National Express West Midlands have promised to invest in electric buses and they have done so by introducing Enviro 400EV which is brand new electric bus. The buses will be driven back to the garage and plugged in when they reach 15% battery left. They buses have the capacity to seat 39 people upstairs and 26 people downstairs. Buses are bound to please customers with Free WiFi, USB Power on every seat and a very quiet engine so you can do more on the bus.
On Monday 7th July which was the first full week for them in service, i got to try out the buses for the first time and took many photographs of the buses. I traveled Solihull to Shirley which i traveled lower deck and then Shirley to Solihull which i traveled upper deck. I did wear scarf face covering.
The look of the buses feel like your entering 21st century in style. The livery stands out from all of the other National Express West Midlands buses. When i walked closer towards the bus, i couldn't hear the engine which is something i have never experienced with a bus before. I step onto the bus, The first thing that was easily recognised was that there was no back window on Lower Deck, That is because the back is where the bus is charged. The seats looks similar to regular platinum buses but seat layout was different. The whole atmosphere was relaxing and comforting. When the bus left Solihull, I engine was that quiet it was impossible to hear it. Also the bus swiftly maneuvered through the areas on the route. The acceleration leaving bus stops was that quick that if a passenger ran for bus there is likely chance they wont make the bus. The journey was relaxing, comforting and pleasurable.
I got off bus in Shirley and got back on 6 opposite direction. Same bus as what i had on journey to Shirley but i sat on upper deck instead so see the view. The windows are so wide you can see more than the windows on normal platinum buses. Seating was spacious and even if i sat upstairs engine was impossible to hear. Still relaxing and comforting journey back into Solihull.
I think that Enviro400EV are amazing buses and they are the first electric buses to fully enter service instead of having demonstrators. National Express West Midlands have done a great job in investing in electric buses to reach customers high standards. I'm sure the new buses will have customers satisfied and happy with what West Midlands has to offer.
If you would like to ride on National Express West Midlands Electric buses, They run on 6 Birmingham to Solihull via Shirley, Hall green and Sparkbrook. Here is timetable below:
To all bus enthusiast, here are information of the buses below.
All buses are Stratford Road liveried and based at Yardley Wood Bus Garage.
E001 LF20 XOA Electra
E002 LF20 XOB Anna
E003 LF20 XOC Freya-Jane
E004 LF20 XOD Ivy
E005 LF20 XOE Ivy Wren
E006 LF20 XOG Julie
E007 LF20 XOH Moneypenny
E008 LF20 XOJ Laura
E009 LF20 XOK Masoomah
E010 LF20 XOL Maureen
E011 LF20 XOM Meera
E012 LF20 XON Mehreen
E013 LF20 XOO Mommy H
E014 LF20 XOP Nadia
E015 LF20 XOR Noor Zamil
E016 LF20 XOS Samirah
E017 LF20 XOT Skye
E018 LF20 XOU Susan May
E019 LF20 XOU Willow
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