Go-Ahead installs Oxford hub

The Go-Ahead Group has begun work to install one of the biggest electric charging hubs in the UK at the depot of its Oxford Bus Company operation.

Fleet electrification firm Zenobē has started work on installing extensive charging infrastructure at Cowley House with 104 charging points, each offering 150kw of DC power.

The hub will be supplied by an 8MW electrical connection, which will provide enough electricity to charge all the buses, and for them to travel more than 170 miles per day.

A consortium of bus operators including the Oxford Bus Company pledged £43.7m towards the scheme, the government committed £32.8m and Oxfordshire County Council offered £6m with the electric buses arriving on the city streets by the end of the year, the company said.

In total, the combined investment will result in 159 new battery electric buses serving Oxford. The Oxford Bus Company’s owner, Go-Ahead, has implemented a ‘The Next Billion Journeys’ strategy pledging to convert its 5,500-strong bus fleet nationwide to zero emission energy.

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

Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said: “Partnering with Zenobē ensures we will receive the best-in-class advice and technology to fully equip us with a market leading charging solution that meets our needs. 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, Group Chief Executive, said: “This is a great example of bus operators working in partnership with local and national government to deliver zero-emission transport.” 

Steven Meersman, Co-Founder Director of Zenobē, said: “This is a flagship project for Zenobē. It is an example of what an ambitious operator can do with a strong vision and local support.  We have worked on more than 50 electrification projects globally and this one stands out for its scale and for the level of collaboration with other operators and government.”

Image courtesy of Go-Ahead

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