Loughborough has taken a major step towards low-emission public transport as Kinchbus begins operating electric buses supported by smart charging and on-site solar. The project highlights how integrated energy solutions can cut emissions while keeping services reliable.
E-fleet specialist VEV has delivered the charging and energy infrastructure at Kinchbus’ Loughborough depot, supporting the rollout of eleven fully electric buses. The deployment forms part of an £8 million investment that will see 22 electric buses in service by March.
Once complete, the fleet will use up to 1.4GWh of electricity each year, managed through VEV’s VEV-IQ energy management platform. Charging is optimised to use lower-cost, off-peak electricity while limiting demand during peak grid stress periods.
The depot upgrade also includes 53kWp of on-site solar PV, expected to generate around 44MWh of renewable electricity annually. This is forecast to save the equivalent of 10 tonnes of CO2 a year, supporting local climate and air quality goals.
Tom Morgan, Managing Director at Kinchbus, said: “This is a huge milestone for public transport in Loughborough. It’s a green new dawn for the town, with zero emissions from quieter, smoother and more reliable journeys.”
VEV says the project demonstrates how smart charging and on-site generation can enable zero-emission fleets at scale. Barry Keane, Business Development Manager at VEV, said: “By combining infrastructure delivery with real-time optimisation through VEV-IQ, we’re helping operators electrify with confidence while minimising cost and reducing pressure on the electricity grid.”
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