With over 10% of its 8,400-strong fleet already electrified, Stagecoach was well on its way to becoming one of the UK’s most advanced EV bus operators. However, as electric vehicle adoption increased, so did the complexity of managing energy use across multiple depots — each with different infrastructure, operating schedules and tariff structures.

While electric buses reduced overall fuel costs and emissions, the company faced rising electricity expenses and increasing exposure to market volatility. Stagecoach needed a way to optimise power procurement and charging operations to maintain cost efficiency, ensure vehicle readiness, and safeguard reliability — all while preparing for a rapidly expanding electric fleet.

Building on a successful partnership that began with the rollout of charging infrastructure, Stagecoach engaged VEV to design and deliver a comprehensive energy optimisation strategy. The aim: to unlock cost savings, stabilise power use across depots, and ensure operational continuity as electrification scaled.

VEV’s specialists conducted a full analysis of Stagecoach’s depot energy profiles, identifying opportunities to reduce costs without impacting fleet performance. The team then implemented a smart charging algorithm, programmed to automatically schedule charging sessions during periods of lowest electricity cost while still guaranteeing that each bus was fully charged and ready to operate on schedule.

This was supported by a dynamic energy procurement framework, combining deep operational data with live energy market intelligence. By aligning procurement decisions with actual fleet demand, VEV helped Stagecoach mitigate exposure to price spikes and optimise long-term contract value.

To tie the system together, VEV provided an integrated monitoring platform — giving Stagecoach’s asset management team real-time visibility of energy use, cost performance, and charging efficiency across all participating depots. This ensured the programme could scale seamlessly as the fleet expanded, creating a repeatable model for future electrification projects.

Key elements included:

• Smart charging algorithms that schedule charging at the lowest possible cost while maintaining operational readiness.
• Energy market intelligence integration, enabling real-time adjustments to mitigate price volatility.
• Operational insights combined with power management to optimise both fleet uptime and depot energy performance.

Through VEV’s energy optimisation programme, Stagecoach has significantly strengthened the efficiency and resilience of its growing electric fleet. By intelligently managing charging schedules, energy procurement and depot power usage, the project has delivered measurable financial and operational gains — ensuring every electric bus is ready to depart on time, while driving meaningful reductions in energy spend and emissions.

Stagecoach partnered with VEV to develop a unified strategy for managing the energy demands of its expanding electric fleet. Having already collaborated on depot charging infrastructure, the next challenge was to control and optimise energy use across multiple sites — balancing commercial efficiency with operational reliability.

VEV’s team of energy analysts and fleet specialists implemented a power cost optimisation programme that integrates smart charging with real-time energy market insight. This ensures vehicles are charged at the lowest possible cost without compromising readiness, even during periods of high grid demand or volatile pricing.

The partnership now spans multiple depots, covering over 150 electric buses and around 13 GWh of managed energy annually. As Stagecoach continues to scale its electrification programme, VEV’s data-led energy management framework provides a replicable model for cost control and sustainability across the UK’s public transport network.