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07 February 2012
By Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership

Durham County Council became the first local authority in the UK to introduce all-electric midi-buses, in September 2010.

The council successfully applied to the Green Bus Fund for three Optare Solo EVs. The authority received £300,000 in grants towards the additional costs of these 24-seat vehicles compared to the diesel-powered equivalents.

The 8.1m long buses were used in a re-tendering of the Cathedral Service city centre loop, which links Durham train station and the coach park with the historic city centre and Durham Cathedral and Castle – a World Heritage Site.

The route, operated by Dunn Motor Traction, passes through sensitive historical sites and a pedestrianised area, making the clean and quiet performance of the Solo EV ideal. Furthermore, the Council estimates that using the electric buses saves 46 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year.

In another innovative step, the County Council has taken on the risk of replacing the lithium-ion battery packs, enabling a competitive price to be offered from the tenders for this supported service. The contractor is just responsible for operating the vehicles and normal maintenance on all other components.

A spokesman for Durham County Council’s LTA team said: “The buses perform impressively – at least as well as a diesel equivalent in terms of speed and acceleration – and are strikingly quiet.

“We have had to look to Optare for warranty support from time to time, but overall the buses are fulfilling our expectations and the energy costs are proving attractive.”