Group proposes £56m investment to deliver 105 BYD ADL Enviro400EVs double-deckers in Manchester
Stagecoach has announced an ambitious plan to deliver 105 BYD ADL Enviro400EV battery-electric double-deckers to its operations in Manchester if a bid for support from the Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) scheme is successful.
The group is seeking £21.5m from the government. If it is received, a total investment of £56m will replace around 14% of Stagecoach’s fleet in Greater Manchester with zero-emission double-deckers and deliver what it says will be Europe’s biggest investment in electric buses.
All-party support
With the backing of Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham, Transport for Greater Manchester and other local organisations, the scheme is hoped to go live from summer 2019. Around 15-20 buses would be introduced per month, with roll-out completed by early 2020.
Stagecoach points out that the fleet would “significantly outstrip” plans announced by London Mayor Sadiq Khan that will see 68 electric double-deckers enter service in the capital.
Infrastructure work at Hyde Road and Sharston depots will, if the ULEB bid is successful, begin shortly and be complete by spring 2019. Charging stations will allow 24-hour operation of the Enviro400EVs, with intelligent chargers maximising vehicle availability.
Says Stagecoach Group Chief Executive Martin Griffiths: “This game-changing initiative is the biggest single investment in electric bus technology anywhere in Europe. It is a clear sign of our bold ambition to transform Greater Manchester’s bus network.
“Our plans will put Greater Manchester at the forefront of the drive to improve local air quality, and help to cement Britain’s position as a global leader in manufacturing low-emission vehicles.
“It is also part of our wider partnership proposals to maximise the bus network’s potential to drive the region’s economy and better connect its communities.
“By working together, bus operators, the Mayor and the region’s local authorities can deliver the quick and sustained improvements we all want to see in Greater Manchester’s bus network, building on the major progress that we have already made and avoiding unnecessary extra cost to local taxpayers.”
Trunk route use
If Stagecoach’s plans come to fruition, its electric double-deckers will operate on four high-frequency trunk services that connect Manchester city centre with the airport, Piccadilly railway station, six hospitals and two universities.
Two additional high-frequency services would also be operated by the buses where they would be supported by existing diesel-electric hybrids at peak times.
Other areas of Greater Manchester will also benefit from the electric buses’ introduction as they will allow existing low-emission vehicles to be cascaded to services in Salford and Trafford. Overall, the initiative will save 2.6m litres of diesel per year, cut NOx emissions by 24% and reduce CO2 production by 6,800 tonnes.
The Enviro400EV is built by ADL using battery and power electronics expertise from BYD. Range is claimed to be 190 miles and the model can carry around 80 passengers.