6th October 2023

We’re breaking ground with Stagecoach West and have started work on their Network Oxford overnight electric bus charging facility that will propel the city towards operating a fully battery-electric bus fleet.

We were pleased to join the Stagecoach West team including MD Rachel Geliamassi and Cllr Andrew Gant from Oxfordshire County Council at a ‘Golden Spade’ event to mark the significant milestone in Oxford’s zero-emission ambitions.

We will be installing 27 150KW DC chargers along with our smart charging software to support 55 ADL Double Deck electric buses in what is the 15th fleet electrification project we have delivered for Stagecoach Group Limited.

Steven Meersman, Co-Founder and Director at Zenobē said:

“We are partnering with Stagecoach West to deliver a charging hub that will incorporate the latest in fleet charging technology to power their 55 strong fleet of electric buses.

With our extensive expertise in delivering end-to-end electrification, we are pleased to deliver a future proof and fully optimised charging solution at Network Oxford, in what is another significant development in the roll-out of zero-emission transport in the UK with Stagecoach West.”

Rachel Geliamassi, Managing Director, Stagecoach West said: “Stagecoach is fully committed to having a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035 so beginning this important project is incredibly exciting and a major leap towards our ultimate goal.

“The launch of electric buses in Oxford builds on the successful introduction in other major cities across the UK improving air quality and making bus travel an even more attractive option for everyone.”

Oxford’s electric bus scheme is funded, in part, from a successful bid by Oxford County Council to the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme of £32.8m.  This, together with £6m from the Council and £43.7m from Stagecoach and the Oxford Bus Company will deliver the new electric buses and the infrastructure to support them in a package worth £82.5m in total.

Stagecoach West’s new electric buses will operate on routes within the designated Oxford SmartZone.  They will save an estimated 9,200 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions each year which is the equivalent of removing more than 6,000 cars from the road.

Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Highway Management, said:

“After all the hard work that went into putting together Oxfordshire’s successful bid to secure 159 electric buses, it is incredibly exciting to see the preparations taking place to begin welcoming their arrival.

“This project represents the biggest ever investment in public transport in the county. We are backing our commitment to deliver public transport for residents with political and financial capital, and working with the bus companies, including Stagecoach West, and the government to make it happen.”