A FULLY ELECTRIC Volvo bus is coming to the streets of Coventry in the coming weeks in a new trial by National Express.
The single deck Volvo BZL Electric demonstrator is currently on loan to Coventry and can carry 75 passengers on the 20, 20A and 20B routes.
Currently, every one of the 140 double decker National Express Coventry buses are fully electric.
The new bus which runs from the city centre to University Hospital and Wilson’s Lane has air conditioning, heating and USB chargers.
Antony Goozee, bus strategy and commercial director for National Express, said: “Buses are the most used form of transport in Coventry and the wider West Midlands.
“Not only do our services play a key role in keeping people connected, they are also critical to driving down harmful emissions.
“Getting more people to ditch their cars and switch to travelling by bus is vital to tackling climate change and we’re proud to be leading the charge in offering sustainable transport choices in Coventry, with all 140 of our electric double decker buses producing zero-emissions at the tailpipe.
“As we look ahead to update our single decker vehicles, it’s great to be working with Volvo to trial their BZL Electric bus and we look forward to better understanding its capabilities and efficiencies under our usual operating conditions.”
Domenico Bondi, managing director at Volvo Bus UK and Ireland, said he is peased to see the bus enter a service wit an operator whose legacy spams decades.
Coventry has plans to become the UK’s first all electric bus city by 2025.
Domenico added: “We’re proud to be able to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a quieter environment for more and more communities in the UK. I look forward to the continued partnership with National Express, helping to meet our collective goals.”
The single deck Volvo BZL Electric demonstrator features a four-battery configuration offering a total power output of up to 376kWh.
It is being charged at the operator’s depot overnight using a 40kW DC mobile charger, provided by Volvo.
The regenerative braking system enables some of the energy that would have been lost when the bus is decelerating, to be recovered as free and clean energy to help power the vehicle.
