I am moved to write a response to “Less torque, more action” [routeone/Opinion/6 September] but I can’t claim to match its humour. Sadly for your correspondent, I don’t think that petrol engines exist any more that are capable of powering a coach. If there were I am sure they would have to meet the emissions requirements of Ultra Low Emission Zones (ULEZs).
There is a glimmer of hope for him which he did mention. There are spark ignition engines which could be retro-fitted to his coaches but they are natural gas fuelled. Most of the major manufacturers have spark ignition engines suitable for coaches. I agree that currently there does not seem to be a gas fuelled coach. The gas engines as fitted to buses are more than adequate to power coaches and when fuelled by biomethane they easily meet the requirements of ULEZs.
This still leaves us a long way from an answer. Forget hybrids, they don’t deliver what’s needed. Gas retro fit is feasible, new gas construction is feasible but neither will be cheap. Buses enjoy Office for Low Emission Vehicles (OLEV) grants to help introduce new low emission technology, why not coaches? Coaches have to deliver tourists to their destinations – many of which will lie within ULEZs – and the cities with ULEZs depend on revenue from the tourist trade, so why not some encouragement for coaches?
ULEZs could be provided with biomethane fuelling stations by arrangement with councils and fuel suppliers. As the UK’s biggest supplier of biomethane fuel to the transport industry, we are always interested in a commercially viable fuelling opportunity and that can be as few as 10 coaches per day.
The coach operating industry needs to lobby DfT, OLEV, city councils and the coach manufacturers to address the challenge of low emission coaches for operation in ULEV zones.
We, as they say on Clydeside, will back you up ‘til your nose bleeds.
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