News: Fuming! South Yorkshire's new electric buses needed DIESEL generator to get going
A multimillion pound transport project to introduce state-of-the-art electric buses on to South Yorkshire's roads got off to a spluttering start with a diesel generator being used to charge up their batteries in Rotherham.
With just seven out of 20 electric buses in service daily, bosses at operator, Stagecoach, expressed their frustration with Northern Powergrid.
Rothbiz reported in January that electrification work had begun at the Rawmarsh depot ahead of the arrival of the first fleet of 23 zero emission electric buses to arrive in the region.
The brand-new electric Yutong buses have now been introduced on the region’s bus network, featuring on the 22x and 221 routes which connect the Dearne Valley across Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster.
The project is part of South Yorkshire’s first successful bid for Zero Emission Bus Regional Area funding (ZEBRA) from the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Stagecoach.
DfT contributed £8,351,721 and SYMCA contributed £2,683,051 of their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) provided by Government. Stagecoach is contributing around £4m.
Advertisement
The bid included 23 x 150kW depot chargers for Stagecoach's Rawmarsh depot purchased by Stagecoach and 2 x 300kW opportunity charging units for routes located at Rotherham Interchange to be owned and purchased by SYMCA.
SYMCA's July Enhanced Partnership Board heard an update on the project.
Minutes state: "Stagecoach discussed frustration with the delays to the Electro ZEBRA project. Although the buses were ready in April and infrastructure was installed by the end of that month, delays with Northern Powergrid have hindered progress. Currently, 7 out of 20 electric buses are in service daily.
"Fast chargers have been installed, and a diesel generator will be used for the next six weeks. Stagecoach reported that so far, the initiative has saved 27 tonnes of carbon and achieved a 3.8% year-on-year growth."
Stagecoach confirmed that in the last week of July, they managed to get a full run out of all the electric buses into service on the 22X and 221 calling it "another positive in the whole project."
One Electro bus saves 66 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a standard bus. That’s the same as the emissions produced by driving a petrol car 169,000 miles.
At Rotherham Interchange, which underwent a £12m refurb five years ago, the plan was to install pantograph chargers, usually involving an arm that extends from a charging station and connects with a receptor on a bus’ roof.
A planning application showed that, following a review of the electricity demand requirements for the pantograph chargers, "it has been identified that the existing Interchange electricity connection does not provide sufficient power. Therefore, to ensure the correct amount of energy is supplied a new electricity substation is required."
The plans were approved in May with work currently taking place for the new substation at the Drummond Street side of the bus station.
Stagecoach website
Images: Stagecoach
With just seven out of 20 electric buses in service daily, bosses at operator, Stagecoach, expressed their frustration with Northern Powergrid.
Rothbiz reported in January that electrification work had begun at the Rawmarsh depot ahead of the arrival of the first fleet of 23 zero emission electric buses to arrive in the region.
The brand-new electric Yutong buses have now been introduced on the region’s bus network, featuring on the 22x and 221 routes which connect the Dearne Valley across Rotherham, Barnsley and Doncaster.
The project is part of South Yorkshire’s first successful bid for Zero Emission Bus Regional Area funding (ZEBRA) from the Department for Transport (DfT) in partnership with South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA) and Stagecoach.
DfT contributed £8,351,721 and SYMCA contributed £2,683,051 of their City Region Sustainable Transport Settlement (CRSTS) provided by Government. Stagecoach is contributing around £4m.
Advertisement
The bid included 23 x 150kW depot chargers for Stagecoach's Rawmarsh depot purchased by Stagecoach and 2 x 300kW opportunity charging units for routes located at Rotherham Interchange to be owned and purchased by SYMCA.
SYMCA's July Enhanced Partnership Board heard an update on the project.
Minutes state: "Stagecoach discussed frustration with the delays to the Electro ZEBRA project. Although the buses were ready in April and infrastructure was installed by the end of that month, delays with Northern Powergrid have hindered progress. Currently, 7 out of 20 electric buses are in service daily.
"Fast chargers have been installed, and a diesel generator will be used for the next six weeks. Stagecoach reported that so far, the initiative has saved 27 tonnes of carbon and achieved a 3.8% year-on-year growth."
Stagecoach confirmed that in the last week of July, they managed to get a full run out of all the electric buses into service on the 22X and 221 calling it "another positive in the whole project."
One Electro bus saves 66 tonnes of CO2 per year compared to a standard bus. That’s the same as the emissions produced by driving a petrol car 169,000 miles.
At Rotherham Interchange, which underwent a £12m refurb five years ago, the plan was to install pantograph chargers, usually involving an arm that extends from a charging station and connects with a receptor on a bus’ roof.
A planning application showed that, following a review of the electricity demand requirements for the pantograph chargers, "it has been identified that the existing Interchange electricity connection does not provide sufficient power. Therefore, to ensure the correct amount of energy is supplied a new electricity substation is required."
The plans were approved in May with work currently taking place for the new substation at the Drummond Street side of the bus station.
Stagecoach website
Images: Stagecoach
4 comments:
Would never have happened if there'd been a conductor on board.
Jez you should be put on a charge for that.
There are always positives and negitives when it come to EVs
Watt?
Post a Comment