Peak District National Park tries out zero-emission Toyota buses in bid to cut fuel consumption
Toyoya has provided electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses for a two-week trial at the national park.
Toyota has teamed up with the Peak District National Park to provide zero-emission vehicles to link locations.
The Japanese firm has provided electric and hydrogen fuel-cell electric buses for a test programme.
The two-week trial is running until September 16 and is led by Gateway at Peak – a 300-acre tourism resort being developed on the park’s eastern boundary.
The vehicles – an e.City Gold and H2.City Gold – are manufactured by Toyota’s European partner CaetanoBus and are already in service worldwide.
The trial route connects eight locations and attractions in and around the park, including Chesterfield railway station, Chatsworth and the Gateway development, which will be the hub for a new Peak Express service, scheduled to open in 2025.
Currently, 85 per cent of park visitors arrive by car and these numbers are set to increase.
Once it is fully operating, Peak Express aims to remove half a million tourist journeys from the national park, reducing CO2 emissions by 3.6m kilograms a year.
The long-term ambition is to see multiple hubs around the Peak District National Park boundary.
Andrew McCloy, chairman of the Peak District National Park Authority, said: “Protecting the national park for future generations and developing more sustainable ways for people to visit is high on our agenda.
“The Peak Gateway site outside the national park is an excellent location for a transport hub.
“The Peak Express service is a commitment to net zero and will connect more of the national park’s attractions without the need for a car, making them more accessible and spreading out the economic benefits of tourism.”
Jon Hunt, Toyota GB alternative fuels manager, said: “There is not one simple solution for zero carbon mobility.
“That’s why this trial provides us with an exciting opportunity to try both EV and hydrogen vehicles, assessing which is more suitable to different types of journeys across the park.
“We will also be looking at optimal ways to provide refuelling and great levels of customer service on board the vehicles.”
