Nottingham’s transport operator has ordered 78 electric buses from the manufacturer Yutong. The first 12 will be delivered by Pelican Bus & Coach and will enter service in late 2023.

The 12.2m buses will be fully accessible, feature full electric air-conditioning, provide a quiet travelling experience with no engine vibration or noise and have free Wi-Fi and USB charging points on board.

The EV fleet and battery storage specialist Zenobe Energy are set to deliver the charging infrastructure.

Nottingham City Council’s portfolio holder for Highways, Transport and Parks, Cllr Audra Wynter, said: ‘These new state of the art electric buses are fantastic news for Nottingham. Getting more people using greener public transport is a key part in tackling the twin emergencies of toxic air pollution and climate breakdown. These electric buses will help Nottingham to reach our carbon neutral 2028 goals while getting people around the city quickly and easily as part of our award-winning bus network.’

When NCT’s electric bus project is fully delivered, 3,800 tonnes of CO2e will be saved each year. Over the lifetime of the buses, they will also make a significant contribution to wider efforts to improve air quality, with an estimated 31 tonnes of harmful NOx and 777kg of PM2.5 removed from the atmosphere.

This £34m project is being supported with £15.2m from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Fund.