Some electric bus questions

[Cymroglan]

I’m quite new to taking an active interest in buses and have only recently travelled for the first (and 2nd, 3rd &4th time!) in an electric bus (Cambridge Trumpington Park & Ride). My little grandson and I were equally excited by the smart looking bus and its oh so quiet acceleration and general ride. In fact, we dodged a good hour of trailing around the shops with the rest of our family by heading back to the car park and then back to the city centre on the buses. It took some tricky domestic negotiations mind….

As I was so much in the moment and looking after junior I completely forgot to note the reg, make etc! Later research suggests they were Volvo BZLs. I think we’ve both now got our new favourite bus!

So, the questions:

1. I was wondering what more established and knowledgeable bus people make of the electric vehicles. Do they compare favourably with the buses you have always loved? I’m entirely making this up, but I wonder whether ordinary travellers and newbies like me might be more enthusiastic about them than seasoned bus enthusiasts?
2. Is there a list available on line of uk operators with electric buses? I have discovered a fair few operators thanks to search engines, but if there is a list I would love to see it!
3. Are there any diecast (or other) models of electric buses? Again, I have done my research but can’t see anything. I know grandson and grandad would be equally excited by such a model!

Any help appreciated!

 

[PG]

If I may ask:
You and your grandson seem quite taken with your recent experience - What is your impression of the drivers of these buses compared to diesel buses? Less stressed, friendlier, happier or no different to other bus journeys?

 

[GusB]

Welcome to the forum, @Cymroglan!

Regarding the second question that you posed, whenever an operator or manufacturer announces an order being placed for electric vehicles, it usually gets a mention in this thread:

Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

I'm sure a thread like this was created before, however i had a look and can no longer find it. The purpose of this thread is to post news and updates regarding bus manufacturers based in the UK such as ADL, Optare and Wright. Builders like Mellor Coachcraft who do the minibus van bodies are...

www.railforums.co.uk

There was a Trivia thread in which people were asked to give examples of operators that run non-diesel buses - it's locked now, but you'll find it here:

Trivia : Operators that have non diesel buses

How many operators now have non diesel buses eg electric , hydrogen , hybrid ?

www.railforums.co.uk

It's not a comprehensive list, however. If anyone feels the need to start such a project it may be a useful resource.

As far as models are concerned, I'm not aware of any being produced yet, but the people at Oxford Diecast were very helpful when I emailed them about another forthcoming product. Other manufacturers are available, of course!

 

[Cymroglan]

If I may ask:
You and your grandson seem quite taken with your recent experience - What is your impression of the drivers of these buses compared to diesel buses? Less stressed, friendlier, happier or no different to other bus journeys?

Well, my grandson does tend to bring the best out of some people including guards and ticket collectors on the trains and indeed bus drivers. The bus drivers on the bus route near his home tend to be understandably hassled and eager to get on with the journey. The electric experience was that at the car park end they were polite but not chatty while at the City end we had a brief driver instigated chat both times. One of the drivers explained a tiny bit about the batteries to us. We sat on the top deck each tie. So didn’t see the drivers in action during the journey.

Welcome to the forum, @Cymroglan!

Regarding the second question that you posed, whenever an operator or manufacturer announces an order being placed for electric vehicles, it usually gets a mention in this thread:

Bus Manufacturer News & Discussion

I'm sure a thread like this was created before, however i had a look and can no longer find it. The purpose of this thread is to post news and updates regarding bus manufacturers based in the UK such as ADL, Optare and Wright. Builders like Mellor Coachcraft who do the minibus van bodies are...

www.railforums.co.uk

There was a Trivia thread in which people were asked to give examples of operators that run non-diesel buses - it's locked now, but you'll find it here:

Trivia : Operators that have non diesel buses

How many operators now have non diesel buses eg electric , hydrogen , hybrid ?

www.railforums.co.uk

It's not a comprehensive list, however. If anyone feels the need to start such a project it may be a useful resource.

As far as models are concerned, I'm not aware of any being produced yet, but the people at Oxford Diecast were very helpful when I emailed them about another forthcoming product. Other manufacturers are available, of course!

Many thanks for all these pointers! I’m very much at the rookie stage but I know a bit more about the world of buses than I did a year ago. So many bus people are really super helpful, especially at museums like Oxford and Brooklands. I will chase up your recommendations. Thanks!