Tootbus, the world’s greenest sightseeing bus company, partners with VEV to manage EV bus fleet
- Agreement facilitates Tootbus’ end-to-end sustainability mission and is forecast to achieve carbon-emissions savings of 15,567kg per year.
- By 2029, Tootbus will have converted over 30 buses from hydrotreated vegetable oil (HVO) fuel into EVs and has so far repowered 3 buses and converted them into EVs.
- Partnership begins with VEV delivering 100% renewable power and 10 chargers for Tootbus EV buses.
- Roof-mounted solar-power panels at Tootbus’ Wandsworth depot could power 60,000km of travel per year with clean energy – an industry-first.
- VEV’s charging and energy management platform VEV-IQ will optimise Tootbus’ power supply, charging infrastructure and vehicle utilisation.
London, UK (31 January, 2023) – VEV, the e-fleet solutions provider backed by Vitol – a world-leader in the energy sector – today announces its collaboration with international sightseeing bus operator Tootbus, a subsidiary of RATP Dev. In a market-first, this agreement means that Tootbus will be able to deliver a green service from end-to-end in its London operations.
Tootbus is the world’s first clean energy sightseeing bus company and is a leading operator of hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours in Bath*, London, Paris, and Brussels. Tootbus has been investing in its green strategy since 2021 when it converted to HVO fuel, which reduces CO2 emissions by 90%. Moving to the next phase with electric vehicles (EVs), Tootbus has appointed VEV to develop the overall fleet electrification plan.
Starting this month, VEV is enabling Tootbus to power their current electric fleet consisting of three vehicles, with 100% renewable power and installing the first 10 EV chargers.
Subject to planning permission and surveys, VEV will install solar power generation at the Tootbus Wandsworth depot to generate 65,000kwh. This could power 60,000km of sightseeing bus travel, which will not only be 100% green but also reduce the load drawn from the National Grid.
Tootbus will leverage the VEV-IQ smart energy management platform. VEV’s proprietary system enables fleet operators to monitor power supply, charging infrastructure and vehicle usage to keep their fleets on the road and maximise energy efficiency.
VEV’s end-to-end electrification solution will help Tootbus continue to reduce its carbon output, with carbon emissions expected to decrease by 15,567kg per year from the plan. By 2029, Tootbus’ fleet will be fully electric – with a mix of buses converted from HVO to electric and brand new Electric buses, hitting this goal way ahead of the Mayoral push for green vehicles in London.
Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV said:
“The bus and tourism sectors have a critical role to play in helping to decarbonise UK roads. As the transition to electrification is set to gain pace over the immediate and longer-term future, leading players in these sectors have recognised that going green is not only the right thing to do, but is also a competitive advantage and are keen to make the switch as soon as possible. We’re excited to be working with Gavin and his proactive team at Tootbus to demonstrate the invaluable impact that fleet electrification and smart energy management have in helping cities to reduce carbon emissions. We look forward to continuing to support them in leading the way towards more sustainable travel.”
Gavin Brooking, Managing Director, Tootbus UK, said:
“Green tourism is at the heart of our business strategy and is an important investment for us. We recognised the enormous potential that switching to a complete end-to-end sustainable electric fleet could have in helping us achieve our emissions-reduction goals. With its extensive expertise in the sector of smart energy management, VEV is an ideal like-minded partner for us with a bespoke, turnkey solution.”
For media inquiries or further information, please contact Media@vev.com. VEV’s media kit is available here.
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About VEV
VEV helps organisations deliver on their carbon reduction ambitions with an end-to-end fleet electrification solution that integrates across vehicles, charging infrastructure and power. VEV is owned by Vitol, a world leader in energy, which to date has committed circa $2 billion to sustainable energy initiatives worldwide.
VEV navigates the complexities of EV transformation to design and implement cost-effective EV fleets optimised for specific fleet requirements. We support EV fleet operations to guarantee resilience and keep mission-critical fleets running at scale. Bespoke, scalable business solutions are designed around the client’s own fleet data analysed by a powerful assessment tool and our experts in energy and sustainable e-mobility. VEV sets businesses up for success in an electrified future.
VEV’s fleet management platform includes fleet assessment tools to analyse a fleet’s electrification readiness and dashboards to manage real-time EV fleet operations. Video walkthough of VEV-IQ
More information at VEV.com
About Tootbus
Tootbus, a subsidiary of RATP Dev, is the world’s first clean energy sightseeing bus company and is a leading operator of hop-on hop-off sightseeing bus tours in Bath, London, Paris, and Brussels. Fully committed to improving its leading environmental positioning, Tootbus London has taken major steps to decarbonise its fleet by introducing three fully electric open-top sightseeing buses and adding an additional 30 repowered electric buses by 2030. Tootbus London also offers a fresh perspective on city sightseeing tours with unique experiences such as the Kids Tour, London Bar Bus, London by Night, and Christmas Lights Tour. Buses are wheelchair accessible and the onboard experience includes multilingual audio guides in 10 languages, free Wi-Fi, and an app that features Tootwalks. These free self-guided walking tours share Tootbus’ love of the cities by guiding visitors through the best parts, on an easy journey rich with discoveries.
More information at Tootbus.com
*Bath is currently Euro 6 buses, meeting ULEZ emissions standards.