On 21 November, Abellio London Bus won the ‘Fleet Electrification Strategy of the Year’ award for a fleet of over 100 vehicles at the 2023 Electric Vehicle Innovation and Excellence Awards, or EVIEs for short. The EVIEs aim to highlight innovation and excellence within the electric vehicle (EV) sector, and Abellio was shortlisted alongside other nominees including Westminster City Council and Dundee City Council.
The award acknowledged the dedicated and skilled teams at Abellio who grew the firm’s electric bus fleet to over 100 vehicles between 2022 and 2023 and delivered large infrastructure projects to support that growth. By July 2023, Abellio had 157 electric vehicles, meaning that around 15% of its fleet was electric.
The key focus of the award entry was the project to mobilise 30 Wrightbus Electroliners on TfL route 111 alongside the energisation of Abellio’s Twickenham depot, which was completed with the support of partners UK Power Networks and Enel X; partners Siemens, Sinewave and Zenobe have also supported
EV infrastructure growth at Abellio’s Walworth, Southall and Battersea depots.
Abellio said the investment in fleet and infrastructure highlights its clear vision to improve transport in London and a dedication to making London a better place by providing cleaner and safer zero-emission journeys, and emphasised the need for solid partnerships to achieve such rapid growth.
The operator plans to have 30% of its fleet fully electric in 2024, and recently announced a further investment in more Wrightbus vehicles which will see a further 80 delivered. Managing Director of Abellio London Jon Eardley said: “Here at Abellio London and across the entire Transport UK Group, we’re dedicated to shaping the future of public transport, and winning this award is a testament to that. It is the culmination of five years of hard work from our highly skilled team and technical partners in the relentless pursuit of excellence in energising our sites and decarbonising our fleet. We’re building a brighter, better future and doing our part to make Transport for London a strong, green heartbeat for London.”
