Stagecoach is the UK’s biggest coach and bus operator. It will introduce 170 fully electric vehicles in Stockport, all of which will be produced by Volvo and MCV (Manufacturing Commercial Vehicles).
The buses will be jointly funded by Stagecoach and local and national government, with Stagecoach’s £37.2m investment match-funded by £35.7m from Greater Manchester’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) bid and an additional contribution of £12.5m by TFGM/GMCA.
The new electric buses will be fully accessible, with wheelchair bays, hearing induction loops, audio and visual announcement systems and anti-slip flooring. The electric fleet will consist of150 double deck and 20 single deck vehicles. The first vehicles of the order are set to be delivered in summer 2024.
Stagecoach is introducing a further 122 new fully electric buses in key transport networks across the UK in the next 12 months. The operator has also recently introduced its first fully electric bus cities in Perth, Aberdeen, Inverness and Dunfermline in Scotland.
Sam Greer, Engineering Director for Stagecoach said: “We’re excited to be announcing our largest electric vehicle order to date, which will be a major step forward in improving air quality across the region. This builds further on the investment being made by Stagecoach across the country to support the transition to a zero-emission bus fleet.”
