Thursday 1 September 2022

First Bus places order for nearly 200 electric buses

First Bus has placed an order for 193 electric buses which will be rolled out across England starting in March 2023.

It has struck a £43 million deal with UK manufacturer Wrightbus, with the investment supported by a £38 million grant from the Department for Transport.

The electric buses, which will be built in Northern Ireland at the Wrightbus facility in Ballymena, will hit the roads in Leicester, York, Leeds, Norwich and Portsmouth starting next year.

The latest partnership follows the successful rollout of the world's first double-decker hydrogen buses in Aberdeen, Scotland, in 2020.

Janette Bell, First Bus UK, Managing Director said: “We are absolutely delighted to place our largest ever zero-emission vehicle order and to do so with a UK manufacturer. Wrightbus have a really exciting product that we feel will enhance the customer experience at the same time as benefitting the environment.

“As leaders in sustainable mobility, we are fully aligned with the Government’s ambitions for a net zero carbon transport system, including zero-emission bus fleets. We will continue to work closely with central and local government across the UK to support the delivery of our shared decarbonisation ambitions and commitments.”