#uk-bus-manufacturing

#uk-bus-manufacturing

UK businesses face some of the highest electricity costs in Europe, a situation that has worsened following the recent surge in global gas prices linked to geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.

On average, fuel prices are up almost a dollar per gallon, or 25 percent, according to AAA. For a nation as addicted to the automotive as we are, that's bad news. Except, of course, for electric vehicles.

The UK has about 1.59GW of currently installed datacentre capacity at just under 190 sites. If we add existing capacity to that which is planned to complete by 2030 and which has planning consent, we get 4.9GW.

According to a survey of over 13,000 members conducted by the AA, an estimated 21.7 million journeys are expected across the UK on Thursday, making this one of the busiest Easters in recent years.

British Steel operates the last two remaining blast furnaces in the UK but it is still economically controlled by the Chinese company, which bought it out of insolvency in early 2020.

The Weil European Distress Index shows that financial pressures on European companies had already moved into 'distress territory' before the escalation of tensions involving Iran, leaving firms with far less capacity to absorb another energy-driven shock.

Honda has slashed the price of the 2026 Prologue by $7,500 across the board, essentially replacing the lost tax incentive and making the crossover a much better deal among its peers.

The ScotZEB3 programme will deliver a total of 334 vehicles, comprising 227 buses and 107 coaches, to be integrated into fleets operated by companies including Stagecoach, Lothian, First Bus, Ember and Rock Road.

The number of diesel cars on Great Britain's roads in June had fallen to 9.9m in June last year, 21% below its peak of 12.4m vehicles, according to analysis by New AutoMotive, a thinktank focused on the transition to electric cars. Electric car sales are still growing rapidly, albeit more slowly than manufacturers had expected. However, the transition to cleaner vans is lagging behind cars, and the number of diesel vans has continued to rise, to a record 4.4m.

The framework covers vehicles powered by hydrogen, battery-electric and diesel technologies, as well as different bus formats including single-deck, double-deck, articulated and 6×2 models. Framework agreements are designed to streamline procurement processes by allowing public buyers to purchase vehicles without conducting a full open tender.

Connected Energy is developing what it describes as the UK's most advanced second-life EV battery testing facility as part of its first wholly owned and operated battery energy storage system (BESS) site. The project marks a step change in the company's strategy, moving from delivering systems for third parties to owning and operating grid-scale storage assets. The site will be located at Scottow Enterprise Park in Norfolk, close to Connected Energy's technical centre. Alongside its role as a commercial energy storage installation, the facility will be used to test the integration and performance of batteries from multiple electric bus and truck manufacturers.