- EV charging specialist Heliox and UK bus operator First Bus are expanding their collaboration on building electric bus charging depots, with another five such depots set to open across the UK.
- The five new depots will be built in Bristol, Weston-super-Mare, Minehead, Taunton, and Basildon.
- These new constructions come out as part of an £89m investment from First Bus into electric buses, alongside additional funding as part of the UK Government’s ZEBRA2 program – which allocates zero emission bus funding across the country.
First Bus further expands its electric bus operations
The announcement comes weeks after First Bus announced a separate £59 million investment to electrify existing major bus depots in Bristol and Weston-super-Mare, supporting the arrival of 98 buses onto its West of England network. This new investment, creating five new electric bus charging depots will, combined, be able to support the simultaneous charging of 190 electric buses.
Looking further ahead into 2025, First Bus hopes to have a total of 14 depots with support for electric charging, whilst by the same time also having over 800 electric buses operating across its various regions. By 2035, the bus operator is hoping to have a fully zero-emission fleet nationwide.
Stephen Wood, Heliox Country Manager for UK & Ireland, commented:
“We are thrilled to continue our partnership with First Bus on their journey towards a zero-emission fleet. The huge £89m investment from First Bus and support from the ZEBRA 2 funding programme has enabled us to play a vital role in accelerating the transition to electric public transport, particularly in rural areas. These new charging depots will be instrumental in achieving this goal.”
Faizan Ahmad, Decarbonisation Programme Director for First Bus, added:
“These projects mark another significant milestone in our commitment to a zero-emission bus fleet across the UK. Our partnership with Heliox has enabled us to electrify our depots and introduce cutting-edge electric buses, delivering cleaner air and a better passenger experience. As a leader in sustainable transport, we’re committed to working with both central and local governments to support national decarbonisation goals and encourage more people to choose bus travel.”
