The UK registered 1,570 new battery and fuel cell buses in 2024, marking a 35.5% increase from the previous year, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT). The growth in electric buses comes amid continued government support, but the country’s electric truck market showed signs of stagnation.
Despite the increase in electric bus registrations, their share of the overall UK bus market fell to 18.7% as total bus sales grew by 70% to 8,390 units, the highest level since 2008. Excluding minibuses, electric single and double-decker buses accounted for 43.9% of total registrations, nearly unchanged from 2023.
The Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) programme has played a key role in sustaining demand. “The UK remains Europe’s largest market for zero-emission buses,” the SMMT noted. By comparison, Germany registered 713 new electric buses in 2024, while Italy saw a sharp rise to 1,026 units.
The UK’s electric truck market, however, recorded only 217 new zero-emission truck registrations, a 7.3% decline from 2023. The overall truck market also shrank by 2.7%. Electric trucks accounted for just 0.5% of new registrations, despite the UK’s planned ban on new combustion-powered trucks under 26 tonnes by 2035. “With most of the market nearly one full investment cycle away from the 2035 end of sale, urgent action is needed to address stagnant zero emission uptake,” said Mike Hawes, SMMT Chief Executive. “Manufacturers have delivered the products—now the operators need to be convinced to invest.”
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In contrast, Germany’s heavy-duty electric truck market grew by 71% in 2024, while the UK saw a 3.5% decline in the same category. Industry leaders have called for stronger financial incentives and infrastructure development to accelerate electric truck adoption.
