Warwickshire to procure electric bus fleet and charging infrastructure
The English county of Warwickshire has decided to electrify its public transport system and will start with a fleet of 27 electric buses and the required charging infrastructure. The funds will be spent via the Zebra 2 scheme, for which the council recently decided to add £13.864 million to the Capital Programme. The Warwickshire Council further explains the collaborative funding pot: “The funding, which includes contributions from the Department for Transport (DfT), Stagecoach Midlands, and Section 106 developer contributions will enable the introduction of 27 all-electric buses and associated charging infrastructure on key routes across Warwickshire.”
Bus operator Stagecoach Midlands has placed orders for the upcoming 27 buses, which are expected to enter service around Spring 2025, “ahead of the March 2026 scheme completion deadline set by the Department for Transport.” It is not clear from the communication which buses will be used, however, Stagecoach has previously ordered buses from the British company ADL and the Chinese firm Yutong. ADL even recently presented an electric bus developed specifically for use in London, however, Warwickshire County is more rural than London, so these may not be the best choice here.
“Our aim is for the council to be net zero in its own activities by 2030 and for the overall county to be net zero by 2050. Reducing the emissions of transport will be key to achieving that so this very significant investment is a major step towards achieving both of those ambitions,” said Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning.
Mark Whitelocks, Managing Director, Stagecoach Midlands added: “Stagecoach is pleased to be working in partnership with Warwickshire County Council and the DfT to help provide a cleaner environment for those living in Warwickshire and help meet both our own and the council’s aspirations for net zero.”
The Zebra funds have been extensively used for the acquisition of emissions-free public transport vehicles and infrastructure all over the UK, including an order from Reading, Hull and Leeds just in the last months.
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