Abellio’s first electric buses in London enter service in partnership with Zenobe
Zenobe Energy is backing the deployment of Abellio’s first fleet of electric buses in London. Zenobe will own and operate the batteries on the bus, and run and maintain the charging infrastructure in the depot, as well as funding the buses in the first example of an end-to-end ‘electric bus as a service’ scheme in the capital.
The first five buses are now operating on route P5, and the project includes a total of 34 electric buses for the C10 (Canada Water to Victoria Station) and P5 (Patmore Estate to Elephant and Castle) routes. The new buses are from Portugal-based CaetanoBus and also represents a first in the UK for Caetano’s electric buses.
In May 2019, Zenobe announced a £120million partnership fund for fleet operators to help accelerate the roll-out of electric vehicles across Britain.
“We are very pleased to support Abellio on their journey to net zero and delighted to contribute to the deployment of Zero Emission Vehicles in London,” says Steven Meersman, co-founder of Zenobe Energy, “Our service-based model means we’re there for our partners throughout the journey, not just on day one. It shows that innovative green solutions can be sustainable in both ecological and financial terms. We hope our partnership with Abellio paves the way for other opportunities in London to improve journey quality for commuters and support operators on route to net-zero.”
Tony Wilson, managing director, Abellio London Bus, adds: “At Abellio, we continuously look for new, sustainable solutions to improve our services. Working with Zenobe has allowed us to do so in a way that is not only good for TfL, bus customers and the environment but is also cost-effective. The battery storage solution at our depot helps us ensure we can deliver reliable services, while also improving air quality for local people every day.”