Warrington to replace all diesel buses with Volvo electric models
Warrington has given the public its first look at the all-electric future of the town’s bus service.
The town is set to replace its entire fleet of diesel buses with electric Volvo BZLs from this summer. Ahead of that, the council revealed the first new-look bus bearing the town’s official colours.
The bus was unveiled at a special Zero Emissions Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) event in Warrington, providing the first opportunity for people to see the new, yellow vehicle.
The eBus launch marks the final countdown for the arrival of Warrington’s all-electric bus fleet, with 105 new buses being deployed from this summer. These will replace Warrington’s Own Buses’ entire fleet of diesel buses. Warrington’s deal with Volvo is one of the biggest orders of electric buses by any town or city in the UK to date.
The council has also signed a deal with EO Charging – a leading provider of fleet charging solutions – to supply the chargers at Warrington’s new bus depot which will power the new electric vehicles. As part of the council’s commitment to cleaner transport, all the charging will be powered by 100% green energy.
The project is being supported through funding from the Department for Transport’s ZEBRA scheme, which aims to deliver up to 4,000 zero-emission buses across the country.
Warrington Borough Council leader and cabinet member for highways and transport, Cllr Hans Mundry, said: “These are exciting times for Warrington, with the introduction of our all-electric fleet set to transform bus travel in our borough.
“Our 105 buses will bring massive benefits for passengers, providing safe, quiet and comfortable journeys. These are buses which are truly fit for the future, with zero tailpipe emissions, which will improve air quality and support our work to tackle the climate emergency.
“We’ve made our ambitions clear, through our Local Transport Plan, to reduce emissions and congestion, increase the share of journeys made by bus and build sustainable transport into everyday life in Warrington. Our new electric buses will play a massive role in us achieving this.”
Domenico Bondi, managing director for Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, said: “This has been an exciting project to work on with the team in Warrington, building a sustainable and future-proof electric bus system which is going to be truly world-class.
“At Volvo Buses, we are incredibly proud of our commitment to sustainability, safety, and quality, and we are confident the BZL Electric buses will bring a wealth of benefits which will be felt across the local community.”
