Stagecoach, the UK’s biggest coach and bus operator has today (6 April) announced its plans to introduce 170 fully electric vehicles in Stockport as it places its largest electric bus order to date. 

The electric fleet of 150 double deck and 20 single deck vehicles, which will be produced by Volvo/MCV represent an investment by Stagecoach of £37.2m and will benefit customers in Stockport with the first vehicles of the order being delivered in summer 2024. 

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 successful 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. 

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 and in 2020 made one of the biggest single investments in electric vehicles in Europe with its double-decker fleet in Manchester. 

These investments as well as its order for Stockport builds further on the operator’s commitment to have a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035. 

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.”