The town of Basildon now hosts the first fully electric bus depot in Essex following the completion of a £30.6 million electrification project led by First Bus, marking a major milestone in the company’s nationwide decarbonisation programme.
The Cherrydown Way depot has been retrofitted with high-capacity charging infrastructure capable of supporting overnight charging for a fleet of 55 battery-electric buses. The project was delivered through a partnership between First Bus and Essex County Council and received partial funding from the UK Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA2) scheme. The government grant totalled £4.8 million, while First Bus invested £25.8 million.
See also: First Bus Launches Fully Electric Fleet in Essex With £25.8 Million Investment
First Bus said the Basildon depot forms part of its wider strategy to electrify its entire fleet by 2035. The company has already introduced more than 1,500 electric buses across the UK as part of its national decarbonisation programme. Simon Mathieson, Managing Director of First Bus England, described the investment as a long-term transformation for local transport. “The electrification of our Basildon depot is another important step in our mission to run an entirely electric fleet by 2035,” he said, calling it a “once-in-a-generation investment.”
Local authorities said the project highlights the impact of coordinated public and private investment. Mark Platt, deputy cabinet member for highways, infrastructure and sustainable transport at Essex County Council, said the upgrade demonstrated the benefits of collaboration. “This investment in Basildon’s bus network shows what can be achieved when local and national partners work together to deliver real change,” he said.
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The fleet of 55 electric buses was delivered to the Basildon depot in late September, with First Bus saying all vehicles will enter service by the end of the year. The company has not disclosed which manufacturers supplied the buses for this project. Elsewhere in the UK, First Bus has sourced electric vehicles from suppliers including Alexander Dennis, Wrightbus and Yutong, and has also converted some diesel models to electric powertrains.
Source: firstbus.co.uk
