- Over a hundred charging points are being installed in preparation for Oxford Bus Company’s 104 electric buses later this year.
- The charging hub will be powered by EDF renewable energy.
- The task is part of the decarbonising ‘Energy Superhub Oxford’ project.
More electric buses are arriving in Oxford later this year
The Oxford Bus Company has announced that fleet electrification specialist Zenobē has begun the task of installing 104 electric bus chargers at the city’s Cowley House depot. This will also make the depot one of the biggest electric charging hubs in the UK.
Currently, Oxford has just three electric buses roaming its streets. But, these 150kW chargers are arriving just in time for the arrival of 104 new fully-electric buses, which will start being delivered later this year and each have over 170 miles of range.
Oxford Bus Company’s parent company, Go-Ahead, is undertaking this as part of its plan to convert its nationwide fleet of 5,500 buses to zero emission energy. This scheme for Oxford is being jointly funded by both the Go-Ahead Group, Oxfordshire County Council, and the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, totalling £82.5m of investment.
The news is another step in the ‘Energy Superhub Oxford’ project, which is aiming to cut CO2 emissions in Oxford by 10,000 tonnes each year. This scheme has also taken the form of 42 EV chargers installed at the city’s Redbridge Park and Ride, domestic heat pump installations, and batteries to store renewable energy.
This step is also encouraging for meeting the Zero Carbon Oxford roadmap, which hopes to reduce carbon emissions by 88% from 2018 levels, by 2040.
“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”
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company
