Building on the successful launch of Optare’s new double deck, the MetroDecker, at the London Transport Museum and the MetroCity EV by The Mayor of London earlier this year, Optare will showcase the latest developments in its lightweight, fuel efficient and environmentally conscious product range at Eurobus Expo 2014.
Optare is already renowned for its zero emissions technology and is the leader in fully electric vehicles in the UK and Europe. At this year’s Expo, Optare, will for the first time, present its complete product offering to fulfil all the UK operators’ urban and interurban demands.
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Optare is pleased to announce the appointment of Steven Norris as Independent Non-Executive Director with immediate effect. Mr Norris simultaneously takes on the role of Deputy Chairman of the Board and will assist Optare in working with the UK bus industry to achieve greener bus travel and improved air quality in the UK.
Steven John Norris, 69, started his career in the engineering and motor industries, entering into politics in 1977 when he was elected to Berkshire County Council. In 1983 he became the Member of Parliament for Oxford East and subsequently held various parliamentary positions until 1992 when he became the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Transport and Minister for Transport in London. Mr Norris was responsible for the Jubilee line extension, the largest extension of the London Underground network to date.
Mr Norris is widely known for his interest in public transport. He possesses a wealth of experience and is either currently or has previously held roles as Chairman of the National Cycling Strategy Board, Director General of the Road Haulage Association and President of the Motor Cycle Industry Association, a Commissioner with the Independent Transport Commission, and a patron of the cyclists charity, Sustrans and of the Campaign for Better Transport (UK) Trust. Mr Norris holds an MA in Jurisprudence from the University of Oxford.
Speaking of Mr Norris’ appointment to Optare, John Fickling, Chairman said, “I am very pleased to welcome Steven to the Company. He brings a wealth of experience in the public transport sector to the role. Steven’s appointment will be pivotal to Optare working with the Government organisations and the UK Bus Industry to implement cleaner and greener public transport in the UK.”
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Optare was awarded for its excellence in environment and green technology by the Indo European Business Forum at a recent awards ceremony at the House of Lords, Westminster, London.
The award was collected by Enrico Vassallo, CEO, who commented, “ We are thrilled to be recognised for our continued contribution to the environment and green technology, through the development of fuel efficiency technologies and our zero emissions, fully electric vehicles.”
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In this video Steve Skinner from ABC magazine visits Sydney airport to try out the unique, three-door Optare Tempo.
The Optare Tempo is being used by Bus operator Carbridge as a ten minute shuttle between the long-term carpark and the airport terminals. The three doors make the Tempo ideal for loading and unloading passengers rapidly.
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Over the next few weeks, the British-built Optare Versa vehicles will enter service on routes that connect Alfreton, Ripley and Heanor with Nottingham – coinciding with a new Sunday service on the fast rapid one route into the city.
The new buses feature free 4G Wi-Fi, built-in USB power sockets, next stop announcement system, double glazing, and cosy, comfy seats with leather headrests.
Alex Hornby, Marketing and Communications Director, trentbarton, commented on the buses: “We’re sure they’ll prove a big hit with our band of regular customers, as well tempting even more people to take the bus around the local area into the city.”
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Optare electric Solo SRs are being used to transport the athletes around the village at the Commonwealth Games during the 11 day event in Glasgow.
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Greater Manchester’s first fully electric buses will soon hit city centre streets on the free hop-on hop-off Metroshuttle service.
Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM) has now taken delivery of three new environmentally friendly Optare Versa electric buses, which have been jointly funded through the Department for Transport’s Green Bus Fund.
The three fully electric buses are the first of their kind to run in the region and join a 17 strong-fleet of hybrid-electric buses which already run on all three Metroshuttle routes.
The three Optare Versa fully electric buses, like the hybrid electric buses already used on Route 1, can carry up to 57 passengers, including 28 seated – or 25 seated if a wheelchair is carried.
Electric buses have zero emissions at point of use and are also cheaper to run than diesel buses.
Passengers be able to catch the electric buses next week on the orange Metroshuttle 1 route, which links Piccadilly station with many of the shopping, commercial, leisure and cultural areas of the city centre.
Councillor Mark Aldred, Deputy Chair of the TfGM Committee, said: “Metroshuttle is the largest free city centre bus service in the UK and carries millions of passengers every year, helping to cut congestion.
“These new electric buses are cheaper to run and quieter than normal buses and give off no harmful emissions – contributing to a better environment for everyone who lives in, works in and visits the city centre.
“The buses are a welcome addition to our fleet of green buses – and just part of Greater Manchester’s hard work to radically slash its carbon emissions by around one million tonnes every year.”
Vicky Tomlinson, operations manager for bus operator First, said: “We’re looking forward to welcoming Metroshuttle passengers on board the new electric buses. They are a first for us and our drivers are enjoying taking them out on test runs to get used to the buses before they start running with passengers.”
Greater Manchester already has more green buses than anywhere in the UK outside London, and will have over 300 green buses on its roads by 2015.
Metroshuttle services run to all major areas of the city centre including Piccadilly rail station, Deansgate, Spinningfields, Manchester Victoria, Shudehill Interchange, Oxford Road and Salford Central train stations.
Press release and photograph courtesy of Transport for Greater Manchester
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The Mayor of London officially welcomed the introduction of four British built, pure electric buses yesterday evening (29 July) at an air quality event at The Mansion House.
- The four buses, in service on route H98, deliver significant air quality benefits due to zero tail pipe emissions
- Lower running and maintenance costs compared to a diesel single deck bus
- Continuing commitment to trial emission free transport in the capital
The four Optare MetroCity single deck buses are currently being trialled on route H98, which operates between Hayes and Hounslow. They are manufactured by Optare, part of the Hinduja Group, a British bus manufacturer based in Sherburn in Elmet, North Yorkshire, and are part funded from the Department of Transport’s (DfT) Green Bus Fund. The buses demonstrate Transport for London’s (TfL) continuing commitment to trialling new emission free technology in the capital.
