A plan to make every bus in the city of Coventry all-electric by 2025 has been backed by West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).
Approval from the WMCA Board means that £50 million Department for Transport Coventry will go to the region to fulfil the project.
If all goes to plan Coventry will become the first UK city to have its entire fleet of buses powered by electricity and not petrol or diesel.
Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), part of the WMCA, will be working with bus operators in the region to replace vehicles and install charging infrastructure on the city’s streets, including overhead charging points which will be available to all bus operators.
Mayor of the West Midlands Andy Street, Chair of the WMCA, said, “Not only will the clean bus fleet improve the public transport offering in Coventry, but it is also another step towards tackling the climate emergency and helping to attract people to leave their cars at home in favour of taking the bus.”
Transport Minister, Baroness Vere, added: “Our £50 million investment will see Coventry’s entire fleet of buses replaced with new, all-electric vehicles. This will have a profoundly positive effect on air quality and emissions in the area and reduce noise pollution.”
