The first fully electric Stagecoach depot will be in Stockton-on-Tees, where work involving a Yutong bus fleet will form “a blueprint” for future electrification across the company’s UK operating businesses it says.
Introduction of the Yutongs is to continue over coming weeks. The Stockton fleet will include E12 single-decks and the first U11DD double-deck for Stagecoach. Its North East subsidiary already has Yutong battery-electric products in service from Sunderland depot.
At Stockton, regional third-party businesses will be offered access to the site’s charging infrastructure. The Stagecoach Solutions arm has unveiled that new B2B offering, with scope for other organisations’ vehicles to charge during off-service hours.
That will create a secondary income stream and help to decarbonise the wider transport ecosystem, Stagecoach notes. It follows similar work already done by other bus operators at electrified depots.
Tees Valley Mayor Ben Houchen has welcomed the work by Stagecoach on the electric bus depot in Stockton, describing it as “a big step forward for Teesside.”
He adds: “Backed by our investment, this site will help to get more people into good-quality jobs and training by making our buses more reliable and fit for the future.
“It is not only brilliant to see these state-of-the-art buses on our roads – named by our talented young people – but to know that we are also giving local businesses a chance to plug into this shows that we are serious about making the most of all our projects for as many people as possible.”
Stagecoach North East Managing Director Steve Walker (pictured, second from right) highlights how the partnership work with local stakeholders in Tees Valley is “helping to deliver a transport network that is fit for the next generation.”
Pelican Bus and Coach is supplying the Yutong vehicles to Stockton as part of its existing relationship with Stagecoach.
Head of Yutong UK Ian Downie (pictured, left) says: “This is about more than just the vehicles – it is about sustainability, community, and the partnership within this region. The innovation that Stagecoach is bringing in looking at it on a depot basis is, to me, a blueprint than could be cascaded across the whole country.”
Across Stagecoach, 43 sites will have battery-electric vehicle infrastructure by the end of 2025. Over 10% of its 8,400-strong fleet is zero-emission.
