Operator to bring 64 electric buses to the streets of Coventry and Warwickshire

Another 64 new electric buses are being rolled out across Coventry and Warwickshire as part of a trailblazing £140m project to create the UK’s first truly all-electric bus town or city.

The commitment by operator Stagecoach to run the zero-emission buses on all of its services linking Coventry to surrounding areas in Warwickshire is a major step forward for the Coventry Electric Bus City scheme.

It means more than 200 buses, 80 per cent of all those operating within and travelling into the city, will be electric battery powered.

Stagecoach has taken delivery of 31 double decker buses from British manufacturer Alexander Dennis and 33 single decker buses from Pelican-Yutong.

These will enter service over the next few months as new charging facilities are completed at depots in Nuneaton, Leamington Spa and Rugby. All of the new buses are expected to be in service by next spring.

The electrification of the city’s entire bus fleet will see a huge cut in carbon emissions, the equivalent to taking 14,000 cars off the road, and a reduction in air pollution.

Passengers will enjoy smoother, quieter journeys as well as top-spec amenities including: USB charging, free Wi-Fi, high-spec passenger information systems and enhanced wheelchair and buggy space.

To help make every bus in Coventry is zero-emission, Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), was awarded £50m of funding from the Department of Transport.

This has unlocked more than £70m of investment from bus operators and a further £20m of funding from TfWM and Warwickshire County Council.

Richard Parker, mayor of the West Midlands, said: “These new buses will make a big difference to the way people get around in Coventry.

“They’ll mean greater comfort and convenience for passengers and cleaner air for pedestrians and cyclists to breathe.

"Coventry Electric Bus City is just one part of our plans to create a greener, more affordable and more reliable bus network which better serves the people of the West Midlands." 

Coventry City Council, a partner in the scheme, is also installing bus priority measures to support the roll out of the fleet, part of wider transformation of the city’s bus services through improved journey times and reliability.

Pictured from left to right: Mark Whitelocks, Stagecoach Midlands managing director, Richard Parker, Mayor of the West Midlands and WMCA chair, Cllr George Diggins, Leader of Coventry City Council, Cllr Richard Baxter-Payne, Warwickshire Country Council