Oxford Bus Company initiates installation of large electric charging hub

Credit: Go-Ahead Group

The Go-Ahead Group has announced that the installation of a large electric charging hub in the UK has begun at the depot of the Oxford Bus Company. Zenobē is responsible for setting up the extensive charging infrastructure at Cowley House.

The hub will consist of 104 charging points, each capable of delivering 150kW of DC power. An 8MW electrical connection will supply the hub, providing sufficient electricity to charge all 104 buses, enabling them to travel over 170 miles per day.  In addition, Oxford Bus Company has ordered 104 new electric buses, with the first deliveries expected in late 2023.

The consortium involved in the scheme, which includes the Oxford Bus Company, has committed £43.7 million, with additional contributions from the UK government (£32.8 million) and Oxfordshire County Council (£6 million). In total, the investment will result in 159 new battery electric buses serving Oxford. Oxfordshire was one of the 12 successful local authorities to secure ZEBRA funding, making this one of the largest schemes in the country.

“This is another exciting step forward in our extensive infrastructure scope of works in preparation for transforming our city services to electric,” said Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company. “We’re looking forward to introducing the first tranche of electric buses later in the year, which will help improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.”

Christian Schreyer, Go-Ahead Group Chief Executive, said: “Customers in Oxford can look forward to clean, green, comfortable buses when this work is complete. This is a great example of bus operators working in partnership with local and national government to deliver zero-emission transport.”

Abellio launches fully electric bus fleet in West London

The commencement of works on the charging hub marks another milestone in the Energy Superhub Oxford project, an ambitious urban decarbonisation initiative. This four-year project has introduced various innovations, including a unique battery storage system, a high-power private wire charging network, and an EV charging hub at Redbridge Park & Ride.

The depot charging infrastructure, will be powered by an EDF Renewables UK substation located at Oxford Bus Company’s Watlington Road depot. The charging infrastructure will enable the buses to charge overnight.

The introduction of the new fleet of electric buses is expected to contribute to a further reduction in NOx levels, thereby aiding in the efforts to improve air quality and achieve Oxfordshire’s goal of becoming a net carbon zero county by 2025.

All the new buses are being manufactured in the UK and are scheduled to arrive by June 2024.