Hopefully this post will clear a few things up about York’s operations. Happy to try and answer any questions as well!
The York fleet will be total 86 all-electric buses when complete as of now.
None of these buses will have saloon heating or cooling, only driver heating/air con.
All bar 3 buses (2 kites, 1 electroliner) are delivered to York now as far as I know.
The fleet will comprise:
19 “York Electrics” Electroliner DD
10 “Uni of York Electric” Electroliner DD
24 “York Electrics” Kite Electroliner
11 “Park and Ride Electric” Versa EV
1 “York Electrics” Versa EV
(for use on 10/59 due to Leeman Road)
15 “Park and Ride Electric” Metrodecker EV
5 “York Blue” Metrodecker EV
1 “York Knights RLFC” Metrodecker EV
The Wright Electrics will happily manage a 0500-2359 day now.
The upgrades to the grid connection to allow all buses to be charged at once is now expected to be completed late March rather than end of this month as originally planned.
Metrodecker EVs are not allowed to be left unattended on charge overnight due to the fire risks seen in London, which means they need to be carefully managed.
There is a group of drivers who have been seconded to the yard to make sure that all buses have enough charge each day, through the use of changeovers and optimising each bus’ position in the yard/annexe and time on charge.
All 13 B7RLEs are accounted for use at other depots, either in service or as training buses, as all are Euro VI converted.
The 4 remaining bendys are going for scrap when done with York, unless anyone decides to purchase one for preservation.
Higher ups are rapidly realising that a fleet of 86 is not enough to run York’s operations, and there are rumblings of a further order for ~30 more Electroliners to replace all 21 metrodeckers, which are still unreliable, and expand the fleet. These would be mainly dual-door “london style” variants to conform to the Park and Ride contract which requires dual-door buses for full-size routes (not 59s), with a small amount being single doored standard FirstGroup Electric spec.
As such, until some form of order arises, it is most likely but not for certain that the 4 bendy buses will have some sort of stay of execution and used on P&R to allow electrics to be used elsewhere, being outstabled at Park and Ride site(s) overnight due to the ban on diesel buses in James St depot once the last few electric buses have arrived.