Falcon Buses of West Byfleet has engaged VEV to design, procure and build infrastructure that is necessary to support the independent operator’s 13 Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV battery-electric buses that are due to enter service in 2026.
VEV has already provided electrification consultancy and a power requirement assessment for Falcon and facilitated a grid upgrade to its operating centre. The supplier says it will manage a “challenging build” at the depot, which will include a half-mile excavation to bring in the necessary power.
The collaboration will enable what VEV adds is a cost-effective adoption of the Enviro200EV fleet. They are being purchased with support from Surrey County Council via a scheme that is assisting wider deployment of zero-emission buses and community transport minibuses along with bus priority measures and improved roadside infrastructure.
When the Falcon Buses Enviro200EV fleet is in service, they will be connected to VEV-IQ, which is the supplier’s proprietary data management system. It optimises charging by doing that dynamically, minimising the costs of operation but ensuring that all vehicles are fully charged for the next day’s duty cycle.
Once completed, the electrification project will remove an expected 10,454 tonnes of CO2 emissions across the buses’ lifespan. The grid upgrade facilitated by VEV delivers capacity for up to 35 battery-electric buses, with space on site for such a number also in hand.
Falcon Buses Managing Director Richard Telling says that the operator has “a duty to provide our customers and local residents with an efficient, environmentally friendly service that is fit for purpose today and in the future.”
He adds that the business is pleased to be working with VEV to negotiate the challenges of moving to battery-electric and to futureproof its depot. “We are hugely excited to see the project unfold ahead of the service commencing in 2026.”
VEV CEO Mike Nakrani adds: “We are looking forward to enabling Falcon’s vision for a clean, electric bus fleet to become a reality. Bus electrification represents a huge opportunity in the race to achieve net-zero for the UK, local authorities, and our local communities.
“Bus operators therefore have a significant role to play in switching to electric fleets, and we help them to navigate the challenges they can face in making that happen.”
