Stagecoach’s e-bus pledge to Manchester

BUSES

Stagecoach has proposed a £56m investment in 105 electric double-decker buses and associated infrastructure for Greater Manchester as part of a new partnership plan that it hopes will persuade mayor Andy Burnham to drop his interest in bus franchising. 

The operator says the new vehicles could be fully introduced by early 2020. Stagecoach would invest £34.6m on the project, which would depend on a successful application for £21.5m from the Government’s ultra-low emission bus scheme.

Stagecoach wants to buy new Enviro400 EV City vehicles with a range of up to 190 miles. They would be built by Alexander Dennis in Scotland using batteries and electronics from Chinese firm BYD.

The vehicles would be used on four key high frequency routes.