Manchester to get new £56m fleet of electric buses

Bus company Stagecoach has announced it is investing £56m in a new fleet of electric vehicles for the Greater Manchester area.

The first of the 105 zero emissions double-decker buses and associated infrastructure will go live from summer 2019, with the new fleet fully in place by early 2020.

Stagecoach has pledged to invest £34.6m in the ground-breaking project, which is backed by Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham along with Transport for Greater Manchester and other key organisations.

The plans depend on a bid for £21.5m funding from the Government’s recently announced Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, which is aimed at cutting emissions and ensuring cleaner and greener journeys.

New Enviro400 EV City vehicles, each with a range of up to 190 miles and capacity to carry around 80 passengers, would be built by electric bus manufacturer Alexander Dennis.

They will use battery and power electronics expertise from automotive company BYD.

Multi-million-pound investment will be made in delivering infrastructure and power requirements at depot level.

Intelligent chargers will be used to limit loadings on the electricity supply and maximise vehicle availability.

Stagecoach is already the UK’s biggest investor in hybrid-electric bus technology and has invested more than £1billion in new greener buses over the past decade.

Martin Griffiths, Chief Executive of Stagecoach Group, said: “This game-changing initiative is the biggest single investment in e-bus technology anywhere in Europe.

“It is a clear sign of our bold ambition to transform Greater Manchester’s bus network.

“Our plans will put Greater Manchester at the forefront of the drive to improve local air quality, and help cement Britain’s position as global leader in manufacturing low-emission vehicles.

“It is also part of our wider partnership proposals to maximise the potential of the bus network to drive the region’s economy and better connect its communities.

“By working together, bus operators, the Mayor and the region’s local authorities can deliver the quick and sustained improvements we all want to see in Greater Manchester’s bus network, building on the major progress we’ve already made and avoiding unnecessary extra costs to local taxpayers.”

Stagecoach’s plans would see the new buses based at depots in Hyde Road and Sharston.

Major charging infrastructure would allow buses to be charged simultaneously, enabling a 24 hour-a-day operation.

The fleet will operate four key high frequency services connecting Manchester city centre, Manchester Airport, Manchester Piccadilly railway station, six hospitals and two universities.

Around 15-20 buses will be introduced a month from summer 2019, with full roll out achieved by early 2020.

Infrastructure works will begin in the autumn of 2018 and be fully completed by spring 2019.