Coventry has successfully bid to become one of the UK’s only two all-electric bus cities. Coventry and Oxford were selected from 19 towns and cities who applied to be the UK’s first all-electric bus cities – having shown how the scheme could help solve poor air quality.
The project aims to improve air quality, lower greenhouse gas, and reduce the costs of running buses.
Up to £50 million will be invested by the Department for Transport to put an all-electric bus fleet on the streets of Coventry by 2025.
It is also hoped the huge investment in newer, cleaner vehicles, with features such as fare-capping and on board Wi-Fi, will persuade more people to switch to public transport for their commute – further cutting traffic congestion and pollution from private cars.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), led the bid with support from Coventry City Council and Warwickshire County Council.
As well as funding for new vehicles, the grant will also cover investment in wider infrastructure such as charging points and upgrades to the electric grid.
The £50m will be supported by a further £75m of investment from local bus operators into the new electric buses.
The Government, TfWM and local partners will now work to finalise the project details and business case.
The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has set a target for the West Midlands to be carbon neutral by 2041 and an all-electric city status is another step towards that target.
This article is extracted from a press release by the West Midlands Combined Authority