A total of 13 new electric buses are being introduced to Oxfordshire’s roads following an investment of more than £5.1 million.
The Go-Ahead Group – parent business of the Oxford Bus Company – has spent £3.9m on the vehicles, backed by a £1.2m investment from Oxfordshire County Council via its Vehicle Improvement Fund grant scheme.
This includes nine new large electric single-deckers and four smaller electric single-deckers on routes extending outside the Oxford SmartZone.
The vehicles, which have been produced by Wrightbus and Alexander Dennis, will serve the 35 route to Abingdon, 46 to Great Milton, ST2 to Wytham, and the 21 service between Bicester and Chesterton.
Oxford Bus Company welcomed its first electric bus in March 2020, with a full roll-out of electric vehicles in the city following four years later.
It worked in partnership with Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford City Council and Stagecoach to bring 159 electric buses into service in 2024.
As part of the original investment, a charging hub was installed at Oxford Bus Company’s Cowley House depot.
Luke Marion, Managing Director of Oxford Bus Company, said, “This is another major sustainability milestone in our continued strategy to help deliver a significant contribution to improving air quality in the communities we serve.
“The exciting news is it will enable us to operate electric vehicles more widely across the county, rather than mainly on routes within Oxford.”
Councillor Andrew Gant, Oxfordshire County Council’s Cabinet Member for Transport Management, said, “This is really good news and an excellent example of partnership working delivering real benefit and value to our residents.”
