Western Buses Limited (T/A Stagecoach West Scotland) Volvo 7900e
Proof of concept….
New additions to the Stagecoach West Scotland fleet include this vehicle, 29301 (SJ21NFD), one of six similar buses supplied to electrify service one between Kilmarnock and Priestland. They’ve arrived in this green and yellow version of the new Stagecoach livery, which acknowledges the financial contribution made by SP Energy Networks to the purchase of these vehicles.
You may wonder why these buses rather than say Enviro 200EVs from Stagecoach’s historically preferred supplier, Alexander Dennis. Well there’s a reason behind it. The route itself is a relatively rural and intensive route and a full day’s work would be a longer distance than the bus could manage by simply charging it at the depot overnight. So a new approach was necessary.
At present, most electric buses tend to be used on city and town services, in areas of high pollution. Electric buses are fine in this sort of environment as they don’t have to go that far overall over less challenging terrain given their range isn’t as good as a conventional diesel bus, just as an electric car/van’s range isn’t as good as their petrol and diesel equivalent, although obviously the range of electric vehicles is getting better. However most rural routes are longer still over more demanding terrain so these Volvos get around that by getting a ‘top-up’ charge at Kilmarnock Bus Station. The buses are still plugged in every night at the depot but when they get to the bus station on the service they extend a pantograph on the bus roof to a charging facility in the bus station roof. This then gives the bus an extra power boost, allowing them to complete a full duty.
It’s a clever system and the service is timetabled to give the bus around a ten minute charge on each visit to the bus station. It’s something that bus operators will have to consider for certain services in the mad rush to electrification. The Volvos were chosen as they featured this pantograph but it’s a feature other manufacturers are now adding and a batch of ADL/BYD Enviro 400EVs for Arriva London also feature a pantograph for additional charging.
Western Buses Limited (T/A Stagecoach West Scotland) Volvo 7900e
Proof of concept….
New additions to the Stagecoach West Scotland fleet include this vehicle, 29301 (SJ21NFD), one of six similar buses supplied to electrify service one between Kilmarnock and Priestland. They’ve arrived in this green and yellow version of the new Stagecoach livery, which acknowledges the financial contribution made by SP Energy Networks to the purchase of these vehicles.
You may wonder why these buses rather than say Enviro 200EVs from Stagecoach’s historically preferred supplier, Alexander Dennis. Well there’s a reason behind it. The route itself is a relatively rural and intensive route and a full day’s work would be a longer distance than the bus could manage by simply charging it at the depot overnight. So a new approach was necessary.
At present, most electric buses tend to be used on city and town services, in areas of high pollution. Electric buses are fine in this sort of environment as they don’t have to go that far overall over less challenging terrain given their range isn’t as good as a conventional diesel bus, just as an electric car/van’s range isn’t as good as their petrol and diesel equivalent, although obviously the range of electric vehicles is getting better. However most rural routes are longer still over more demanding terrain so these Volvos get around that by getting a ‘top-up’ charge at Kilmarnock Bus Station. The buses are still plugged in every night at the depot but when they get to the bus station on the service they extend a pantograph on the bus roof to a charging facility in the bus station roof. This then gives the bus an extra power boost, allowing them to complete a full duty.
It’s a clever system and the service is timetabled to give the bus around a ten minute charge on each visit to the bus station. It’s something that bus operators will have to consider for certain services in the mad rush to electrification. The Volvos were chosen as they featured this pantograph but it’s a feature other manufacturers are now adding and a batch of ADL/BYD Enviro 400EVs for Arriva London also feature a pantograph for additional charging.