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Electric buses & coaches

We minimise the lifetime costs of electric buses and coaches and their charging infrastructure.

Switch to electric buses and coaches with a trusted partner

We are market leaders in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. Since 2017 we’ve been working with operators to switch their diesel buses and coaches to electric at the lowest possible cost.

 

Each operator we have worked with has their own starting point and fleet requirements. Our focus is on delivering electric bus and coach depots to match their needs now and help lower costs in the long-term.

Clean air for communities, made simple

Bus and coach operators are entering a new, electric era. Many operators are now adopting as-a-service models to spread costs and reduce risks associated with electric buses and coaches. With monthly payments, 360 power management, and performance guarantees, zero-emissions need not be a burden.

Secure the right grid connection

Futureproof your charging infrastructure

Minimise upfront asset costs

Reduce operational costs

All-in-one electric transport

Secure the right grid connection

Futureproof your charging infrastructure

Minimise upfront asset costs

Reduce operational costs

All-in-one electric transport

> 75

electrification projects

c. 1,000

electric vehicles supported

14%

cost saving over lifetime vs. diesel

(National Express Group ‘Full Year Results for the Year ended 31st December 2021’)

A proven route to zero emissions

Read more about our experiences switching to electric bus and coach fleets around the world.

Leichhardt, Australia

Australia’s largest electrified bus depot.

• 40 new electric buses

• Full electrification offer from finance to infrastructure design and build and operations

• Funding from Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)

Two Oxford Bus Company electric buses

Oxford, UK

One of the largest electric bus fleets outside of London.

• 159 buses operated by Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach

• Design and install of charging infrastructure across two sites

• Continued fleet operation whilst construction was completed

Ritchies, New Zealand

Dunedin’s first electric public buses.

• Battery-as-a-service contract to manage risk, a first in New Zealand

• 11 electric buses on the streets and hilly suburbs of Dunedin

• Smart charging infrastructure and software integration for an efficient depot

National Express Coventry - ETaaS - Zenobe

National Express, UK

Largest single EV fleet transaction as part of the ‘All Electric City’ initiative.

• 130 heavy electric vehicles leading the all-electric city initiative.

• The first Electric Transport as a Service (ETaaS) contract in the sector.

• Battery replacement, charging infrastructure, a second-life battery, software and O&M, all for a monthly fee.

Leichhardt​, Australia

Australia’s largest electrified bus depot.

• 40 new electric buses

• Full electrification offer from finance to infrastructure design and build and operations

• Funding from Australian Renewable Energy Agency (ARENA) and Clean Energy Finance Corporation (CEFC)

Two Oxford Bus Company electric buses

Oxford, UK

One of the largest electric bus fleets outside of London.

• 159 buses operated by Oxford Bus Company and Stagecoach

• Design and install of charging infrastructure across two sites

• Continued fleet operation whilst construction was completed

Ritchies​, New Zealand

Dunedin’s first electric public buses.

• Battery-as-a-service contract to manage risk, a first in New Zealand

• 11 electric buses on the streets and hilly suburbs of Dunedin

• Smart charging infrastructure and software integration for an efficient depot

National Express Coventry - ETaaS - Zenobe

National Express, UK​

Largest single EV fleet transaction as part of the ‘All Electric City’ initiative.

• 130 heavy electric vehicles leading the all-electric city initiative.

• The first Electric Transport as a Service (ETaaS) contract in the sector.

• Battery replacement, charging infrastructure, a second-life battery, software and O&M, all for a monthly fee.

Need something else? We’re here to answer your questions, big and small.

Our customers

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Power procurement

Many of our customers start with significant grid constraints – they do not have access to the power they need to run their services.

 

We work with them to understand their requirements and to see if, using our charging software or on site battery storage, we can minimise the ‘peak power’ required. If this isn’t enough, we secure a bigger connection for the best price.

Zenobe project manager working with contractor on cabling
EV bus chargers inside a National Express depot in Coventry.

