Nottingham City Transport (NCT) now has a new zero carbon future as they invest £34m and order their first fleet of electric buses.
Zenobē Energy, leading EV fleet and battery storage specialist, has been appointed as the delivery partner for the electrification of 78 NCT buses.
Zenobē will supply the charging infrastructure to Trent Bridge Bus Garage and will draw on their extensive experience of working with 90 per cent of the major bus companies in the UK, providing the charging infrastructure for the site, as well as managing construction, delivery and implementation of its charging software.
Co-Founder and Director at Zenobē Steven Meersman said: “We’re thrilled to be delivering our first infrastructure in Nottingham and to be working in collaboration with Nottingham City Transport.
“We know that bringing 78 buses to the local area will have a huge impact on emissions and bring the City of Nottingham closer to its ambition of being carbon neutral by 2028.”
The vehicles are manufactured by Yutong, the largest bus and coach manufacturer in the world, with over 133,000 zero-emission vehicles delivered to date and 32 billion kilometres of tried, tested and proven operating experience.
Liam O’Brien, NCT’s Head of Engineering said: “Following a rigorous public procurement process and operational trials of several electric buses, Yutong Bus & Coach and Zenobē were a clear winner to deliver our first electric buses.
“The buses are superior in terms of space and comfort for passengers and have air conditioning as standard.
“With the software and charging service provided by Zenobē, the buses can do a full days’ operation on a single, overnight, charge, which is essential for ensuring we can keep them all on the road throughout the day, providing a better, cleaner service for our customers”.
The buses will be fully accessible, feature full electric air-conditioning, provide a quiet travelling experience with no engine vibration or noise and have free Wi-Fi and USB charging points on board.
Nottingham City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Highways, Transport and Parks, Councillor Audra Wynter said: “These new state of the art electric buses are fantastic news for Nottingham.
“Getting more people using greener public transport is a key part in tackling the twin emergencies of toxic air pollution and climate breakdown.
“These electric buses will help Nottingham to reach our carbon neutral 2028 goals while getting people around the city quickly and easily as part of our award-winning bus network.”
When NCT’s electric bus project is fully delivered, 3,800 tonnes of CO2e will be saved each and every year.
Over the lifetime of the buses, they will also make a significant contribution to wider efforts to improve air quality, with an estimated 31 tonnes of harmful NOx and 777kg of PM2.5 removed from the atmosphere.
This £34m project is being supported with £15.2m from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Fund.
Pelican Bus & Coach will deliver the first 12 fully zero-emission electric buses to join the NCT fleet, which are expected to enter service in late 2023.
Lead Image: Zenobē