Stagecoach prepares Nuneaton bus depot for shared third party EV charging infrastructure
Stagecoach, the UK’s largest bus and coach operator, and VEV a leading e-fleet solutions provider, have completed installation of their first third-party shared charging facility at Nuneaton bus depot in Warwickshire.
image: Stagecoach
With 45 high-powered EV chargers supported by a new solar power generation system, conversion of the Nuneaton depot is the first step towards a B2B shared EV charging infrastructure offer from Stagecoach.
With real world eHGV testing underway, the Nuneaton depot sets the scene for a future of more shared charging infrastructure in line with plans announced by Stagecoach earlier this year to give businesses access to its charging infrastructure during off-service hours.
Stagecoach aims to create a secondary income stream while helping to decarbonise the wider transport ecosystem across a variety of use-cases, including HGVs, last-mile delivery, refuse collection and blue light services.
Marvin Smith, Head of Solutions Sales at Stagecoach said, “This is a huge step forward for the team as we continue to test and refine our offer before rollout more broadly. What we’re building is truly unique, with wide bays that offer plenty of space for large vehicles, clean infrastructure and no queues.”
The Nuneaton facility forms part of a wider regional electrification project from VEV to support the introduction of 150 new electric buses across depots in Leamington, Nuneaton, Rugby and Chesterfield. In addition to the new chargers, solar power generation has been installed at Chesterfield, Leamington and Nuneaton, reducing reliance on the national grid with forecast lifetime savings of more than £1 million.
Simon Cubitt, Commercial Director for Bus and Coach at VEV said, “We couldn’t be prouder to be supporting Stagecoach with their ambitions for B2B charging as a key opportunity to help offset the costs of electrifying their fleet, while helping other operators to start their own EV journey.
“Stagecoach has truly been leading the way to create an infrastructure network that serves the entire transport industry and the surrounding communities. We can’t wait to do more!”