Designing and delivering flexible charging infrastructure

We design charging infrastructure to fit the needs of each depot and work with a wide range of charging manufacturers. We understand that most operators will take a phased approach to electrification and so we like to future-proof our infrastructure designs, avoiding surprises in future phases. 

Minimising upfront costs

The upfront capital required to purchase charging infrastructure and electric vehicles is significant, as are the costs of replacement batteries – so we offer finance. We can provide competitive financing for charging infrastructure and for buses, coaches, minibuses and trucks over a range of contract lengths.

 

When we replace a battery in a Zenobē vehicle, we go on to refurbish and reuse it in second-life commercial applications. Value from these projects is passed back to the first customer, making our day one price more competitive.

Zenobe project manager discusses bus and battery maintenance with a depot engineer
Zenobe project manager discusses Zenobe software with Cardiff bus operator

Minimising operational costs

In a volatile energy market, we help our customers keep the operational costs of their fleet down with managed power procurement and award-winning smart-charging software that minimises energy costs.

 

Then, a combination of operator training and desktop software analysis enables us to increase overall operational efficiency.

Electric transport as a service (ETaaS)

Now fleet operators can also enjoy the benefits of the ‘as a service’ model.

 

With ETaaS we’re able to finance and manage complete solutions including new vehicles, battery replacement, charging and grid infrastructure, depot-based second-life battery systems, smart charging software, spare parts, and full operational support. All for a monthly fee.

Fleet operator at Cardiff Bus depot with his electric bus fleet

Newsletter

The very best bus innovation news, parcelled up in a quarterly email

Meet the team

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Bradley Fox
Focusing on the UK & Nordics, Bradley supports our customers to develop electrification projects to suit their needs, bringing his over 10 years experience in structured asset finance and relationship management for Santander, Lloyds and Barclays.
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Maggie Clancy
Maggie co-leads the North American EV fleet business. She has spent the past 6 years in leadership positions, taking on commercial and customer-centric roles for organisations such as National Express and Levo Mobility where she served as Chief Commercial Officer.
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Gareth Ridge
Gareth is driving our business in Australia and New Zealand. He brings a background in corporate strategy and electrification, plus extensive experience in the Australian energy sector working on key projects focusing on new technologies and grid-scale storage.
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Peter Pauwels
Peter leads our expansion in the Benelux, focusing on second-life batteries and fleet electrification. He brings extensive experience in strategy, marketing, and sales across technology sectors.
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Shailen Visram
Shailen and his team provide full support to our clients in the UK, Australia and New Zealand – and further countries as we expand. They focus on guiding customers through the setup phase, onboarding them into Hekaton, our software, and helping with the charging infrastructure setup and training. Shai brings over 20 years experience as an Account Director in Digital, Mobile, Email and SMS industries and a strong customer-first approach.
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Martin Navarro
Martin leads our EV Fleet expansion in Spain and Portugal. He brings strong experience as Director of UK, France & Nordics at Enel X where he had responsibility for developing their e-mobility offering in these regions, leading key electrification projects in London and Paris.

Want to know more about the services we offer? Get in touch.

Our memberships

We’re active members of several ogranisations across the bus and coach world – perhaps we’ll see you at the next event.

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A technician in a high-visibility vest and gloves is inspecting the battery compartment of an electric bus. The bus's rear hatch is open, revealing multiple battery modules and electrical components with various colored wires and connectors. The setting is a bus depot with electrical equipment visible in the background.

I want to electrify my fleet, where do I start?

Start by reading our guide to electric vehicle batteries and how to manage their performance. A must for fleet operators wanting to understand two of the key considerations when switching to battery electric vehicles. Or get in touch.

Contact us

The Filter

New ideas, on the road to cleaner air.

The very best bus innovation news, parcelled up in a quarterly email, is now available. So what are you waiting for?

 

Drop your email below, and we’ll add you to the list.

Peter Smith

Head of Product

Pete leads Zenobē’s growing team of Product specialists across all areas of the business. His team oversee our R&D as well as product development in both hardware and software.

 

He has been working in the European E-Mobility sector from over ten years, specialising in the design, build and delivery of software systems for EV Charging.