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Another electric double-decker bus is to be trialled on Jersey’s roads.
LibertyBus said that although the new model was 15cm longer than current operating double-deckers, the company was “confident” the zero-emission Enviro400EV – known as the "crowd-shifter" – would not have “manoeuvrability” issues.
Double-decker buses have been trialled in the island before, in 2019, but the bus operator said that technology had “significantly moved on” since then.
The Enviro400EV is expected on the island's roads tomorrow (6 December) and again the following week on Friday 13 December.
Produced by the UK’s largest bus builder, Alexander Dennis, the vehicle can accommodate 73 passengers.
Pictured: The vehicle is powered by a 472 kWh battery.
The bus is powered by a 472kWh battery, which is said to provide "ample power and range".
Manufacturers describe the vehicle as "state-of-the-art" and say it has an efficient but "heavy-duty drive system".
LibertyBus added that it was seeking to “trial all options” before committing to purchasing any vehicles for its fleet.
The move comes as the company aims to decarbonise Jersey’s public transport network in line with the government’s Carbon Neutral Roadmap.
In October, LibertyBus won a new 10-year contract to operate the island's bus services. The new contract includes the introduction of 22 ultra-low-emission high-capacity buses which will replace older vehicles within the first 12 months of the agreement.
Commenting on the trial, LibertyBus Director Kevin Hart said: “We are excited about trialling this electric double-decker bus in the Island. The vehicle on trial is around 15cm longer than our current double-deckers but we are confident that given the manoeuvrability of the vehicle it shouldn’t cause an issue for our Island’s roads.
“Once we have concluded these out-of-service trials, we will be operating the bus on Route 15 during the week, and we would love to hear the feedback from our customers.”
Alexander Dennis's National Account Manager, Shaun Millar, said: “We are pleased to have made the next-generation Enviro400EV available for this trial by Tower Transit in Jersey.
"We expect that ‘the crowd-shifter’ will perform well with its comfortable passenger experience and outstanding energy efficiency.”
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