Electric buses trialled during Isle of Man TT

Two electric busesImage source, Isle of Man Transport
Image caption,

An initial single-decker bus trial took place in February

At a glance

  • A single and double-decker bus are being trialled over the TT fortnight

  • The exercise is designed to find out how the buses work on the island's terrain

  • The vehicles have been loaned from manufacturers in the UK

  • The government said it aimed to be an early step in establishing a more environmentally-friendly fleet

  • Published

Two electric buses are being trialled on the Isle of Man as part of the fleet catering tens of thousands of TT visitors.

The single-decker, a Mercedes Benz eCitaro, was on the island for initial testing in February.

The vehicle is now back alongside an Electroliner double-decker bus from Wrightbus.

A government spokesman said the vehicles were being used to get a better understanding of "the costs involved in changing to a more environmentally-friendly fleet".

It was an opportunity for the government to assess the vehicles' "suitability" for running on the island's terrain and would give Bus Vannin's workshop team "important exposure to alternative technology", he said.

"Early steps are being taken as the transport industry moves away from manufacturing vehicles powered by fossil fuels," he added.

The two vehicles are demonstrator vehicles that have been loaned from their manufacturers.

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