Search: VEV

Transport for Greater Manchester has appointed VEV Services Limited to design and build Tranche 5+ of its bus depot electrification programme, covering sites at Wigan and Wythenshawe. The contract value is £60m against a tender estimate of £65m. The award forms part of a multi-tranche delivery programme, with Tranche 6 expected to follow.

Why it matters: The £60m award signals continued public investment in depot charging infrastructure and opens supply-chain opportunities beneath the lead contractor on a multi-site delivery. Tracking the variance between tender and award values, plus the timing of Tranche 6, will help CPOs and suppliers position for upcoming Greater Manchester depot work.

Independent operator Falcon Coaches has deployed 13 Alexander Dennis Enviro200EV electric buses, becoming the first independent to order the next generation single-deckers, and upgraded its West Byfleet depot with charging infrastructure via VEV. The operator has also secured a TfL contract for three Enviro400EVs and the Kingston University service for five more Enviro400EVs, bringing its electric fleet to 26 buses by March. Falcon is the first new entrant to the London bus network in 20 years, joining Uno Bus as the only non-PLC operators in the market.

Why it matters: The order signals growing independent operator confidence in electric bus procurement and highlights depot electrification as a prerequisite for TfL and university contracts. Falcon's entry into London after two decades demonstrates that smaller operators can now compete for major public transport work with the right EV infrastructure investment.

EV charging management firm VEV has analysed operational data from more than 100,000 commercial vehicles and found that early-stage analytics can reduce grid upgrade costs by up to 70% and deliver energy savings of up to 20% through optimised charging strategies. The company warned that many local authority electrification programmes stall due to poor planning around infrastructure, energy demand and grid capacity rather than vehicle technology failures. VEV cited its work with Derby City Council's municipal waste fleet as a practical example of the data-led approach.

Why it matters: The findings offer councils and fleet operators a clear cost reduction pathway at a time when public sector budgets are under pressure, while the 70% potential saving on grid upgrades could make depot electrification projects significantly more viable for procurement teams evaluating business cases.

VEV has completed a 5 MW high-power DC charging deployment at three Maritime Transport logistics sites in Wakefield, Tilbury and Doncaster, installing 18 chargers (100 kW to 400 kW each) to support 36 electric trucks charging simultaneously. The infrastructure will serve 56 electric HGVs, each covering approximately 120,000 km per year, as part of Maritime's fleet electrification programme under the UK government's Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator (ZEHID) Program. VEV delivered full turnkey services including site design, power engineering, civil works, installation and integration with its VEV IQ smart charging platform for load balancing and scheduling across the depot network.

Why it matters: This marks one of the UK's largest heavy goods vehicle charging deployments to date and demonstrates the scale of infrastructure required for depot-based fleet electrification, with Maritime targeting 13 depots nationally. The project showcases demand for integrated turnkey delivery and smart energy management platforms in the commercial vehicle charging segment, backed by government demonstrator funding.

Paua has partnered with DAF dealers Motus and Ford & Slater to bring 16 new truck charging locations into its shared depot network across the UK. The two dealers have supplied 20% of electric trucks in the UK's Zero Emission HGV and Infrastructure Demonstrator Programme, and the depots will accept electric trucks from any manufacturer. Chargers have been installed by Envevo at Motus sites and by EO at Ford & Slater locations.

Why it matters: Shared depot charging expands accessible infrastructure for commercial fleets without requiring operators to build their own facilities, improving charger utilisation and route planning. The multi-brand access model signals a shift toward open networks that can support broader HGV electrification beyond single-manufacturer ecosystems.