e-mobility and Go Ahead London have signed a contract for the supply of 20 buses and related charging infrastructure to electrify route 358 in south London, which will become the first ultra-fast opportunity charging route in the capital.

The 20 buses will be accom panied by two 450kW ultra-fast chargers for the route terminals and 100kW depot chargers capa ble of charging two buses simul taneously at 50kW, supplied by

The new buses will be the first right-hand drive versions of Irizar’s 12m ie tram.

The buses’ batteries are also manufactured by the Irizar Group and will be charged between trips using two fast charging inverted pantograph systems to be installed at Crystal Palace and Orpington Bus Stations, allowing the buses to be charged in less than five min utes. After finishing the route, the buses will receive a short top-up using the depot-based chargers.

“We are delighted that Go Ahead, London’s largest bus operator, has chosen our tech nology,” stated Iñigo Etxeber ria, managing director of Irizar e-mobility. “This is a clear testa ment to the confidence placed in our products and proof of their quality and reliability.

“London is investing heavily in sustainable public transport solutions and we are honoured for Irizar e-mobility to play a part in this goal.”

www.irizar-emobility.com

Jema Energy, an Irizar company.

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64 new-generation VDL Citeas for Arriva in North Brabant

ARRIVA is expanding its fleet in North Brabant East with 64 new electric buses from VDL Bus & Coach. Arriva is responding to a target set by the province of North Brabant for emission-free public transport by 2030.

VDL Bus & Coach is supplying Arriva with 40 new-generation VDL Citeas LF-122 and four articulated LF-181 buses. These vehicles will mainly be used for

public transport in the city of Til burg. VDL is also supplying 20 Citea LE-135s for use on HOV lines between Uden-Veghel-Eindhoven and Uden-Veghel-Den Bosch.

“With this expansion of our bus fleet, we are taking an important step towards our zero-emission ambitions,” says Jan Pieter Been, regional director, Arriva South. “As one of the largest public trans port operators in the Netherlands,

we have a name to uphold. We need to lead the way for our trav ellers, our drivers and our clients. This is why we have set ourselves the goal of being fully carbonneutral as early as 2027.

“We will achieve 90 per cent of this through the transition to zero emissions and the last 10 per cent by offsetting.”

www.vdlbuscoach.com

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Batteries, taken from VDL electric buses to get a second life

ENERGY company RWE and VDL Bus & Coach have started a project to reuse ‘second life’ vehi cle batteries from electric buses in the Netherlands in a project that provides a central storage system in Moerdijk.

It is estimated that more than 150,000 tonnes of batteries will become available for recycling every year. These are currently classified as waste and mostly taken to recycling plants abroad.

“In Project Anubis, we are ini tially using batteries taken from 43 electric VDL buses operated by Transdev in Eindhoven since 2016,” says Paul van Vuuren, CEO, VDL Bus & Coach. “These vehicles are currently getting new

and larger battery packs, but the used batteries still have enough capacity to be used in stationary applications.

“Providing a sustainable cir cular solution for our batteries is part of our strategy. However, its application still requires a lot of new knowledge and development. Together with RWE, we will there fore collect a lot of data in ‘Project Anubis’ so that we can contribute even more to making our society even more sustainable.”

Bart Kraayvanger, manager ZE and facility support, Trans dev Netherlands, adds: “In 2016, together with VDL, we took the first big steps towards zero emis sion bus transport in the Neth

erlands in Eindhoven. A major feat of pioneering, from which we have learned many important lessons. Now we are once again involved in these progressive and large-scale developments in the reuse of bus batteries.”

The 43 batteries from the VDL electric buses, with a total stor age capacity of 7.5 megawatts, will be coupled into one bat tery at the RWE power plant in Moerdijk. RWE is also working on battery projects in Germany, United Kingdom and the United States. RWE’s ambition is to grow capacity to 3 gigawatts in the coming years.

Iveco Bus launches collaboration with Via to introduce technology- enabled transit solutions

IVECO Bus has announced a new collaboration with Via which enables its customers in Italy to purchase Via’s software for on-demand transport at a special rate. The two companies have signed a Memorandum of Understanding to explore pos sible future collaborations in the development of tailored ondemand public transportation solutions and associated digital services for buses.

Marco Franza, head of cus tomer service global, Iveco Bus, says: “Iveco Bus and Via are working together to accelerate and support the introduction of innovative transport solutions in the market. To this end, we aim to facilitate the adoption of ondemand mobility technology, to make it easier and more conveni ent for public transport authori

ties and operators.”

The partners are to explore the possibility of new solutions for public transport authorities and operators, including demand-

responsive transportation and autonomous public transport, powered by alternative energies. www.ivecobus.com www.ridewithvia.com

UK’s longest electric circular bus route

A new electric bus service taking passengers on an orbital route connecting key sites around Leicester has been launched. The Orbital service, which replaces the 40 Circleline service and claims to be the UK’s longest elec tric circular bus route, will con nect estates and suburbs on the city’s outer ring road and beyond, with locations such as shopping centres, hospitals and other key transport infrastructure.

It is the latest addition to the

city’s Greenlines electric network, and is the fifth new service to be launched using the new councilowned electric buses. The part nership project, with operator Centrebus, also includes electric bus charging at Thurmaston.

The electric buses and charging depot have been partially funded (£1.21million) by the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme, and this is the first ZEBRA-funded project to be delivered in the country.

The new service replaces the 40 Circleline service and will come into operation on October 24.

Leicester deputy city mayor for transport, clean air and cli mate emergency, Adam Clarke, says: “The Orbital route is a very well-used service, and switching over to the latest electric vehicles means another significant part of the city’s public transport system will now benefit from cleaner, more modern buses.”

www.leicesterbuses.co.uk/orbital

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Aircoach acquisition of Airporter leads to expansion of Irish routes

FIRST Bus owned Irish operator Aircoach has acquired the North ern Ireland company Airporter. The deal will see Aircoach take over the Northern Ireland-based company’s operations to expand its footprint in Ireland and increase its daily routes to seven with a new route connecting the north-west of Ireland to Belfast International Airport, Dublin Airport and Dublin city centre.

The acquisition includes the Airporter base at the Spring town Industrial Estate in Dublin and the transfer of all Airporter drivers and operational staff to Aircoach to service the new time

table and route. The new service also means that travellers from the north-west will now be able to arrive at Dublin Airport for early morning flights to key European destinations and major US cities.

Joe Thompson, chief strategy and growth officer, First Bus UK, says: “This marks a significant milestone for Aircoach with the creation of an enhanced all-island service. This has been made pos sible with the acquisition of Air porter, a company which has served customers so well for over 25 years to and from the North-West.

“We’re privileged to be Ireland’s

leading transport operator, bringing people to work, students to university, reuniting families, and bringing new visitors to our cities from all around the world.”

Dervla McKay, managing director, Aircoach adds: “Air coach is fully committed to ensuring that the north-west is connected to major travel and economic hubs to improve the attractiveness of the region as a place in which to invest. The deal marks a great step forward for Aircoach and we look forward to launching the new route in due course.” www.aircoach.ie