Squadron service of electric buses in Wales will commence on Monday 12 October after the delivery of 14 more Yutong E12 models to Newport Transport. They will complement a seed E12 that has been in use with the municipal operator since 2019.
The battery-electric buses will be used on routes across Newport, with seven of them dedicated to services to Cwmbran. They have been supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach. Zenobe Energy has provided the operator with its ‘end to end’ solution that includes financing for batteries, the depot charging system and a software platform that helps to monitor and optimise energy consumption.
Newport Transport’s long-term plans to expand zero-emission operation to more of its fleet are well known. Managing Director Scott Pearson says that the seed E12, which has been in service for a year, has delivered “some excellent performance data.”
He adds that placing more zero-emission buses in service “is a massive step forward” for Newport Transport. “Delivering such an innovative scheme during a pandemic, with a strategic vision beyond these trying times, is absolutely key to reducing our environmental impact and doing what we can to slow climate change. We are determined to lead the way in Wales.”
Zenobe Energy Co-Founder Steven Meersman says the supplier’s service-based model “means that we are there for our partners throughout the journey, not just on Day One.”
Besides Newport Transport, other operators that will soon place Yutong battery-electric buses into service include First West Yorkshire and Go North East (GNE). Each company ordered nine E10 models. First’s are based at its Hunslet Park depot in Leeds while GNE’s will work from Gateshead Riverside.
