As featured in Route One, Coach & Bus Week, Clean Technica, Business Green and Industry Update.

Zeelo, the UK’s largest smart bus platform and leading Mass Transit Tech company with live operations in three continents, and Zenobē, the international EV fleet and battery storage specialist, today announce an industry-leading partnership to drive the electrification of private bus transport in the UK. The two companies have signed an agreement that will enable Zeelo’s network of 200 bus and coach operators to trial electric vehicles, including temporary charging infrastructure provided by Zenobē.

The agreement includes the supply of trial fleets and charging infrastructure, enabling the first co-branded electric buses and coaches to get on the road for work and school commutes. The relationship will also allow Zeelo and Zenobē to work closely together to identify opportunities for large-scale fleet electrification, allowing operators in Zeelo’s network to reach net-zero in line with the UK’s legally binding 2050 targets.

The partnership has already seen Zeelo and Zenobē support operator Airsym to launch new electric services, including the provision of an electric bus service for students at Dwight School London, and an electric coach that will operate at London Heathrow airport and as a shuttle service for staff at McLaren Automotive.

Zenobē works with customers on end-to-end electrification solutions, including funding, operational support, charging infrastructure, battery replacement, and award-winning software. By working closely with customers, it makes electrification happen in an environmentally and financially sustainable way. Using Zenobē’s strong track record delivering fleet electrification and Zeelo’s partner network of UK bus operators and over 200 corporate and education clients running over 1.8 million bus rides per year, the companies aim to accelerate fleet decarbonisation across Zeelo’s privately contracted bus commutes.

Bus and coach operators that wish to switch to electric fleets face challenges including the high upfront costs of electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, a lack of confidence in new technology – including charging processes and vehicle range, and uncertainty about the commercial model. Zeelo and Zenobē aim to make clean transport an accessible option for Zeelo’s network of operators and its customers, by giving them the opportunity to test the technology.

Sam Ryan, CEO of Zeelo, commented: “Zeelo and Zenobē share a vision to drive the nation to cleaner transport and Zenobē is the ideal partner with its strong track record of electrifying depots for bus and coach operators. Zeelo has an ambitious vision not only to up-switch over 8 million Zeelo journeys per year to electric buses within the next 3-5 years, but also to support over 200 family-run bus and coach operators to be able to afford to invest in electric fleets. Transport is an essential public service alongside education and health and there is enormous scope to set an industry precedent for collaboration. Through our partnership with Zenobē we can help kick-start a national transition out of a reliance on diesel amid the fuel crisis. That doesn’t just mean cutting people a deal, but actually ensuring that electric buses feel comfortable and safe to drive and easy to charge.”

Steven Meersman, co-founder of Zenobē, commented: “We’re excited to join forces with fellow transport innovator Zeelo to explore ways to make it easier for bus and coach operators to switch to electric today. At Zenobē we’ve got a global goal to support 3,000 electric vehicles by 2025 and with this collaboration we’re allowing these operators to trial the technology. Electrification of both bus and coach will play a pivotal role in transport decarbonisation and can help Zeelo and its customers to achieve their zero emission commitments. We hope that together we can build confidence and appetite for a permanent solution. To be a truly sustainable working relationship, this needs to deliver environmental and financial gains for Zeelo and its partners, while providing cleaner, greener transport for students and commuters.”

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For press enquiries, please contact:

Zeelo
Sonia Afzal
Head of Communications
sonia@zeelo.co | 07950 467 773

Zenobē:
zenobe@standagency.com | 07811 042 863

About Zeelo
Zeelo is a smart bus platform for organisations. The global tech company is modernising daily bus commutes for frontline workers and students so that they can get to work and school in a faster, smarter, and much greener way. Zeelo serves large businesses and independent schools and moves nearly 150,000 riders each month across the world. Zeelo’s tech-optimised bus routes not only reduce carbon emissions by 78% by replacing 30 cars for every bus journey, but also offset 100% of each Zeelo bus journey. Its innovative transport management software system comprises a SaaS platform, proprietary routing algorithms, and multiple consumer apps, and 24 / 7 customer service support (4.9 TrustPilot rating) that ensure people located in transport deserts have a regular, subsidised and sustainable bus service for their daily commute, wherever they are based. Headquartered in London with over 160 employees, an R&D team in Spain and live operations in the UK, South Africa and the US, Zeelo was founded in 2016 by Sam Ryan, Barney Williams and Dani Ruiz. It closed its Series A in 2018 and has raised over US$30M in funding, including VC-backed investment from ETF Partners, InMotion Ventures and Dynamo. The co-founders previously sold their pioneering ride-sharing app JumpIn to Addison Lee in 2014. For additional information, please visit www.zeelo.co

About Zenobē Energy Ltd. (Zenobē):
Zenobē is an international EV fleet and battery storage specialist, headquartered in the UK with operations in Europe and Australasia. It has c.235 MW of contracted storage assets and 1GW in development, around 25% market share of the UK EV bus sector and c.540 electric vehicles contracted globally. The company is the largest owner and operator of EV buses in the UK, Australia and New Zealand.

Zenobē’s fleet solution is driving the adoption of electric vehicles and reducing emissions from the transport and logistics sectors. Its ETaaS (Electric Transport-as-a-Service) solution provides fleet operators and local authorities with a full solution for a pay-per-month fee including charging infrastructure, battery replacement and award-winning software.  The company’s pioneering battery storage offering enables power grid operators to provide clean, secure and affordable power, accelerating the global transition to Net Zero energy systems. Zenobē is also a leader in repurposing EV batteries after their first life, providing incremental power solutions to large business and the film and events industries.

For more information, please visit  www.zenobe.com