Public Transport, Sustainability | Oxfordshire

Electric bus on trial in Oxford as city prepares for low carbon future

Private: Oxford Bus CompanyTue 16th Aug 20222 min

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 eCitaro single-deck bus is currently operating on the Oxford Bus Company’s City11X service. Oxford Bus Company charges the vehicle at its Cowley depot.

The latest trial of an electric bus by Oxford Bus Company will help the firm 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 bus builder Wrightbus, with that vehicle successfully completing more than 2,000km in service on the Park & Ride 300 service.

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 Oxford Bus Company introduced the first electric bus to Oxford 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. More than two-thirds of the Oxford Bus Company fleet now meet the Euro VI emissions standard, helping improve air quality in Oxfordshire. An Oxford City Council air quality report recently revealed with NOx emissions from buses has decreased by half since 2013. Buses now contribute less pollution than cars in Oxford city centre.

Private: Oxford Bus Company

The Oxford Bus group of companies has connected passengers across Oxford, South Oxfordshire, Buckinghamshire and Reading since 1881.

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