- UK bus operator Stagecoach Midlands, with the help of electric fleet specialists VEV, has made the first step in opening up its depot infrastructure to third parties, helping to maximise their return on investment whilst simultaneously increasing access to charging for other electric fleets.
- The proposal for shared charging infrastructure at its Nuneaton bus depot is primed to help boost EV adoption across sectors such as trucks, emergency services, and last mile deliveries.
- Now, the first eHGV charge from a third party has taken place thanks to the depot’s charging infrastructure.
Will sharing of fleet charging infrastructure help drive further adoption?
Stagecoach’s Nuneaton depot consists of 45 high power EV chargers, combined with a solar power system and VEV’s smart charging platform, helping to charge up the firm’s growing fleet of fully-electric buses. Now, with the first eHGV charge carried out at the site in a trial, the infrastructure is one step closer to helping other electric fleets to access charging infrastructure. Later down the line, Stagecoach hopes to roll this out as a permanent offering, helping to create a secondary income stream for its charging infrastructure.
Shared infrastructure schemes such as this will be crucial for enabling a more widespread switch right across the EV industry, particularly for businesses who cannot rely on their own in-house depot charging – whether that’s due to prohibitive costs of installing such infrastructure, or long journeys carried out by its EVs. It’s not just sharing on the commercial vehicle side, either: Recently, First Bus announced its First Charge program, which will allow drivers of passenger EVs to access charging infrastructure during hours where buses aren’t at the depot.
Marvin Smith, Head of Solutions Sales at Stagecoach, commented:
“This is a huge step forward for the team as we continue to test and refine our offer before rollout more broadly. What we’re building is truly unique, with wide bays that offer plenty of space for large vehicles, clean infrastructure and no queues.”
Simon Cubitt, Commercial Director for Bus and Coach at VEV, added:
“We couldn’t be prouder to be supporting Stagecoach with their ambitions for B2B charging as a key opportunity to help offset the costs of electrifying their fleet, while helping other operators to start their own EV journey.
Stagecoach has truly been leading the way to create an infrastructure network that serves the entire transport industry and the surrounding communities. We can’t wait to do more!”
