- The UK city of Plymouth has made a significant order of fifty electric buses, with the first of these new buses arriving in the city’s transport fleet this month.
- The major electrification drive has been led by local bus operator Plymouth Citybus (part of Go-Ahead Group), along with Plymouth City Council, Cornwall Council, and the Department for Transport.
- Funding for the buses has primarily come from Plymouth Citybus, along with a £10m-plus grant from the national ZEBRA 2 fund and nearly £2m of funding from Plymouth City Council and Cornwall Council.
Plymouth set for mass adoption of electric buses
All fifty of these new fully-electric double-decker buses are set to join Plymouth Citybus’ fleet by the end of the year, with each vehicle expected to reduce carbon emissions by over 79,000 tonnes over their working life, compared to an equivalent diesel bus unit. Plymouth’s Milehouse bus depot is also undergoing work to support these new buses coming onto the network, to give it the capabilities to recharge a significant electric bus fleet.
Plymouth’s large order marks part of a wider trend of significant electric bus adoption across the UK. Sales of fully-electric buses in the country rose 35.5% last year compared to 2023, with 1,570 zero-emission buses entering service in the year. 2025 is set to yet again break records for electric bus sales.
Richard Stevens, Managing Director for Plymouth Citybus and Go Cornwall Bus, commented:
“The arrival of our first electric buses marks a huge step forward, not just for Plymouth Citybus but for the city as a whole. Our team is thrilled to be part of this positive change, and we are fully committed to building a greener transport network for generations to come.”
Councillor Mark Coker, Plymouth Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport, added:
“It’s fantastic to welcome Plymouth’s first electric buses and to be supporting the establishment of Milehouse as an electric bus depot. This is a major milestone and demonstrates the commitment of all the project partners – and wider enhanced partnership – to delivering better bus services for the city. I look forward to seeing the new buses out on the road and passengers enjoying the more accessible space and journey information they offer.”
