The zero-emission double decker is one of 55 that will enter service on Oxford city services in the coming months. They will enable the full electrification of local routes in the Oxford Smart Zone, a joint initiative between Stagecoach and partners Oxfordshire County Council and Oxford Bus Company, supported by UK Government funding.
Stagecoach’s Enviro400EV for Oxford are 11.1m long and 4.2m high. They have capacity for 83 passengers, including 69 on comfortable high-backed seats with USB-A and USB-C charging ports. Two wheelchair spaces are provided.
While installation of charging infrastructure continues at Stagecoach’s new Network Oxford site, driver training will begin shortly ahead of a launch into service later this spring.
Sam Greer, Chief Operating Officer for Stagecoach, said: “With a network that spans across the UK, the incorporation of the new Enviro400EV buses into our fleet in Oxfordshire reaffirms our commitment to our customers experience.
“Being the first operator to receive these next-generation buses brings us a step closer to realising our goal of being fully net zero and we will continue to build on our work to tackle climate change and become more energy efficient.”
Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director, added: “The delivery of our first next-generation electric bus in the United Kingdom is a milestone in the roll-out of our new product range and we’re delighted to be marking this moment with our launch customer Stagecoach. These buses will be driving value through efficiency with class-leading energy consumption as well as through their future-proof battery system which is designed to last a 20-year life of a double deck bus in provincial operation with just one change of batteries.
“We are grateful for Stagecoach’s trust in us and for their support as we continue to develop our range of next-generation zero-emission vehicles.”
The Enviro400EV has recently been confirmed as the most efficient battery-electric double decker currently available in the market with a theoretical energy consumption of just 0.67kWh/km over the Zemo Partnership’s UK Bus Cycle.
Alexander Dennis’s engineers have achieved this benchmark result by combining the heavy-duty version of the Voith Electrical Drive System with a future-proof battery system from Impact Clean Power Technology storing 472kWh of energy.
