New electric bus on trial on Harrogate to Knaresborough route
The Harrogate Bus Company are testing the vehicle out as they look to expand the services they operate with battery-powered buses.
A high-tech battery powered bus is on the road between Harrogate and Knaresborough as The Harrogate Bus Company trial the latest zero emission electric technology.
It's being tested for a week on the busy number 1 route between the two towns, as the company looks to expand the range of services operated by electric buses following the introduction of eight battery powered vehicles on local services around Harrogate in 2018.
The trial vehicle (the blue bus pictured above) was unveiled on Thursday to mark Clean Air Day.
The Harrogate Bus Company’s CEO Alex Hornby said:
“We’re celebrating the success of our class-leading Harrogate Electrics buses in covering over 400,000 zero emission miles by looking ahead to future options for electric power on one of our most popular route, the 1 between Harrogate, Starbeck and Knaresborough.
“With a bus up to every seven minutes, it’s a vitally important link for thousands of our customers and an ideal place to put the industry’s newest electric technology to the test.
“This exciting, seven-day trial sees us running a British-built single deck bus, manufactured by Alexander Dennis in partnership with the Chinese firm BYD, the world’s largest manufacturer of rechargeable batteries and new energy vehicles. The design combines the best in British bus manufacturing skills with the very latest world-class battery technology.
“We continue to look to the long-term future for our company and our industry, strong in the belief that our buses will play a vitally important role in boosting the wider economy in Harrogate, Yorkshire and the north of England for decades to come.”