A three-year partnership between fast DC charging specialist Kempower and fleet specialist EO Charging has seen the rollout of 342 charge points to support battery-electric bus fleets in the UK.
Those have delivered a combined 20.23GWh, which Kempower says could power 12,200 homes for a year. The collaboration has a further 150 chargers in build and has recently installed three pantograph-based opportunity charging set-ups for a customer in Scotland.
Deployment of the latter is Kempower’s opening pantograph-based commercial installation in the northern hemisphere, with the supplier having completed its first globally in Australia during July 2024. The Kempower pantograph solution can deliver power at up to 500kW.
Plug-in charging solutions have been delivered to operators including Go-Ahead, Metroline and Stagecoach at 11 depots, primarily in London and Scotland.
The partnership between Kempower and EO Charging was established in 2022, with Kempower noting that it was formed then “to ensure that the positive uptake in electric buses is matched with sufficient charging infrastructure to ensure a smooth transition.”
Speaking about the work, Kempower Head of Sales for the UK and Ireland Rolle Nieminen says: “The successful delivery of pantograph infrastructure in Scotland shows that the UK’s bus networks are ready for fast, automated charging built for reliability.
“By partnering with EO Charging, we are helping operators to scale up their electric fleets with confidence and ensuring that public transport keeps moving as the e-mobility sector grows.”
Adds EO Charging Director of eBus Philip Kershaw: “Deploying more than 300 bus charging points in partnership with Kempower shows what is possible when infrastructure expertise meets world-class charging technology.
“We are really proud of the work we have delivered for our joint customers so far and are excited to continue working together to lead the expansion of e-bus infrastructure across the UK and Europe.”
