VEV unveils Falcon electrification to decarbonise Surrey bus services and save 10,454 tonnes in emissions

• Leading independent bus operator, Falcon Coaches engaged VEV to design, procure and build its bus electrification transition, reducing carbon emissions in Surrey.
• Falcon will operate 13 all-new Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV electric buses out of its West Byfleet depot, with delivery of the vehicles due in 2026.
• VEV provided electrification consultancy and power requirement assessment and then facilitated a grid upgrade of 1.5 MVA to the power-constrained site.
• Surrey County Council is supporting Falcon’s electrification having committed £32 million to accelerate the introduction of zero emission buses into Surrey.
• The project is forecast to achieve carbon output savings of 10,454 tonnes across the lifetime of the 13 buses.
• VEV will manage the challenging build which includes a half-mile dig to bring in the power to the space-constrained depot on a busy industrial estate next to a train line.
• The new electric bus fleet will be connected to the control platform VEV-IQ to optimise the charging infrastructure and energy usage.
• High-resolution imagery can be downloaded here.

London, UK (11^th December, 2024) – VEV, the e-fleet solutions provider backed by Vitol – a world-leader in the energy sector – announces its new agreement with leading independent Surrey bus operator, Falcon Coaches, to facilitate the electrification of its new bus fleet.

The end-to-end electrification project at Falcon’s West Byfleet depot enables the cost-effective adoption and operation of the new electric bus fleet. The first stage of the transition involves 13 all-new Enviro200EV electric buses from leading UK manufacturer Alexander Dennis, being delivered in 2026.

Following the initial electrification consultancy and power assessment, VEV facilitated an extensive grid upgrade, and will design, procure and build the charging infrastructure. The electric fleet will be connected to VEV-IQ, the proprietary fleet data management platform, to optimise the charging infrastructure and energy usage.

Falcon already operates one of Surrey’s cleanest low-carbon bus fleets, with all 50 buses Euro 6-standard, and 56% of the fleet ultra-low carbon vehicles. The comprehensive electrification scheme further reinforces Falcon’s drive to decarbonisation, forecast to help reduce carbon-emissions output by 10,454 tonnes across the lifetime of the 13 fully electric, zero emission buses.

Surrey County Council is supporting the project as part of its Surrey Climate Change Strategy, a joint framework for collaborative action on climate change across Surrey’s local authorities and partners, targeting net zero by 2050. The council declared a Climate Emergency in 2019 and committed £32 million to accelerate the introduction of zero emission buses in Surrey.

The Falcon West Byfleet depot is situated in a space- and energy-constrained industrial estate bordering a railway line, and this presented a challenge for the electrification ambitions. VEV conducted the initial electrification assessment using Falcon’s telematics and route patterns and determining the power requirements.

The priority was to secure the additional power capacity, and VEV facilitated a grid upgrade of 1.5 MVA to futureproof the depot’s capacity for up to 35 electric buses. The build will involve a precisely mapped half-mile excavation to deliver the power to the depot as well as installing the charging infrastructure.

The new electric bus fleet connect to the VEV-IQ control platform to optimise efficiency and minimise costs during operation. Once on VEV-IQ, all buses will be charged dynamically respecting any site grid limits or constraints, whilst ensuring the buses are fully charged for the next day’s duty cycle.

Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV said:

“We’re looking forward to enabling Falcon’s vision for a clean, electric bus fleet to become a reality. Bus electrification represents a huge opportunity in the race to achieve net zero for the UK, local authorities, and our local communities. Bus operators therefore have a significant role to play in switching to electric fleets, and we help them navigate the challenges they can face in making that happen.”

Richard Telling, Managing Director of Falcon Coaches said:

“As a leading independent bus operator, we have a duty to provide our customers and local residents with an efficient, environmentally friendly service that’s fit for purpose today and in the future. We’re delighted to have the expertise of VEV to help us meet the challenges of switching our fleet to electric, and together we’re working to ensure our West Byfleet depot is futureproofed for up to 35 electric buses – both in terms of power-capacity and space on-site. We’re hugely excited to see the project unfold ahead of the service commencing in 2026.”

Matt Furniss, Surrey County Council Cabinet Member for Highways, Transport and Economic Growth said:

“I am delighted that we have purchased a further electric 13 buses as part of our £32m investment in providing sustainable travel options for residents and cleaner air for everyone. This means over 60 ultra-low and zero emission buses will be operating across the county, which is great news for Surrey residents.

“We’ve also invested £6.3m in more ultra-low and zero emission community transport minibuses, £9m in bus priority measures to ensure Surrey buses turn up on time, and £1.4m in improving information for passengers at bus stops.

“Our Surrey LINK card gives young people half-price bus travel and we’ve recently expanded our on-demand Surrey Connect bus services to cover areas where there are limited fixed bus routes, giving more options to travel by bus for all residents across Surrey.

“This is a great example of partnership working with investment from both the public and private sectors, and I look forward to seeing the new buses in service in 2026.”

For media inquiries or further information, please contact Media@vev.com. VEV’s media kit is available here.

 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. It supports EV fleet operations to guarantee resilience and keep mission-critical fleets running at scale. Bespoke, scalable business solutions are designed around the customer’s own fleet data analysed by a powerful assessment tool, VEV-IQ, and VEV’s experts in energy and sustainable e-mobility. VEV sets businesses up for success in an electrified future.

More information at VEV.com

About Falcon Coaches

Falcon Coaches is Surrey’s premier coach and bus company. A family-owned business based in Byfleet, Surrey, we run scheduled bus services throughout North East Surrey, and are conveniently located to deliver coach services throughout Surrey and Greater London.

Our fleet of 75 coaches and buses is one of Surrey’s cleanest and newest, representing an average vehicle-age of 3.5 years and fully operating at Euro 6-standard, with 56% of buses ultra-low-carbon-rated vehicles. Using our comprehensive fleet of modern 16- to 70-seat vehicles, we offer solutions for every type of hire.

The team at Falcon Coaches has developed over 30 years of knowledge from the coach and bus industry, bringing extensive expertise in the management of large independent operators to offer premier coach and bus services.

Upholding the highest quality-standards for our comprehensive vehicle fleet, customer service, driver training, and passenger safety, Falcon Coaches delivers the premier experience that defines us as a premier coach and bus operator.

Further information about Falcon Coaches can be found at www.falconbuses.co.uk

 About Surrey County Council

On 24^th November 2020 Surrey’s Cabinet supported the establishment of a Surrey Ultra-Low and Zero Emission Scheme to accelerate the introduction of ultra-low and zero emission vehicles onto a range of bus and community transport services. The total amount of funding for purchasing buses and charging facilities is £32.3m.

This project sits within the wider council Greener Futures work that is designed to support Surrey’s Community Vision for 2030. The shared ambition of Surrey’s twelve local authorities is that our residents live in clean, safe, and green communities, where people and organisations embrace their environmental responsibilities. In support of Surrey’s Community Vision for 2030 and our commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, this project will be delivered in phases between 2024 and 2026 as we work with our bus operator partners.

The impacts of the Covid Pandemic means that bus operators are currently unable to commit capital partnership funding to projects such as this on the scale originally envisaged. However, our Climate Change Strategy requires immediate action to reduce transport emissions, requiring scheme adaptation to support the council in striving to achieve its 2030 and 2050 goals.

Schemes will be rolled out to make a positive contribution to air quality across the county by replacing existing fleets and introducing zero emission electric- and hydrogen-powered-buses.

Moving forward with the introduction of further electric buses will provide clear benefits to the air quality for Surrey residents where the buses will operate.