Alexander Dennis (ADL) and BYD UK will supply over a hundred zero-emission double-deck buses to EV fleet and battery storage specialist Zenobē and bus operator National Express.
The deal will see over 130 BYD ADL Enviro400EV double-deck electric buses, manufactured in Britain by ADL in partnership with BYD, enter service in Coventry from early 2023 as a part of the city’s successful bid to become the country’s first all-electric bus city and take it closer to replacing around 300 diesel vehicles by 2025.
Zenobē will provide Electric-Transportation-as-a-Service (ETaaS) to National Express, financing and managing the full turnkey solution that includes new BYD ADL vehicles, on-board battery replacement, charging and grid infrastructure, a second life battery system at the depot, software to optimise charging, parts, and full operational support.
Tom Stables, CEO of National Express UK and Germany, said: “This ground-breaking partnership with Zenobe further demonstrates our leadership as National Express takes another significant step towards our fully zero-emission bus fleet ambition.
“Through this pioneering new way of working, Zenobe’s innovative solution provides us with the reliability and flexibility we need to accelerate the roll-out of our greener, cleaner vehicles, while we focus on delivering an excellent service for the people of Coventry.”
As part of the agreement, ADL will supply Zenobē and National Express with spare parts for planned preventive maintenance over a period of 16 years from acceptance of the vehicles.
The work builds on ADL and Zenobē’s existing work with National Express, previously providing charging infrastructure and batteries for 29 BYD ADL Enviro400EV electric buses in Coventry and Birmingham in 2020.
The project will be financed partly through the partnership between Zenobē and National Express, with some investment also coming from a £50m grant from the UK Department of Transport, awarded to West Midlands Combined Authority for Coventry’s all-electric bus city scheme.
