Harrogate Bus Company has completed trials of the first ever all-electric bus with zero emission technology in the UK.
The Mercedes-Benz E-Ciatro was brought in for trials as part of the company’s plans to convert its entire fleet to zero-emission electric power.
It follows an ambitious bid made in partnership with North Yorkshire County Council, which has requested nearly £20 million of government money to help replace the fleet.
The week-long trials have taken place on The Harrogate Bus Company’s popular route one linking Harrogate and Knaresborough and follow experience gained with two alternative electric single deck buses.
The silver E-Citaro trial bus tested in Harrogate is powered by high-performance water-cooled batteries which use up-to-the-minute technology to extend running time between charges and keep the bus on the road.
Alex Hornby, chief executive of Transdev. which owns the Harrogate Bus Company, said:
“This exciting trial of the Mercedes-Benz E-Citaro marks the first time this new design has been tested in service in the UK, reflecting our ambition to deliver a zero-emission, high quality product for our customers across Harrogate and beyond.
“This is the third stage of our comparative trials of electric bus designs on one of our most popular routes, which will help us to make informed choices between options to invest in electric power.
“We hope that alongside North Yorkshire County Council’s bid for government support, our own multi-million-pound investment will turn our vision of a completely zero-emission bus network powered by a fully electric bus fleet into reality.”
The bid to the Department for Transport would see 39 zero-emission buses introduced over the next three years.
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The buses come with next stop announcements, USB power and free wifi.
There would be an even split of single-decker and double-decker electric buses which would come with supporting charging infrastructure.
A decision from the government on the bid is expected in March next year.
