14 August 2024 Travel tech company Flix is announcing the launch of a 100% electric long-distance coach service between Cambridge and London in partnership with Whippet and Zenobē.

The electric vehicle will drive on a FlixBus route between Cambridge city centre, Trumpington Park and Ride, London Finchley Road and Victoria Coach Station from Wednesday 14 August.

The Yutong GTe14 offers the most up to date electric coach vehicle technology, with zero emissions at the tailpipe. The route is an almost 200km (124 miles) round trip, and will be trialled for six weeks on FlixBus’ long-distance coach network.

The news follows the launch of England and Wales’s first electric coach service pilot, unveiled by FlixBus earlier this year.

Andreas Schorling, Managing Director of FlixBus UK said: “Following our launch of England and Wales first electric coach service, we’re thrilled to be trialling another zero-emission service as we build the largest coach network in the country.”

The vehicle, provided by Pelican Yutong, will save 167kg of carbon emissions per day driven – two round trips – on this route compared to the average diesel-fuelled coach. Ticket prices are as affordable as all other FlixBus services on the route, starting from as little as £2.99.

Whippet is the leading electric bus operator in Cambridge, providing the Universal university bus service as well as local bus routes.

Jonathan Ziebart UK Managing Director of Ascendal, Whippet’s parent company commented: “12 months after launching the UK’s first privately funded electric bus network, Whippet is delighted to be strengthening our position as early adopters of zero-emission coach technology as we launch Cambridge’s first ever battery-electric coach.”

Steven Meersman, Co-Founder of Zenobē said: “With over 1,200 electric buses globally, we bring our extensive expertise in charging infrastructure, software and telematics to this eCoach trial with FlixBus and Whippet. We look forward to analysing data such as the charging profile of the vehicle and exploring how more coaches serving long-distance routes can be supported in the UK and around the world.” 

The vehicle includes a toilet, USB charging points and free wi-fi for all customers as standard on FlixBus services, as well as being PSVAR compliant, supporting travel for passengers in wheelchairs.

The electric vehicle has a battery rating of 563kWh, and will be charged at Whippet’s Swavesey depot using infrastructure provided by Zenobē. Zenobē will install its telematics onto the coach to capture data on the performance of the vehicle and on-board battery. This information will be crucial for FlixBus as it develops its strategy to expand its electric coach services within their route network in the UK. Zenobē will also support with the energy required to charge the eCoach, with a focus on implementing the optimal charging strategy.

FlixBus has 70 destinations on its UK network, alongside daily services to continental Europe. Its network has achieved a 4.2 out of 5 star rating on TrustPilot, the highest of any scheduled coach service in the country.

The company was the first to bring an electric coach service to England and Wales in March 2024. Parent company Flix, which operates in 44 countries across four continents, has piloted electric vehicles in several markets and aims to achieve carbon neutrality throughout Europe by 2040.

“Flix champions sustainable travel and we are on a mission to drive change to reduce carbon emissions not only in the UK but globally through partnerships like this one,” concluded Schorling.