Another 125 Wrightbus electric buses will be coming to Greater Manchester as the latest orders for the Bee Network are confirmed, giving the economy a boost by backing UK businesses.

It comes after another order of 55 new electric double-decker buses was placed earlier this year, adding to the 76 previously purchased from the factory in Northern Ireland.

The latest order from Wrightbus, which is based in Ballymena, puts the Bee Network on track to have a fully electric fleet by 2030 and hit the mid-way mark later this year.

Vernon Everitt, Transport Commissioner for Greater Manchester, said: 

“It is brilliant to see these new yellow electric buses come off the production line and onto the streets of Greater Manchester. There will be many more to come.

“Placing these orders for another 125 zero emission vehicles from Wrightbus puts the Bee Network on track to meet our target to have a fully electric fleet by 2030, bringing huge benefits for our passengers, air quality and fast-growing economy.”

Half of Greater Manchester’s depots have been electrified so far, with Ashton and Middleton now fully electric while Bolton, Oldham and Hyde Road have been upgraded.

By the end of the decade, the Bee Network will have a fully electric bus fleet, removing more than 76,000 tonnes of CO₂ – equivalent to the emissions linked to powering more than 9,000 homes or charging 9 billion smartphones* – and 280 tonnes of NOx per year.

Elsewhere, the Bee Network has also supported Scottish-based Alexander Dennis, with almost 500 buses made at the company’s Falkirk and Scarborough bases now serving Greater Manchester’s communities.

(Picture: TfGM/Bee Network)