First Bus has partnered with Heliox on the electrification of five new depots across the UK in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, Minehead, Taunton, and Basildon.
As part of an £89 million investment from the operator and supported by £16 million from the government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas scheme (ZEBRA 2), the collaboration will enable 178 new electric buses to be charged.
The five charging stations, which will be able to recharge up to 190 buses simultaneously, will be added to the nine existing First Bus depots developed by Heliox.
Among those is Summercourt in Cornwall, which unusually provides direct access to the public to charge cars and vans.
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with First Bus on their journey towards a zero-emission fleet,” says Stephen Wood, Heliox Country Manager UK and Ireland.
“The huge £89m investment from First Bus and support from the ZEBRA2 funding programme has enabled us to play a vital role in accelerating the transition to electric public transport, particularly in rural areas. These new charging depots will be instrumental in achieving this goal.”
Faizan Ahmad, Decarbonisation Programme Director for First Bus, adds: “These projects mark another significant milestone in our commitment to a zero-emission bus fleet across the UK.
“Our partnership with Heliox has enabled us to electrify our depots and introduce cutting-edge electric buses, delivering cleaner air and a better passenger experience.
“As a leader in sustainable transport, we’re committed to working with both central and local governments to support national decarbonisation goals and encourage more people to choose bus travel.”
First Bus says the partnership has worked to optimise space efficiency and implement “cutting-edge cable management solutions with remote-controlled overhead gantries”. The latter minimises any loss of parking and allows cables to be lowered automatically to the vehicles.
