Electric buses are nothing new in the UK. In their current form they have been around for many years, with one exception: A production double-decker.
Things are changing in that regard. Both the BYD and ADL partnership and Optare have orders for zero-emission (ZE) double-deckers, and Yutong is confident about joining that party in 2019.
But perhaps the most significant development in the sector is Stagecoach’s announcement that it plans to place 105 electric double-deckers into Manchester if its bid for money from the Ultra-Low Emission Bus scheme is successful, representing around 15% of its Manchester fleet. It is talking of taking delivery of them all over around six months.
The need for government support is clear. If Stagecoach receives what it hopes to, the average subsidy per bus will be around £205,000. That’s a lot, and there is an argument that the air quality benefits could be spread a lot further if the sum was invested in Euro 6 retrofit.
But what is clear is that ZE is one of the ways forward. One senior bus manager at a highly-regarded fleet tells routeone that he is already planning how to achieve it, with the local authority having made it clear that ZE will be the only game in its town.
If Stagecoach gets what it wants in Manchester, it will be a landmark moment for the bus industry, the first indication that ZE is now an option for wholesale fleet conversion if money can be found to pay for it.
And the latter is likely to remain the sticking point for some time to come.
