Coventry electric buses

[Ian Hardy]

All double deck BYD/E400Citys

Many thanks

[winston]

ADL are supplying 130 new Electric double decker buses for NXC:
https://www.alexander-dennis.com/media/news/2022/february/byd-adl-partnership-to-build-130-electric-double-deckers-for-zenob%C4%93-and-national-express-coventry/

[cardew]

An interesting development with Zenobe owning the vehicles and providing infrastructure with NX paying them as a service provider. If I am reading it correctly.

[Stu]

ADL are supplying 130 new Electric double decker buses for NXC:
https://www.alexander-dennis.com/media/news/2022/february/byd-adl-partnership-to-build-130-electric-double-deckers-for-zenob%C4%93-and-national-express-coventry/

An interesting development with Zenobe owning the vehicles and providing infrastructure with NX paying them as a service provider. If I am reading it correctly.

That's how I'm reading it too.

I was told (or at least overheard!) before that the current batch of EVs cost just under half a million pounds each.

Now I imagine that due to buying in bulk, production costs might come down somewhat but even so, for a quantity of 130 vehicles at that rate, you'd be looking at a purchase price of £50-65 million.

That's an awful lot of money for anyone to be investing, and I don't think even National Express are that 'cash-rich'.  ;D

I've never heard of this Zenobe outfit before, but I would imagine they are being backed by some massive hedge-fund firm. Of course the £50m from the DoT awarded to the WMCA is a nice 'helping-hand'.

Call me cynical, but we end up with a model which sees private companies operating public bus services, using vehicles owned by investment companies and not the operators themselves, paid for by taxpayers money, and then 'leased back' to the operators.

I mean in a way, its good for bus operators as they don't have to commit to those kinds of financial investments, but then what happens if as an operator you fail to meet your commitment to pay the 'service provider'?

[Tony]

That's how I'm reading it too.

I was told (or at least overheard!) before that the current batch of EVs cost just under half a million pounds each.

Now I imagine that due to buying in bulk, production costs might come down somewhat but even so, for a quantity of 130 vehicles at that rate, you'd be looking at a purchase price of £50-65 million.

That's an awful lot of money for anyone to be investing, and I don't think even National Express are that 'cash-rich'.  ;D

I've never heard of this Zenobe outfit before, but I would imagine they are being backed by some massive hedge-fund firm. Of course the £50m from the DoT awarded to the WMCA is a nice 'helping-hand'.

Call me cynical, but we end up with a model which sees private companies operating public bus services, using vehicles owned by investment companies and not the operators themselves, paid for by taxpayers money, and then 'leased back' to the operators.

I mean in a way, its good for bus operators as they don't have to commit to those kinds of financial investments, but then what happens if as an operator you fail to meet your commitment to pay the 'service provider'?

Zenobe are the company that has installed all the charging equipment in the garages for the electric buses to run.

This was described to me as a system similar to how railway rolling stock is leased and isn't that different to operators who have all their vehicles on lease from Dawsons or Mistral

[Tony]

The government £50m has to go towards abou 300 buses an all the charging kit, and the improved power supplied into all the garages,  so us only a small part of the £60m these 130 buses cost

[cardew]

Given the "big-bang" nature and short timescales of the Coventry project I can see why this approach appeals. Whether it sets the pattern for other garages where perhaps a more phased approach can be taken (and possible conversion of NX owned vehicles?) remains to be seen. Zenobe certainly seem to have big money behind them and are ambitious.

[Tony]

Registration numbers of the next 42 electrics are now on the main site
E001 upwards (wmbusphotos.com)

[Jack6101]

Registration numbers of the next 42 electrics are now on the main site
E001 upwards (wmbusphotos.com)

I'm guessing the first ones will start arriving in the next few weeks ? 

[Justin Tyme]

I'm guessing the first ones will start arriving in the next few weeks ?

As they are 22 reg it looks hopeful.

[Stu]

Registration numbers of the next 42 electrics are now on the main site
E001 upwards (wmbusphotos.com)

There's 46 in that latest batch

[Tony]

There's 46 in that latest batch

Yes, they are coming in 46, 42, 42 and my brain was in '42' mode

[BK63 YWP]

Are the 4 EVs at mullanys have the same interior spec as the normal electrics?

[Tony]

Are the 4 EVs at mullanys have the same interior spec as the normal electrics?

Slightly different spec

[Dennis Dart Plaxton Pointer]

The new Enviro400 MMC's have now started to be transferred into Coventry Garage so we could start see quite a few of the Tridents & Gemini's be withdrawn soon and see the new EV's replace them. 4 transferred yesterday and more have been expected today of the 130 new buses we're getting. They are also in the new NX Cov livery and have a slightly different interior trim to the current EV's running on the 8 & 9's