One of the biggest UK fleets of electric buses outside London - which includes more than 100 vehicles manufactured by Ballymena-based Wrightbus - has been launched in Oxford.
The £82.5 million project will deliver 159 new battery buses onto the streets of the city – the first of which have already gone into service. It has also funded two associated electric charging hubs at the city’s bus depots.
Oxford Bus Company will operate 104 of the buses which have been manufactured in Ballymena by Wrightbus. They include 99 of the new-look 2024 StreetDeck Electroliners - the world's most efficient double deck battery-electric bus - and five GB Kite Electroliner single decks.
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO of Wrightbus, said:
“We’re delighted to be supporting Oxford Bus Company in the drive to transform transport in the city and help build a more sustainable future.
“We’re proud to say our StreetDeck Electroliner BEV is the world’s most efficient double deck battery-electric bus and we have taken that technology into the development of our single deck, which has also been classed as the most efficient on the UK’s roads.
“We’ve created the most efficient vehicles by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric buses spend more time on the road than any other. We’re confident passengers in Oxford will enjoy the experience.”
The project has been funded via a collaboration between Oxford Bus Company, owned by The Go-Ahead Group and Stagecoach. The council was awarded £32.8 million from the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme and contributed £6 million directly, while bus operators invested £43.7 million.
Working with fleet electrification specialist Zenobē, Oxford Bus Company has installed 104 charging points at its Cowley House depot, with Stagecoach installing charging points at its Network Oxford site.
The charging hubs are powered by EDF Energy’s Oxford Superhub network, providing enough electricity to charge all 159 buses, enough for each bus to drive up to 200 miles per day.
To celebrate the historic development key stakeholders gathered for a launch event at Divinity School in Oxford city centre on Monday night where some of the new electric buses were showcased and key representatives delivered speeches.
Luke Marion, Oxford Bus Company Managing Director, said:
“This is a historic moment in our journey towards transforming our city services to electric. Our first tranche of electric buses is now in service and are already starting to improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.
“Decarbonising buses is an exciting project – and we have demonstrated that with the right strategic partnership working between the public and private sector, we can unlock investment to make it happen. We look forward to working with Oxfordshire County Council on important initiatives going forward to encourage people to travel by bus.”
Founded in 1946, Wrightbus has been at the forefront of public transport for more than 75 years and is still based in the heart of Ballymena, Northern Ireland.
It has also been at the forefront of the movement to decarbonise public transport across the UK and Ireland with its world-first hydrogen double deck, the StreetDeck Hydroliner, alongside the Electroliner.