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City route to get 'green' buses

New electric buses will run in Nottingham city centre after a successful council bid for government money.

More...

http://www.nottingham.gov.uk/index.aspx?articleid=7639

http://www.nottinghamcity.gov.uk/ind...articleid=2775

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Ministerial Launch for new Centrelink - new era in partnership

Transport Minister Sadiq Khan launched a brand new free bus link in Nottingham on Monday September 14th 2009 and saw our unique mango smartcard in action.
Sadiq Khan Transport Minister, Jane Urquhart Portfolio Holder for Transport Nottingham City Council and Ian Morgan, trent barton's Deputy Chairman ready and waiting to launch Centrelink
Centrelink runs every 10 minutes, 12hrs a day, through Nottingham City Centre, linking the Broadmarsh and Victoria Centres. The 3 buses in promotional livery provide a free link across town between two major bus stations.
The initiative is a first step towards what is expected to be one of the first ‘Statutory Quality Partnerships’ using powers contained in the new Transport Act.
After the launch the Minister travelled on indigo where he saw mango in action.
Managing Director Jeff Counsell said:-
“Centrelink will encourage people who currently come in by car, because no matter where you finish up in town, you can easily get back for your bus – much easier than parking.
It builds on a long-standing relationship with Nottingham City Council, whose commitment to public transport is well-known and respected.
Nottingham is a centre of excellence in public transport. We are delighted that the Minister made the trip to give Centrelink a top-level send-off and take a look at indigo and mango”.

http://www.busandcoach.com/newspage....4&categoryid=0

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/b...ingbidders.pdf

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Optare Solo EV

The Government’s £30 million Green Bus Fund is providing backing for Optare’s innovative Eco Drive programme. Following an announcement today of how the fund is to be spent, it is anticipated that orders will be placed for a total of over 70 fully electric and hybrid Optare buses. These would be worth in total over £12 million and would be delivered to operators across the UK during the next two years.

As the only maker of a practical full size zero emission electric bus, Optare is in a unique position to contribute to the Government’s strategy to introduce low carbon buses to British streets. The Optare Solo EV, launched earlier this year and demonstrated to the Prime Minister in Downing Street at the announcement of the Green Bus Fund, has attracted interest from bus operators in the UK and Europe seeking the ultimate in clean transportation for urban environments.

It is clear from the number of joint manufacturer/operator bids determined so far that a total of more than 70 Optare Solo EVs and hybrid buses, will be entering service on the streets of some of the UK’s biggest cities. Decisions on manufacturers have yet to be made on some of the other general bids.

Jim Sumner, Optare’s CEO, commented: “We are delighted to have received this financial support from the Green Bus Fund. It means that major cities across the UK will be showcasing ultra low carbon or zero emission Optare vehicles and enjoying strong environmental benefits at the same time.

“This will be a boost to our order book in 2010. All of our stakeholders can take pride in this news which underlines our position as a leader in zero emission green bus technology”, said Mr Sumner.

http://www.dft.gov.uk/pgr/regional/buses/greenbusfund/

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Optare Solo EV Electric Bus Specifications
The Solo EV is not a big bus: It is available in lengths of 8.1m, 8.8m and 9.5m and widths of either 2.3m or 2.5m.

"Replacing the usual diesel engine is an all-new electric drive, featuring an Enova Systems P120 AC induction motor rated at 120 kW and powered by two banks of Valence Lithium Ion Phosphate batteries. The two packs work in parallel and provide 307V with a total capacity of 80 kWh. The batteries are housed in two steel crates set either side of the centrally mounted motor for excellent weight distribution."

Vehicle top speed is limited to 90 km/h (56 mph). This seems quite enough for urban use, though there's no technical reason why faster speeds couldn't be possible. It's probably just to avoid draining the batteries too quickly.

The Solo EV has regenerative braking, which helps recharge the battery but also means that brakes need to be changed less often (something important on a bus that does stop & go driving all day).

One problem on the horizon: The batteries take 8 hours to charge. Now this might not be a problem if the range of the Solo EV is long enough to do a full day without needed a recharge, but unfortunately that information hasn't been released yet

The company said that it is looking into adding a third battery to extend the range, so maybe that would be a solution. Or maybe a fast charging station could cut the charging time significantly and the Solo EV could be topped off a few times each day, and then have a full charge at night.

From:- http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009...-uk-optare.php