30 June 2021
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2 min read
First Bus is set to trial Arrival's electric buses on UK roads in 2021 | Credit: Arrival
Major project to deliver electric bus depot aims to provide template that could be replicated across Europe
The UK's largest electric vehicle (EV) charging hub will not just help power 300 electric buses in Glasgow, but could also showcase a funding model that should help turbocharge charging infrastructure development across Europe.
That is plan being touted today by Macquarie's Green Investment Group (GIG) and charging infrastructure developer Heliox B.V., as they announced a new partnership designed to provide fully financed, turn-key charging solutions, initially for bus and truck fleets, in return for fixed regular payments. Dubbed 'charging-as-a-service', the firms hope the removal of up-front costs will reduce one of the main barriers to fleet electrification, and enables customers to convert capex costs into opex costs, making the cost of charging competitive to traditional diesel fuels, while dramatically lowering the carbon footprint of their fleet.
The new partnersihp will help enable the development of the UK's largest electric bus charging array - located at Glasgow's First Bus depot - which is set to be completed over the next 18 months. It also builds on the team's creation of the world's largest bus depot charging network at Amsterdam's Schiphol Airport in 2018.
Under the 'charging-as-a-service' model, GIG and Heliox will own and fund the construction of charging infrastructure and maintain the charging facilities on behalf of its customers.
To ensure the Glasgow project offers maximum efficiency and value for money, it will use a pioneering vehicle-to-grid and dynamic charging technology, developed by Heliox, which allows power flows between the grid and any electric vehicle to be controlled in real time. It means high-cost peak-demand hours can be avoided, while the firm says its vehicle-to-grid technology provides a bi-directional energy flow that "transforms the vehicles and depots into a virtual power plant".
Target markets for further developments will focus on high growth EV markets including the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and the UK, the firms said.
Greg Callman, head of energy technology at GIG, said: "The transport sector presents one of the world's greatest decarbonisation challenges. We've got to accelerate the deployment of low-carbon technologies across all segments of the sector. Our pioneering partnership with Heliox helps bus and truck operators decarbonise their fleets more cost effectively and rapidly, while reducing diesel emissions and improving the air quality of European cities."
Transport accounts for 14 per cent of global emissions, and road vehicles account for nearly three-quarters of those emissions. The EU has therefore set ambitious targets for the adoption of electric vehicles with 45 per cent and 65 per cent of newly-registered buses required to run on electric power by 2025 and 2030, respectively.
