New low-carbon buses for Newport, Leeds and Aberdeen

Forgive the old joke, but news of three low-carbon bus projects have arrived at the same time.

First, battery storage company Zenobe Energy and Newport City Council’s subsidiary Newport Transport have announced the first-ever fleet of electric buses to service the city. Fifteen Yutong buses, manufactured in China, have been serving the people of Newport on multiple routes from last month. 

Zenobe, which says it powers 25% of the electric bus market in the UK, is providing Newport Transport with its end-to-end solution, including financing, batteries, the charging system at the depot with nine dedicated rapid chargers, and a software platform that helps monitor and optimise energy use.

Meanwhile, the first-ever zero emission bus fleet for Leeds is being prepared to enter service in a multi-million pound investment by First Bus in partnership with the West Yorkshire Combined Authority and Leeds City Council. The nine Yutong E10 electric vehicles are supplied by Pelican Coach & Bus, based in Castleford, the distributor in the UK for the Chinese-made buses.

Electricity charging infrastructure for the fleet is nearing completion at First’s Hunslet Park depot in the city. The equipment and installation are also being managed by Zenobe Energy. A battery energy storage system comprising two large Tesla batteries will support the power requirements, including fleet charging and grid services. 

Last, the world’s first hydrogen-powered double decker bus is to go into service in Aberdeen, a city which has pioneered hydrogen technologies. The buses are as efficient as electric equivalents, with refuelling taking less than 10 minutes and offering a greater range, says manufacturer Wrightbus. The UK’s first hydrogen production and bus refuelling station was opened in Aberdeen in 2015. 

Photo: Zenobe Energy