Time to make it to London roads for CaetanoBus e-bus fleet

London: Abellio and Zenobe Energy, a leading UK owner and operator of battery storage, today announce the launch of an electric fleet of buses, following an order with CaetanoBus secured in summer 2019. This week saw the first five buses operate on route P5, helping to improve air quality in areas across south London. The project brings a total of 34 electric buses to the C10 and P5 bus routes.

Buses that will roll out in the framework of an innovative financial scheme: Zenobe, which serves around 20% of the EV bus market in the UK, is providing Abellio with an end-to-end solution, including financing, batteries, the charging system at the depot and a software platform which helps optimise energy use. It’s the first example of an end-to-end, fully funded and managed service with private capital.

UPDATE 15TH JULY 2020:
The full fleet of 34 Caetano e.City Gold zero emission buses from CaetanoBus commenced operation on the London routes C10 and P5. The new Caetano buses will further help improve air quality across south London, supporting the Mayor of London’s commitment to improve the city’s air quality and help towards being a step nearer to total zero-emission vehicles on the UK’s roads.

The first Caetano electric bus fleet for London

Abellio London, which operates 800 buses for TfL, brings zero emission buses onto routes C10 (Canada Water to Victoria Station) and P5 (Patmore Estate to Elephant and Castle). The brand- new buses are manufactured by Portuguese company CaetanoBus. The project marks the first use of Caetano’s electric buses in the UK.

Whilst using public transport provides the cleanest solution per passenger, the use of electric bus takes the pollution impact to zero. Zenobe’s solutions support the Mayor of London’s commitment to improving London’s air quality and are helping speed up the process of bringing zero-emission vehicles onto the UK’s roads.

In May 2019, Zenobe announced its £120 million partnership funding for fleet operators, helping accelerate the roll out of electric vehicles across Britain.

Caetano e.City Gold e-bus for Abellio London

The 10.7m Caetano e.City Gold are fully compliant with TfL’s latest specification delivering a step change in safety, driver and passenger comfort, including a number of features from the rigorous TfL bus Safety Standard such as a Camera Monitoring Systems to replace traditional wing mirrors, Intelligent Speed Assist, Acoustic Vehicle Alert System and a revised front design to improve pedestrian and vulnerable road user safety. The Caetano e.City Gold is a 100% electric urban bus that includes zero emission heating, the Portuguese producer points out.

The first time of Caetano e-buses in the UK

The project also represents a proud and significant moment for Caetano as it marks the first use of Caetano’s electric buses in the United Kingdom, a strategic market for CaetanoBus, where it has been supplying buses and coaches for more than 50-years.

Caetano is also providing a maintenance contract as part of the support package for Abellio, as well as fully supporting local delivery of a full aftercare support and spare parts to all Caetano vehicles sold in UK.

Abellio in London, a e-bus battery storage in the depot

Steven Meersman, co-founder of Zenobe Energy, said: “We are very pleased to support Abellio on their journey to net zero and delighted to contribute to the deployment of Zero Emission Vehicles in London. Our service-based model means we’re there for our partners throughout the journey, not just on day one. It shows that innovative green solutions can be sustainable in both ecological and financial terms. We hope our partnership with Abellio paves the way for other opportunities in London to improve journey quality for commuters and support operators on route to net-zero.”

Tony Wilson, Managing Director at Abellio London Bus, said: “At Abellio, we continuously look for new, sustainable solutions to improve our services. Working with Zenobe has allowed us to do so in a way that is not only good for TfL, bus customers and the environment but is also cost-effective. The battery storage solution at our depot helps us ensure we can deliver reliable services, while also improving air quality for local people every day.”

“Abellio is delighted to become the first operator of the Caetano e.City Gold in the UK, allowing the conversion of two bus routes in London to full electric operation.  The vehicles have been well received by staff and provide a quality solution for future use as we move to convert the fleet to zero emissions” – said Tony Wilson, Managing Director at Abellio London.

“TfL and Abellio are committed to improving air quality and bus safety in London. We are very honoured to contribute to this forward-looking commitment through the delivery of our electric buses” – said CaetanoBus Sales Director, Kohei Umeno.