The Government’s Bus Service Operators Grant (BSOG) announces the inclusion of zero emission buses and also the retrofitted buses by Equipmake.
BSOG is a grant paid to operators of bus services and community transport organisations to help them recover some of their fuel costs, with the amount received based on their annual fuel consumption. By reducing costs, BSOG is intended to help operators keep fares down for passengers and allow them to run services that might otherwise be unprofitable.
Until now, new electric buses and ICE buses repowered with state-of-the-art EV powertrains have not been eligible for BSOG, which has served as a significant disincentive for operators to embrace electrification – and simultaneously prolonged the usage of polluting ICE vehicles. Revisions to the scheme have finally addressed this, including a new Zero Emission Bus (ZEB) incentive for the first time with a rate for electric buses, whether for new or repowered vehicles, set at 22 pence per kilometre.
Equipmake believes the overhaul to BSOG is overdue, and can play a part in accelerating the introduction of zero-emission bus fleets across the United Kingdom, bringing cleaner air conditions to the nation’s streets.
At its base in Norfolk, Equipmake has been developing cutting-edge solutions which are now eligible for the scheme in the form of a new electric bus, the Jewel E, and a repower programme which upgrades existing hybrid and diesel buses with state-of-the art battery drivetrains.
Equipmake’s repower technology can be applied to both single and double deckers, and involves an inspection of each bus to ensure its adaptability to its unique, scalable modular electric chassis. Once its suitability is verified, the process itself is quick, with up to five repowers a week being completed, ensuring a working bus is kept off the road for as short a time as possible.
Each repower is tailored to the specific requirements of the operator, with service routes simulated to ensure the correct battery power level is selected for optimum performance and efficiency, and guaranteed driving ranges of 150 to 250 miles achievable. This is more than sufficient for a complete duty cycle, allowing buses to be recharged overnight.
As well as bringing environmental benefits, Equipmake’s repower programme makes sense from a cost perspective, with each conversion coming in at less than half the price of a new electric bus. And with most buses expected to remain in service for 14 years or beyond, operators can still make significant efficiencies by repowering a bus halfway through its working life.
However, while supportive of the BSOG ZEB incentive, Equipmake believes there is still more that can be done to encourage widespread uptake of electrified buses. At around £400,000, the upfront cost of a new electric bus remains a significant hurdle for many, which is why Equipmake is calling for the government to further incentivise the zero-emission transition by implementing a new funding strategy that includes subsidies for new electric buses – and repowered ones too.
Source: Equipmake
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