The introduction of the four pure electric Optare MetroCity buses is the first step of the Mayor’s plan for all single deck buses in central London to be zero emission at tailpipe, as part of the world’s first Ultra Low Emission Zone, from 2020. This brings the total number of electric buses now in service in London to six. The first two electric buses in London have been operating on routes 507 and 521 since last December. A further two are expected to enter service later this year.
Passengers will notice that pure electric buses offer much lower noise and vibration levels compared to diesel vehicles, with TfL benefiting from lower maintenance and running costs. These buses have zero tail pipe emissions, resulting in lower carbon emissions and improved air quality. The trials will help TfL develop plans for greater use of electric buses in central London in the future, contributing to the Mayor’s vision of a central London Ultra Low Emission Zone.
Mike Weston, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: “The introduction of these new pure electric vehicles is part of our continuing assessment of the technology, to ensure it can handle the capital’s challenging operational environment. We will be closely monitoring the results of the trials, which may help us adopt this new clean technology more widely in London.”
Mr. Gopichand Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group, said: “Optare’s MetroCity electric vehicle is a prime example of the UK’s manufacturing excellence, technology and innovation coming together to provide a zero emissions solution to improve air quality in London. We look forward to seeing more of these vehicles operating in London and cities across the UK and Europe in the future. Optare is crucial to Hinduja Group’s flagship company, Ashok Leyland’s future global strategy: It is the hub for the company’s expansion in Europe and Worldwide.”
These electric bus trials will be used to establish whether the technology can stand up to the rigours of operating in an intense urban environment such as London. The manufacturer’s tests demonstrated that while the initial capital cost of these vehicles was more than that of standard diesel, the significantly lower running and maintenance costs would offset this within the typical lifetime of the vehicle. The buses take around five hours to fully charge overnight, or two hours using fast charge technology and have a range of up to 100 miles depending on operating conditions
The electric bus trial is one of the many measures the Mayor has introduced to make London’s bus fleet more environmentally friendly, including the operation of zero emission hydrogen buses on Route RV1 between Covent Garden and Tower Gateway and delivering Europe’s largest hybrid bus fleet. Around eight hundred hybrid buses now operate on the capital’s roads, including the New Routemasters, with more being introduced in a rolling programme. By 2016 there will be more than 1,700 hybrid buses in service on London’s streets representing 20 per cent of the total bus fleet. TfL has also recently completed an extensive retrofit programme over 1,000 older buses which involves fitting them with an innovative system called Selective Catalytic Reduction (SCR), reducing emissions of harmful oxides of nitrogen (NOx) by up to 88 per cent.
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Peter and Linda McKenzie of Donric Group, a family owned large bus and coach operator in Australia, visited the Optare production facility on a recent trip over to the UK. The Donric Group has grown from a fleet of 8 vehicles in 1980 to in excess of 360 buses and coaches today. The group’s bus and coach fleets cater for a diversified range of people movement activities from school buses, route services to a wide range of charter & extended touring.
Donric Group have recently taken delivery of two Optare Solo SRs to be operated by Gold Bus, one of the six companies within the group, aptly named after the area in which they operate in Ballarat, Victoria, known for its Gold Mining.
The Solos will operate as Special Education School Buses in partnership with the Department for Education in Victoria, serving Ballarat Specialist School. Located not far from the banks of Lake Wendouree, Ballarat Specialist School provides educational programs for 3-30 year old students with mild, moderate and profound intellectual disabilities associated with physical, social, emotional, behavioural, multiple and sensory impairments.
Peter McKenzie, Chief Executive, Donric Group, said, “The application of the low floor, mid size Solos as a Special Education School Bus is a new concept in Australia, with the growing demand for special education services and access for multiple wheelchairs. The Solo provides a higher capacity whilst still able to navigate through the urban streets.” The Solo’s front axle is forward of the entrance doors meaning fast passenger access can be easily achieved, which is ideal for this application. The Solos meet ECE-R66 roll over requirements and their fuel efficiency and low floor access are also advantages over the more traditional high floor mini bus solution.
“Optare’s selection of well known global brands in the Solo’s driveline adds to the maintainability of the vehicles and their performance in high temperatures was also another deciding factor in choosing the Solo. The vehicles have been very well received by both customers and drivers.”
David Siviero, Global Sales, Marketing and Service Director, Optare, said, “We are delighted at how well these vehicles have been received and continue to work with our agents Patico in Australia to produce more vehicles for the Australian market.”
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John Horn has retired as UK Sales Director at Optare after 45 years in the industry. The decision will enable him to spend more time with his family at their home on the South Coast. John will hand over the reins to Tim Matthews.
John joined the industry straight from school as an apprentice coach builder in Portsmouth, during his apprenticeship he met his now wife of over 40 years, Sheila. John joined East Lancashire Coach Builders in 1996 which later became Optare.
Enrico Vassallo, ‘CEO of Optare, said, “Everyone at Optare wishes John well for the future. John is well known by everyone at Optare and we thank him for his contribution to the company over the last 18 years he has worked for the firm.”
John Horn, said, “I am looking forward to spending more time with my family in Portsmouth and watching the mid-week games at Pompey. I wish Tim every success in his new role.”
Tim Matthews, Head of Sales for UK and Ireland said, “I’m looking forward to my new challenge at Optare, I’m honoured to have worked with John and wish him all the best for the future.”
David Siviero, Sales, Marketing and Service Director, “John is well respected at Optare and has been a pleasure to work with and I wish him all the very best. I look forward to working with Tim to support the company in achieving growth in the UK and Ireland.”
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