Centrica and United Kingdom bus operator First Bus have formed a new partnership. The collaboration will give Centrica secure access to First Bus’ rapid electric vehicle charging infrastructure at bus depots across Britain.
This new deal lets Centrica join the ranks of Openreach, DPD and Police Scotland, plugging into this shared infrastructure initiative from First Bus.
The initial phase of the partnership will enable Centrica to charge a selection of its EV fleet at First Bus’ Leicester depot while buses are out on the road in service. This allows Centrica engineers to cover more ground, reduce their environmental impact and dedicate more time to the needs of customers. The partnership then has the potential to extend to further depots across the bus operator’s U.K. infrastructure in the future.
First Bus is harnessing its EV infrastructure to help support local communities and businesses to reach their environmental aspirations. This commitment also aligns with the commitment to achieve a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
The partnership officially launched at First Bus’ Leicester depot with a visit from Department for Transport Minister Lilian Greenwood, who joined representatives from First Bus and Centrica to highlight the critical role the EV infrastructure will play in reducing emissions and promoting sustainable transport.
Centrica currently has more than 3,000 EVs in its fleet but is aiming to convert all its diesel vehicles to zero-emissions by 2030.
“As we continue to electrify our fleet, we’re always looking for innovative ways to address some of the operational challenges that come with such a large transition,” says Rob Simister, director of Fleet Operations at Centrica. “This partnership with First Bus will mean we’re more effective at getting to our customers, while speeding up the rollout of our electric vehicles.”
“It’s fantastic to see this partnership between First Bus and Centrica to help engineers in making the switch to electric,” adds Greenwood. “This government is supporting more and more people to make the move to zero-emission vehicles. Whether charging at home, in public, or in depots like this, we’re dedicated to making charging as easy as possible, with 200 million pounds announced in the budget to further boost infrastructure across the country.”