Abellio launches Caetano e.City Gold fleet with Zenobe

Abellio London has launched the first of a fleet of 34 Caetano e.City Gold battery-electric single-deckers that will operate on routes C10 and P5 in the capital.

They are the first e.City Golds in the UK. As part of the project to deliver them, Zenobe Energy has provided Abellio London with a solution that includes financing, batteries, depot charging systems and a software platform that helps to optimise energy use.

The package is London’s first example of an end-to-end fully funded and managed service with private capital, says Zenobe. It describes the model as ‘electric bus as a service’.

“Our service-based model means that we are there for our partners throughout the journey, not just on day one,” adds Zenobe Co-Founder Steven Meersman.

“It shows that innovative green solutions can be sustainable in both ecological and financial terms. We hope our partnership with Abellio paves the way for other opportunities in London to improve the journey quality for users and to support operators on the route to net zero.”

The e.City Gold buses were developed by Caetano in close collaboration with Abellio London. They are 10.7m long with a fully flat floor.

Abellio London Managing Director Tony Wilson earlier described them as delivering “a step change in safety and in driver and passenger comfort” thanks to the incorporation of elements of the Transport for London (TfL) Bus Safety Standard ahead of its mandatory introduction.

“At Abellio, we continuously look for new, sustainable solutions to improve our services,” adds Mr Wilson.

“Working with Zenobe has allowed us to do so in a way that is not only good for TfL, customers and the environment, but is also cost-effective. The battery storage solution at our depot helps us to ensure we can deliver reliable services while also improving air quality.”