Morebus, which is part of the Go-Ahead Group, is trialling a Wrightbus battery-electric bus in Dorset, UK.
This trial will demonstrate the capabilities of the rapid-charge double-deck StreetDeck Electroliner, which operates with zero emissions at the tailpipe.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said:Buses play a vital role in keeping our towns and cities moving, and we are committed to helping transport operators address environmental challenges. We are excited to see our zero-emission bus in operation to show everyone what it is capable of and I am sure passengers will enjoy the experience. The trial is further evidence of the leading role we are playing on the global stage in tackling climate change through sustainable transport.
The batterty-electric bus trial is being conducted over the next couple of weeks, running along the Purbeck Breezer 40 and 50 routes. These routes cover places such as Bournemouth and Poole in the south of England.
A key priority for the operator is to ensure the bus can board the Sandbanks Ferry as part of the Purbeck Breezer 50 route.
Richard Wade, Morebus general manager, said:We are delighted to be trialling a Wrightbus Electroliner on our Purbeck Breezer 40 and 50 services over the coming weeks. This follows the bid we recently submitted for funding that would allow us to introduce a new fleet of 10 zero-emission buses to service these popular routes. The funding is part of the next phase of the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas) scheme, and we are testing the electric vehicle in anticipation of a successful bid.
One of our priorities is to ensure this style of bus is able to board the Sandbanks Ferry. The ramp on the ferry is fairly steep, so we’ll be at the ferry terminal to make sure everything runs smoothly before we can commit to running the bus along this route in the event that we are able to bring the new electric buses to Dorset.
