Speaking at the event, Mr. Glenn Saint, said, “I am delighted to receive this award on behalf of the team at Optare. Our pioneering development work in electric vehicle technology started in 2009 and this is the third time that Optare has won an award for its EV technology. Last year we won the highly prestigious Society of Motor Manufacturers & Traders Innovation Award and in 2010, our Solo EV model won a Chartered Institute of Logistics and Transport Environmental Improvement award. Optare leads the way in the development of full-size battery-powered buses in the UK and is the only company whose products are currently in service,” he added. “I believe our electric buses are now beginning to make a significant mark on the UK public transport scene and as their usage grows, they will make a major contribution to cleaner and more sustainable public transport in the future.”
The Versa EV is the largest of Optare’s range of electric buses and is capable of carrying in excess of 50 passengers. Along with the smaller Solo and the Solo SR all-electric models, Optare electric buses have been in operation for nearly three years in Durham, Dorchester (Poundbury), Nottingham, Coventry and at London’s Heathrow Airport. Zero emissions and the low noise of these vehicles have led to increased passenger acceptance and a cleaner and quieter local environment.
Optare is the only producer of full-size, commercially viable, battery-powered buses in the UK that are manufactured at its modern assembly plant at Sherburn-in-Elmet in Yorkshire. The technology is now available to the rest of Europe through Ashok Leyland’s international sales network.
