VEV will support electrification of multiple Stagecoach bus fleets via the construction of high-powered DC charging infrastructure for over 150 vehicles at depots in Chesterfield, Leamington Spa, Nuneaton, and Rugby.
Of those, Chesterfield, Leamington and Nuneaton will see solar panels installed to deliver lifetime savings that VEV says will exceed £1 million. Agreement with Stagecoach follows VEV’s arrival in the UK electric bus market in 2023 and advocacy of what it said then is “a turnkey approach” to electrification.
In a parallel development, Stagecoach is trialling use of existing chargers at its Aberdeen depot by third parties. The goal is to maximise use of that infrastructure. If successful, the concept will extend to two other operating centres. All chargers involved will be managed by VEV-IQ, the supplier’s smart charging and digital energy management platform.
Speaking at Euro Bus Expo about the work with Stagecoach, VEV Strategic Partnerships and Commercial Director Simon Cubitt described the supplier’s experience “in both the operator and electric charging spaces” as being key to securing the deal.
“We understand how the operation works, and we can bring that knowledge to bear on the different stages of planning, implementation and operation,” he continues.
“We were able to demonstrate to Stagecoach what we can do. We take a long-term view, supporting an operator through the various stages. Having our own digital platform VEV-IQ, which manages charger scheduling and status, along with power demand and usage, means we can tailor [to] an operator’s needs.”
VEV CEO Mike Nakrani adds that successful electrification requires “careful planning and optimisation to be successful, not just at the point of delivery but throughout the lifecycle of the bus.”
He continues: “At VEV, we recognise these complexities and take a digital- and data-first approach to EV fleet operations, which is why we continue to invest heavily in our VEV-IQ platform to develop its data science capabilities.”
Stagecoach CEO Claire Miles says that VEV’s depth of experience was a big draw for the group. “We are pleased to work with it on our electrification projects, leveraging its global experience to drive our sustainability goals forward,” she explains.
