As one of the UK’s largest bus operators, First Bus has pledged to operate a full zero emission fleet by 2035 and the company has selected electrification specialist Equipmake to convert the 12 First York electric Optare Versa buses using its pioneering electric drivetrain at the company’s base in Snetterton, Norfolk.
Equipmake expects each converted bus to have a range of 150 miles in all UK weather conditions, thanks to a larger battery and a patented HVAC system, extending the life of existing zero-emissions public transport for the people of York.
Both single-deckers, such as the Versa, and double-deckers, can be repurposed to incorporate Equipmake’s scalable modular Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED).
Equipmake repowers are tailored to specific requirements provided by the operator, with service routes simulated to ensure the optimum battery power level is selected to secure driving ranges of 150 to 250 miles. This range is more than sufficient for a complete duty cycle, allowing buses to be recharged faster, overnight and operate for longer during the day.
The company’s repower programme has both environmental and cost benefits, with each conversion costing less than half the cost of a new electric bus. With most buses in service for 14 years or more, operators can make significant savings by repowering a bus halfway through its usable life. Work is already underway on the first Versa conversion, and following the successful trial, 11 more buses will be repowered over the coming months, with delivery of the first vehicle scheduled for November this year.
“Repowered buses represent a fantastic opportunity for operators to help accelerate the much-needed transition to sustainable mobility” said Ian Foley, CEO, Equipmake. “Together with our new electric bus, the Jewel E, this technology can facilitate a significant reduction in air pollution across the country. We are delighted that First Bus has chosen to implement our pioneering technology in 12 of the buses in its York Park & Ride fleet. This is great news for passengers and for the people of York, who can look forward to cleaner air in their city. This agreement reflects the strong demand we are seeing for our products, which has, in turn, driven plans to expand our facility, creating 180 jobs, bringing the total number of staff employed at Equipmake to 255.”
Garry Birmingham, Director for Decarbonisation at First Bus, added that the retrofitting of First Bus’s older electric buses is another great example of how the company can maximise the lifespan of a bus, beyond 15 years, and in addition, significantly reduce the embodied carbon associated with manufacturing new vehicles.
“This is an extension of our Zero Emission Mission 2035 target, in support of our wider commitment to setting ambitious science-based targets to achieve Net Zero Emissions” said Mr Birmingham. “These 12 repowered buses use a clever and cost-effective technology, which underlines our commitment to offer sustainable transport solutions. Nationally, First Bus is committed to delivering our zero-emission fleet goal, and First York’s partnership with Equipmake is a great example of how we can achieve this ambition.”
First Bus played a key role in helping to establish the York Park & Ride scheme, one of the most extensive in the UK. It offers affordable transportation into the city centre from six different parking locations, with buses carrying around 50,000 people every day and is already the biggest zero-emission Park & Ride operation in the country.
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