National Express Coventry has announced plans to trial a Volvo BZL Electric single-decker bus over the coming weeks.
This vehicle can carry up to 75 passengers in a comfortable environment with air conditioning, heating and seatback USB chargers.
The BZL’s driveline has also been fine-tuned to provide very low interior noise and a smooth ride.
The electric bus is currently on loan to National Express Coventry. It is operating on routes 20, 20A and 20B between Coventry city centre, University Hospital and Wilson’s Lane.
During the trial, it joins 140 double-decker buses that are already fully electric within the National Express Coventry fleet.
Antony Goozee, Bus Strategy and Commercial Director for National Express, said:Buses are the most used form of transport in Coventry and the wider West Midlands. Not only do our services play a key role in keeping people connected, they are also critical to driving down harmful emissions.
Getting more people to ditch their cars and switch to travelling by bus is vital to tackling climate change and we’re proud to be leading the charge in offering sustainable transport choices in Coventry, with all 140 of our electric double-decker buses producing zero-emissions at the tailpipe.
As we look ahead to update our single decker vehicles, it’s great to be working with Volvo to trial their BZL Electric bus and we look forward to better understanding its capabilities and efficiencies under our usual operating conditions.
The single-deck Volvo BZL Electric has a four-battery configuration with a total power output of up to 376kWh. It is being charged at National Express Coventry’s depot overnight using a 40kW DC mobile charger from Volvo.
The unit’s regenerative braking also recovers some of the energy that would otherwise be lost when the bus is decelerating to help power the vehicle.
Domenico Bondi, Managing Director at Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, said:I am pleased to see our sought-after Volvo BZL Electric demonstrator entering service with an operator whose legacy spans decades, and which has such a deep-rooted name within the passenger transport sector. With Coventry’s plans to become the UK’s first all-electric bus city by 2025, the city’s ambitions tie nicely in with our own.
We’re proud to be able to improve air quality, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and provide a quieter environment for more and more communities in the UK. I look forward to the continued partnership with National Express, helping to meet our collective goals.
To date, Volvo’s BZL Electric vehicles have provided services in more than 10 countries. In the UK, they are offered exclusively with MCV bodywork.
