Stagecoach orders 48 EV double-deckers for London

Wrightbus has secured a new order to deliver 48 zero-emission buses for Stagecoach in London. The British public transport operator expects delivery of the all-electric double-deckers before the year’s end. Plus, these are not the only zero-emission models coming to the capital. (UPDATE BELOW)

Earlier this month, bus operator Arriva ordered 50 BEV double-deckers from Wrightbus to join their London fleet.

As for Stagecoach, the 48 StreetDeck Electroliner BEVs from Wrightbus support its “strategy to have a zero-emission bus fleet in all our operations by 2035,” said Sam Greer, technical director at Stagecoach, when commenting on the order.

Stagecoach currently operates 8,300 buses, coaches and trams in England, Scotland and Wales. The fleet includes various electric buses, but not all come from Wrightbus. For example, Stagecoach announced the company’s largest electric bus order in April when it said it would invest up to £37.2 million (€42.3 million) to procure a new fleet of 170 electric buses from Volvo to serve routes in Stockport, Manchester.

Back in London, the new buses will come off the lines at Wrightbus’s headquarters in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Wrightbus, too can look at what it calls “a string of new orders,” including a £25.3 million contract to supply 117 battery-electric vehicles for First Bus across the UK. The aforementioned double-deckers for Arriva are also in production, as reported.

Ian Gillott, Managing Director (Parts and Services) at Wrightbus, said: “We are delighted to announce another significant order for Wrightbus” and called it a “real team effort” between Wrightbus and Stagecoach.

Founded in 1946, Wrightbus now manufactures the hydrogen double-decker, the StreetDeck Hydroliner, alongside the BEV Electroliner. The latter made its debut in July 2021. The e-bus usually offers up to 74 seats and 21 standing places. The battery supplied by Forsee Power can deliver 340 or 454 kWh (for up to 200 miles of range) and is housed in the underbody and rear. Charging happens via CCS with up to 300 kW at the depot and Pantograf with up to 420 kW. However, Stagecoach did not disclose which variant they opted for.

Update 22 February 2024

The British public transport operator Stagecoach has ordered a further 16 electric double-decker buses from Wrightbus for use in London. It is not clear from the announcement when the electric buses will be delivered or go into operation. The commercial vehicle manufacturer is also not commenting on technical data.

As mentioned above, the public transport operator had already ordered 48 StreetDeck Electroliners from the Northern Irish company last year. Now 16 more electric buses are to follow.

Wrightbus received further orders from Arriva and Abellio at the end of last year. Arriva has ordered a total of 87 electric buses from Wrightbus for use in London. With the 76 additional electric double-deckers and eleven new electric solo buses, the fleet of the Deutsche Bahn-owned company will grow to around 230 electric buses. This was followed shortly afterwards by an order from Abellio. The bus operator commissioned the Northern Irish manufacturer to supply 80 electric buses. The 24 GB Kite Electroliner electric solo buses and 56 StreetDeck Electroliner electric double-decker buses are due to hit the streets of the British capital in the course of 2024.

wrightbus.com, wrightbus.com (update)