SWARCO Smart Charging has created a new Electric Bus Charging Hub for South Yorkshire’s first zero emission buses which will start in Sheffield in April. The vehicles will convert the Sheffield Connect route in the city centre to an all-electric operation and will be the first step in achieving South Yorkshire’s ambition for a zero-carbon public transport network by 2040.
The EV charging infrastructure has been installed at the Sheffield Interchange on behalf of the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), which secured funding from the UK Government’s Zero-Emission Regional Bus Areas (ZEBRA) Scheme to support charging infrastructure across the region.
The four electric BYD-Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV single deck buses which will come into service in April will be charged at the new eBus charging hub equipped with four 100kW CCS chargers. The chargers have dual charging points, which means the hub can accommodate charging for eight buses simultaneously and will be able to support other bus operators as they switch to an electric future.
As the main bus station in central Sheffield, the Sheffield Interchange serves not only the local bus service providers but also National Express coaches that connect Sheffield with destinations across the United Kingdom. The Sheffield Connect bus route, free for passengers to use, links destinations around the heart of the city, running every seven to eight minutes seven days a week, and providing easy links to and from train, tram, and other bus services.
Welcoming the new electric vehicles, South Yorkshire’s Mayor, Oliver Coppard, says: “We’re delighted to see the very first fully electric buses arrive in South Yorkshire. They are just the first of many that will start operating in the region over the next few weeks, with the support of the Mayoral Combined Authority. Electric vehicles are critical to decarbonising our bus fleet, achieving our net zero ambitions, and improving air quality for South Yorkshire’s residents.”
The four 100kW CCS chargers will be managed by SWARCO’s E.Connect system which has been configured to meet multiple requirements for the charge point management. Not only will SWARCO E.Connect provide usage information, it will also provide the date, time and duration of each session as well as the total charge delivered. The information can be disaggregated by each individual eBus. This means that in the future SYMCA will be able to accurately bill bus and coach operators based on usage of the chargers. The smart management software will also allow SWARCO to carry out remote service and maintenance on the charging stations and SWARCO’s service and maintenance team will ensure the smooth running of SYMCA’s new eBus Charging Hub.
Lara Navetta, Sales Director for SWARCO Smart Charging is pleased to see the launch of the eBus Charging Hub: “We are delighted to see the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority’s vision come to life and to be supporting the electrification of buses in South Yorkshire,” she says.
“SYMCA has ambitious plans for South Yorkshire and the switch to electric buses for the Sheffield Connect route is just a start. SYMCA has taken a very smart approach to creating the charging infrastructure; the charging hub will be able to support the future electrification of fleets running through Sheffield Interchange.”