Business News Fully electric double deckers roll out
National Express has rolled out its first fleet of fully electric double decker buses. The operator’s first fully electric
double decker left Yardley Wood garage to carry passengers on the six route to Solihull, via Hall Green and Shirley. Bus number E008 “Laura” was
soon followed by a further 19 electric buses based in Birmingham, costing £500,000 each. Ten more buses are arriving from Scottish manufacturer Alexander Dennis to National Express Coventry and will be out in service this autumn. National Express West Midlands
was awarded £3m by the government in 2016 to help fund the extra cost of an electric bus and the necessary equipment, and the bus company has invested £11m in the project. As part of the rollout of the new
buses, National Express’ 80-year- old Yardley Wood garage has been retrofitted with a shed-sized battery, a charging station for each bus and a system for engineers to monitor buses’ performance. The buses charge up in four hours, and can run for 190 kilometres before needing another charge. The buses
we’re excited to see further change from National Express, and others, to clean air and a zero carbon future.” Tom Stables, managing director of
National Express UK, said: “At National Express, zero-emission is not the future - it’s the here-and-now. “Buses are already one of the
All aboard: Paul Faulkner (left) and Cllr Waseem Zaffar on one of the new fully electric double deckers
‘This is just the beginning of a major change in how we travel’
are part of a commitment made by National Express to never buy a diesel bus again. National Express are patrons of
Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) and chief executive Paul Faulkner said: “It is great to see these new fully electric buses now in service across Greater Birmingham, and National Express
making a massive commitment and investment towards greener travel in our region. “Tangible change by businesses,
such as National Express, towards these modes of transport is essential if the effort to drive down emissions is to be successful. “This is just the beginning of a major change in how we travel, and
cleanest ways to travel. For four years, we’ve been working as part of the West Midlands Bus Alliance to tackle climate change and improve air quality. We’ve retrofitted nearly a thousand older buses with new exhaust systems, and since 2015, we’ve bought only the cleanest diesels on the market. “And now we’ve gone all out
with these beautiful buses which are fully electric - even the heaters run off the battery. As well as being great for the environment, they come with all the top-spec kit our customers expect from a Platinum bus - extra space, USB chargers and free wi-fi.” Birmingham City Councillor
Waseem Zaffar, cabinet member for transport and environment, said: “These vehicles produce zero carbon emissions at the tailpipe and are powered by renewable energy. This is a significant step towards cleaner air in Birmingham.”
August/September 2020 CHAMBERLINK 23
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