Work has begun on what would be one of the biggest electric charging hubs in the UK as 104 units are installed at Go-Ahead’s Oxford Bus Company depot in Cowley.
In preparation for the arrival of 104 new battery electric buses later this year, Zenobe is providing the infrastructure and EDF Energy an 8mW electrical connection at Cowley House.
Each of the charging points will impart 150kW of DC power – enough so that each bus will be able to drive more than 170 miles per day.
The 104 vehicles will include 99 StreetDeck Electroliner double-deckers and five GB Kite Electroliner single-deckers. They were funded by Go-Ahead Group, Oxfordshire County Council and the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, which also included 55 Enviro400EV’s for Stagecoach in Oxfordshire.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, says: “This is another exciting step forward in our extensive infrastructure scope of works in preparation for transforming our city services to electric. Partnering with Zenobē ensures we will receive the best-in-class advice and technology to fully equip us with a market-leading charging solution that meets our needs.
“We’re looking forward to introducing the first tranche of electric buses later in the year, which will help improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.”
The work at Cowley House is part of the city’s four-year urban decarbonisation project, Energy Superhub Oxford. It includes a first-of-a-kind battery storage system, a high-power private wire charging network and an electric vehicle charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride.
Christian Schreyer, Go-Ahead Group Chief Executive, adds: “Customers in Oxford can look forward to clean, green, comfortable buses when this work is complete. This is a great example of bus operators working in partnership with local and national government to deliver zero-emission transport.”
