First Bus is doing its bit to help the UK achieve its zero-emissions target by expanding its electric bus portfolio.
The company has ordered 193 electric vehicles (EVs) from Wrightbus recently, which is thought to be the largest purchase of its kind outside of the capital, Move Electric revealed.
These EVs will be divided between five local authority regions, including Leicester, York, Leeds, Norwich, and Portsmouth.
Janette Bell from First Bus UK said: “Wrightbus have a really exciting product that we feel will enhance the customer experience at the same time as benefitting the environment.”
The deal is worth £81 million, of which £43 million will be provided by First Bus itself, while the other £38 million is coming from a Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) grant.
Leicester will receive 68 EVs, York will get 44, Leeds will have 32, 15 will go to Norwich, and 34 will be given to Portsmouth, with some of these being double-deckers.
They will be built at the Wrightbus factory, located in Northern Ireland, and will be delivered to the cities over the next two years.
First Bus is also doing its bit for the environment in Scotland, recently announcing it will invest £35 million in green transport for Glasgow and Aberdeen. This will provide 74 EVs throughout the two cities to help achieve its ambitious electrification ambitions.
Following this investment, more than four-tenths of buses from First Glasgow’s Caledonia and Scotstoun depots will be fully electric before spring 2024.
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