Nottingham: New fleet of electric buses take to city streets

Nottingham City Transport aims to end the use of diesel buses and help the city become carbon-neutral by 2028

A new fleet of electric buses has taken to the streets of Nottingham as part of a £32.2m project.

Several buses entered service on the Red 50 line from Victoria Retail Park, Netherfield, to the city on Monday.

Nottingham City Transport (NCT) aims to end the use of diesel buses and help the city become carbon-neutral by 2028.

The company will run 48 single-decker buses, partly funded by the government, at a cost of about £400,000 each and with a range of up to 275 miles.

The new 100% electric buses feature air conditioning, USB-C charging points and next stop screens

As part of the first phase, 12 zero-emission buses will carry passengers on the Pink 30 route to Ilkeston Road, Wollaton and Bramcote; Blue 39 to Thorneywood and Carlton Valley and Red 50 to Racecourse Park & Ride, Colwick Industrial Estate and Victoria Retail Park

The second batch of 12 will run on Green 11 to The Meadows, Lady Bay; Blue 40/X to St Ann's, City Hospital and Edwards Lane Estate; and Blue 41 and 42 routes to St Ann's.

NCT said a further 24 will take to Nottingham streets in 2025, and in two years, it plans to order electric double-decker buses to further build the fleet.

It added it expects to have changed its entire fleet to electric by 2034.

Managing director David Astill said: "This is the very start of an exciting new era in the long history of NCT.

"We are keen to play our part as Nottingham aspires to be carbon-neutral by 2028."