Falcon Buses has rolled out 13 new electric buses and a depot upgrade, supported by Surrey County Council and the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA 2 scheme.
The electric buses will hit the road across Falcon’s network this month (July), delivering a carbon saving of around 13,000 tonnes over their lifetime.
Based out of West Byfleet, the family-owned business is one of the first independent small bus operators to go electric, working in partnership with commercial fleet experts VEV to transform its depot on Wintersells Road to accommodate its growing fleet of EVs.
VEV has delivered a complete charging solution for the site, including a dedicated 1,500kVA power supply together with six 60kW chargers and three 120kW chargers.
All charging infrastructure will be managed through VEV’s smart charging and digital energy management platform, VEV IQ, which will monitor and optimise power usage, charging scheduling, and charger status to ensure maximum efficiency and reliability for the fleet.
A second phase of infrastructure, due to be completed later this year, will increase charging capacity to five 120kW chargers, five 60kW chargers and two 50kW chargers, ensuring the depot is ready to support Falcon’s long-term electrification plans.
By using a REGO-backed renewable electricity supply, Falcon is expected to further reduce emissions by around 168 tonnes of CO₂e annually compared with a standard electricity supply.
Richard Telling, Managing Director at Falcon Buses, said:
“This is a hugely significant milestone for Falcon. Introducing our first electric buses marks the beginning of a new chapter for the business and demonstrates our commitment to delivering cleaner, quieter and more sustainable transport for the communities we serve.
“Working with VEV has enabled us to build the infrastructure we need not only for the first 13 electric buses entering service today, but for the continued growth of our fleet over the coming months and years as we work towards our goal of an all-electric bus fleet by 2033.”
Steve Bax, Deputy Cabinet Member for Highways at Surrey County Council said:
“I’m delighted that Surrey residents will benefit from 13 new electric buses, to add to the county’s growing fleet of cleaner, greener buses.
“Introducing these buses is expected to deliver an estimated carbon saving of thirteen tonnes over their lifetime, which is great news for residents and for everyone travelling in and out of Surrey. We are committed to becoming a net-zero county by 2050 and reducing carbon emissions from transport will be absolutely key to achieving this.”
Barry Keane, Senior Account Manager at VEV, said:
“This project is about more than installing chargers. It’s about giving operators the confidence that they have the power, charging capability and future capacity needed to transition to zero-emission transport without compromising reliability.
“Every successful electric bus transition starts with the right infrastructure. At Falcon Coaches, we’ve delivered a charging solution that’s designed not only for today’s operations, but for tomorrow’s ambitions.”
Mark Taylor, Regional Sales Manager for Alexander Dennis, said:
“Today we are celebrating Falcon as the first independent customer for the next-generation Enviro200EV. This is a significant statement of confidence in the product, in electric bus technology, and in the role that independent operators will play in delivering cleaner, quieter and more efficient public transport.
“The Enviro200 has been the backbone of Falcon’s fleet and many other successful bus operations across the country, and it has earned that position because it is practical, dependable and efficient. With the Enviro200EV, we have taken those same strengths and carried them forward into a zero-emission platform designed for the demands of daily service.”
Image courtesy of Falcon Buses of representatives of Falcon and VEV on site at the Wintersells Road depot
