A fleet of new battery-electric single-deckers has been launched in the Welsh capital, whilst its fleet of unusual Scania bendy-buses has reached the end of the road and the type will be withdrawn at the end of January.
Cardiff Bus unveiled its brand-new fleet of 36 fully electric buses at an official launch event in the city centre on Friday 14 January. The arrival of the Yutong E12 zero-emission single-decker buses comes as Cardiff Bus looks towards reducing its emissions and helping to reduce air pollution in the Welsh capital city.
At the launch, guests and the general public were able to see a first glance of the vehicles and speak to members of the Cardiff Bus team about its latest step in the transformation of the city’s bus network. In a joint effort to improve air quality and make sustainable transport the future of mobility in the city, the investment into this new infrastructure is a collaboration between the operator and its shareholder, Cardiff Council, after a successful bid for funding from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Ultra-Low Emissions Bus Scheme.
The operator said that the purchase of the fleet marks the start of fleet modernisation plans, with the new vehicles accounting for 24% of its fleet. The new buses are fitted with next stop audio and visual announcements, and USB ports.
EV fleet and battery storage specialist Zenobē has financed and implemented the charging infrastructure for the 36 vehicles and an end-to-end software solution to manage fleet charging, as well as the resulting power requirements.
Paul Dyer, Managing Director at Cardiff Bus said: “We are extremely proud to unveil our new fleet of 36 fully electric buses. It is a huge step in not only our goal to reach zero emissions, but also our goal of providing a first-class service to our customers.
“Cardiff Bus has been committed to providing travel for the people of our city for nearly 120 years, and we are extremely proud of the part we play in city life. We take our role in improving the air quality in Cardiff very seriously and we know that this development is going to be instrumental in ensuring city life can continue in a more green and sustainable fashion.
“I’d like to thank those involved in the project thus far, and our drivers, engineers, and all support staff who have played a key part in getting these new buses onto the streets of our city.
“This investment wouldn’t have been possible without the support of wider stakeholders and our shareholder Cardiff Council. We look forward to continuing to work closely with them to make bus travel the preferred method of travelling around our city.”
Cabinet Member for Strategic Planning and Transport, Councillor Caro Wild added: “It is great to see the new fleet of electric buses on the streets of Cardiff, and they will play an important part towards our clean air and carbon neutral ambitions for the city.
“These modern vehicles will significantly improve the customer experience and are great for the environment, as they produce zero exhaust emissions and reduce noise pollution as well. We know from our own research that people are genuinely excited about electric buses coming to Cardiff, so now that they are here, we hope as many people will use them as possible.”
Ian Downie, Head of Yutong Bus UK for supplier Pelican Engineering commented: “It was a pleasure working with the Cardiff team. After an in-depth tender process, we worked with the team to produce these state-of-the-art zero-emission vehicles. With over 127,000 zero-emission Yutongs in service, completing 27 billion kilometres of operational service, the vehicles are tried, tested and proven. Cardiff’s specification required a number of UK supplied components to be fitted, which our team of UK engineers in Castleford completed over the past six weeks.
“As well as the full air conditioning, WiFi and USB charging, the vehicles are not only zero-emission, but also smooth and quiet in operation, demonstrating Cardiff Bus’s commitment to bring environmentally friendly and enhanced customer-centric vehicles to the population of Cardiff.”
Steven Meersman, Co-Founder of Zenobē, commented: “We are delighted to be partnering with Cardiff Bus to facilitate the launch of its electric offering and help grow sustainable transport in Wales. This project could not have happened without close collaboration between Cardiff Bus, the Welsh government, Pelican/Yutong and Zenobē. Our charging infrastructure and intelligent flexible power solution will enable Cardiff Bus to futureproof and charge its new fleet reliably and efficiently. We’re excited to be boosting accessibility to sustainable travel and clean air across the city and supporting a swift transition to a low carbon future.”
