Sky staff shuttles go electric with BYD ADL partnership, Dawsongroup and Cobra
Alexander Dennis (Alexander Dennis Limited, ADL) and BYD UK jointly announced today that their electric vehicle partnership, the UK’s leading electric bus producer, is working with Dawsongroup bus and coach (DGBC) and Cobra Corporate Services Limited (Cobra) to provide zero-emission transportation services for broadcasting and telecommunications group Sky.
Alexander Dennis is a subsidiary of leading independent global bus manufacturer NFI Group Inc. (NFI), while BYD is a global leader in batteries, energy management and electric mobility. DGBC is part of Dawsongroup – a group of companies specialising in the supply of commercial assets.
Sky provides its staff and visitors with free shuttle bus services from various public transport hubs to its Livingston Campus near Edinburgh and its Osterley Campus in London.
Cobra operates the shuttle bus service on behalf of Sky and has chosen DGBC’s fully supported vehicle contract hire solution, enabling it to concentrate on providing a high-quality service. The eight new British-built BYD ADL Enviro200EV electric single deck buses will be added to the Cobra fleet over the coming weeks. The first two buses have gone live at the Livingston Campus on 2nd August and another six will launch on 15th August at the Osterley Campus.
The all-electric, zero-emission buses will replace conventional vehicles currently used for the shuttle bus service. They will assist Sky in reducing its carbon footprint and achieving its goal of becoming net-zero by 2030.
The BYD ADL Enviro200EV is equipped with world-class BYD Iron-Phosphate Battery technology, providing a longer driving range, optimised battery life and ultra-safe performance.
This will enable Cobra to run a full day’s shuttle bus service on one charge, help improve the air quality while providing a comfortable and sustainable journey for passengers.
Steve Dowling, Director at Cobra Corporate Services Limited, said: “After many months of research, discussions and preparation to ensure the correct products were used, BYD ADL are the right choice of electric bus for us to integrate into the Sky Zero strategy. The decision to continue the relationship with Dawsongroup and our chosen infrastructure suppliers made all the hard work that much easier. Pooling in knowledge from the industry leaders in bus and charger manufacturing has enabled a confident launch of service delivery as we enter our operations into the world of electrically propelled passenger transportation.”
Mark Taylor, Regional Sales Manager at Alexander Dennis, said: “We are delighted to show the benefits of electric buses on staff shuttle services with this project being the largest of its kind in the country. Our British-built BYD ADL Enviro200EV is a great fit and incorporates unrivalled experience from over 1,000 electric buses on the road nationally, ensuring reliability and peace of mind for Cobra as the operator, as well as Dawsongroup as owner and provider of the vehicles.”
Fraser Innes, Sales Director at Dawsongroup bus and coach, said: “This has been a fantastic project to be part of, from the early planning to the roll out of the product. We are delighted to have partnered with Cobra Corporate Services in providing this innovative solution for their client and supporting them with the premium service levels required over the years to come.”
Frank Thorpe, Managing Director of BYD UK, said: “It is our pleasure to support Cobra and Dawsongroup with our advanced technology and products to implement electric, emissions-free transport for these shuttle bus services. Through our established electric bus partnership with Alexander Dennis, BYD has over 1400 units of eBuses in service or on order across the UK. We are proud to bring our eMobility solution to cities and suburbs, providing local people with a cleaner transport service while accelerating net-zero progress in the UK.”
