Flixbus is trialling a Yutong GTe14 electric coach for a six-week period on its new service between Cambridge and London.
This service, launched in partnership with bus operator Whippet and fleet electrification specialist Zenobē, will run between Cambridge City Centre, Trumpington Park and Ride, London Finchley Road and Victoria Coach Station.
The coach being trialled on the 124-mile round trip, has a battery rating of 563kWh, and will be charged at Whippet’s Swavesey depot using infrastructure provided by Zenobē.
Also, Zenobē will install its telematics onto the coach to capture data on the performance of the vehicle and onboard battery.
FlixBus says this information will be crucial as it develops its strategy to expand its electric coach services in the UK.
Zenobē will also support with the energy required to charge the coach, and focus on implementing the optimal charging strategy.
Supplied by Pelican Bus and Coach, the Yutong GTe14 includes a toilet, USB charging points and free wi-fi for customers.
The vehicle is expected to save 167kg of carbon emissions per day driven – based on two round trips – on this route compared to the average diesel-fuelled coach.
It follows a pilot this year of an electric Yutong TCe12 for use on the FlixBus route between London and Newport.
Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK said, “Following our launch of England and Wales’s first electric coach service, we’re thrilled to be trialling another zero-emission service as we build the largest coach network in the country.”
Steven Meersman, Co-founder and Director of Zenobe, said, “With over 1,200 electric buses globally, we bring our extensive expertise in charging infrastructure, software and telematics to this eCoach trial with FlixBus and Whippet.”
