The UK consolidated its position as clear European leader in deployment of zero-emission coach and bus fleets in 2024, according to research carried out by European Bus Data by DVV Media Group on the market for those vehicles with a GVW of over 8,000kg.
That work continues an existing exercise that was previously carried out by Chatrou CME Solutions. It also shows that Yutong retook market leadership last year among builders of battery-electric buses in the countries captured, a position the Chinese manufacturer held in 2022 before ceding it to MAN in 2023.
Across EU nations plus Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and the UK, 7,843 battery-electric buses were registered in 2024. The UK accounted for 1,601 of those, or 20.4%. That put it far ahead of Italy in second place – with 984 – and Germany in third, which saw 638 registrations.
Such a position for the UK echoes that from 2023, when it was in first place for battery-electrics with 1,206 registrations, and 2022, although the latest DVV data on zero-emission registrations is at moderate variance with that previously published by the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders for the UK in 2024.
The overall picture saw registrations of those vehicles across the nations captured grow by 23.4% from the 6,354 seen in 2023 to the 2024 total. The UK saw its numbers significantly outperform that trend with a 32.8% rise.
On a longer-term basis, the UK was also leader for battery-electric rollout between 2012 and 2024, although the number of countries included in the overall figure increased from 2020. It recorded 4,642 registrations across that period, well ahead of Germany in second place with 3,200.
Yutong led the manufacturer presence in battery-electrics for 2024. It recorded 1,130 registrations and a market share of 14.4% across the countries in question. That is a big uplift from 2023, when Yutong saw 483 units and a 7.6% market share.
Runner-up in 2024 was Mercedes-Benz. It finished on 918 registrations and an 11.7% market share. Wrightbus moved into third place, with 861 registrations and market share of 11.0%; in 2023 the Ballymena business recorded 469 registrations and 7.4% market share.
Battery-electric products from Alexander Dennis in 2024 are split over two numbers: One capturing its work with BYD, and the other for its second-generation vehicles built entirely in-house. The manufacturer saw 352 and 165 registrations respectively across those metrics according to the DVV data.
The hydrogen fuel cell-electric bus market in the nations in question was much smaller last year, reflecting a growing consensus that hydrogen will likely play a much lesser part than battery-electric in the bus sector’s move to zero-emission. 378 with a GVW of over 8,000kg were registered across those countries.
For individual nations, Germany was the clear leader for hydrogen buses in 2024 with 225 registrations. Spain was second with 54 and Italy in third with 43.
The UK came fifth with 24 hydrogen bus registrations, giving a total of 1,625 zero-emission bus registrations here last year; on that basis, almost 67 battery-electric buses were registered for every hydrogen example in 2024.
Of manufacturers in the hydrogen field, Polish builder Solaris was clear leader in 2024 with 244, or almost two-thirds of the market. Wrightbus was in second, with 54 units.
Despite hydrogen’s much lower contribution than battery-electric, it still saw an 82.6% rise in numbers from 2023. Diesel-electric hybrid registrations across the nations captured fell in 2024, dropping by 643 to 3,379 units, and 102 trolleybuses were registered.
In an indication of the variation in how quickly European countries are taking up zero-emission buses, Portugal saw 63 such registrations in 2024 while Slovenia reported three. The Republic of Ireland recorded 227, all of which were battery-electrics.
Strong government support for the procurement of zero-emission bus fleets in the UK has previously been credited for the country’s leading position in rollout of those vehicles.
Further funding here remains unclear; the Scottish Government has said that the recent second round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus scheme will bring the curtain down on such financial backing in Scotland.
In England, Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood recently told routeone that the UK government will continue its support zero-emission bus procurement “where we can,” with news of any further such backing expected to be part of the spending review outcome later this year.
Full reports can be purchased via the DVV Media Group website.
