Oxford Bus Company is trialling an electric bus in service, as part of its preparation for the city’s ambition to transform its bus network to electric. The Mercedes-Benz eCitaro bus is currently operating on the Oxford Bus Company’s City service 11X, and is being charged at the operator’s Cowley depot.
The firm said its latest trial of an electric bus will help it further understand the latest technology available, as it prepares for the planned conversion to electric on city routes within two years in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, Thames Travel and Stagecoach. Earlier this year it trialled a StreetDeck Electroliner vehicle from Wrightbus, with that vehicle successfully completing more than 2,000km in service on park & ride service 300.
It was announced in March that 159 electric buses could serve Oxford following a bid for Government funding support was approved. Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, City Sightseeing Oxford and Stagecoach have pledged £43.7m towards the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme, the Government has committed £32.8m and Oxfordshire County Council £6m. The commitment from bus operators is dependent on the introduction of public policies to reduce bus journey times.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Interim Managing Director, said: “It is important we continue to develop our knowledge of what the current standard of electric bus technology is, as the market is moving quickly. The vehicle we are currently using has a second-generation battery and early indications are it provides a much improved range than earlier versions. We’re looking forward to continuing to road-test electric buses in service so that should public policy allow we will be ready to launch and help deliver Oxford’s ambitious vision to go all electric.”
Last month Oxford Bus Company announced it has installed an electricity substation at its Cowley depot to support the rapid charging of electric buses. In 2020 it introduced the first electric bus to the city via its City Sightseeing Oxford fleet. It now has three retrofitted electric vehicles in its fleet, which were delivered in partnership with Oxford City Council.
