Last updated on June 8th, 2020 at 03:04 pm
Abellio and Zenobe Energy have announced the launch of an electric fleet of buses in London. The first five buses now operate on route P5, helping to improve air quality in areas across the south of the capital. The project will bring a total of 34 electric buses onto routes C10 (Canada Water to Victoria Station) and P5 (Patmore Estate to Elephant and Castle).
In May 2019, Zenobe, which serves around 20% of the EV bus market in the UK, announced its £120 million partnership funding for fleet operators, helping accelerate the roll out of electric vehicles across Britain. Abellio London operates across the city on behalf of Transport for London and controls over 8% of the capital’s bus network, running 800 vehicles and employing 2,500 staff across Central.
Abellio, with the support of Zenobe, will be provided with an end-to-end solution, including financing, batteries, the charging system at the depot and a software platform that helps optimise energy use. Steven Meersman, co-founder of Zenobe Energy, said: “We are very pleased to support Abellio on their journey to net zero and delighted to contribute to the deployment of Zero Emission Vehicles in London.”
This project will be very helpful in reducing greenhouse emissions across the country, as according to a report of the Committee on Climate Change (CCC), transport is responsible for the largest emissions of any UK sector, amounting to 23%. Alongside consumers switching over to EVs, moving the UK's bus fleets to electric would have a signficant impact on air quality and carbon footprint.
Tony Wilson, Managing Director at Abellio London, is particularly satisfied with the partnership, saying: “At Abellio, we continuously look for new, sustainable solutions to improve our services. Working with Zenobe has allowed us to do so in a way that is not only good for TfL, bus customers and the environment, but is also cost-effective. The battery storage solution at our depot helps us ensure we can deliver reliable services, while also improving air quality for local people every day.”