Energy Superhub Oxford | Substation installed at Cowley depot to prepare for electric bus future
Oxford Bus Company is getting ready to roll out a fleet of electric buses for Oxford with the installation of a substation at its Cowley depot.
The substation, which will provide 8 megawatts of power to support rapid charging of vehicles, is connected to a cable which runs into a large 50MW battery that is sited at the Cowley substation and connected direct to the National Grid. In the future Oxford Bus Company is looking to install 104 charging posts and connecting them to the substation to charge the new electric buses. This represents the next phase in the company’s continued journey towards a low carbon future.
The new substation was installed by Pivot Power (part of EDF Renewables) and makes up part of the Energy Superhub Oxford project. As well as delivering power to the bus depot, the cable is also serving the new charging hub at Redbridge Park&Ride, to enable large scale, rapid EV charging.
This development comes after it was announced 159 electric buses could serve Oxford following a bid for government funding support was approved. Oxford Bus Company, Thames Travel, City Sightseeing Oxford and Stagecoach have pledged £43.7M towards the Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme. The government has committed £32.8M and Oxfordshire County Council £6M. The commitment from bus operators is dependent on the introduction of public policies to reduce bus journey times.
Phil Southall, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director said: “Go-Ahead Group, Oxford Bus Company and Thames Travel have always been at the forefront of introducing sustainable low-carbon technology and this installation helps ensure we’re ready to facilitate more electric buses in Oxford.
“We are grateful to the longstanding partnership we have with Pivot Power and the Energy Superhub Oxford project, which has helped us deliver the substation. It is a key step in our exciting electric transformation journey. The next crucial step to make a fleet transition financially viable is to speed up bus journey times by 10 per cent, measures to achieve which will be consulted on in the summer.”
In 2020 Oxford Bus Company introduced the first electric bus to Oxford via its City Sightseeing Oxford fleet. It now has three retrofitted electric vehicles in its fleet, which were delivered in partnership with Oxford City Council. The electric buses are charged at the Cowley depot, via its depot energy circuit, which also includes solar panels.
One million electric vehicles on UK roads
National Grid unveils new grid park to boost network connections