National Express West Midlands has signed an order to purchase 170 double-deck electric buses from NFI Group subsidiary Alexander Dennis Ltd. and BYD UK
The new order will take the number of BYD AD Enviro400EV buses operated by National Express in the West Midlands to 329. The fleet, which will be the largest of the type in the U.K., includes an earlier order for 130 buses that are part of the U.K. government’s ambitions to make Coventry the country’s first all-electric-bus city by 2025. Over half of the 130 BYD AD Enviro400EV buses ordered are already operating on National Express bus routes across Coventry.
National Express is aiming to operate a completely zero-emissions bus fleet in the U.K. by 2030.
“Replacing our diesel buses with electric means we are on track to meet net zero in a way that is good for business and good for communities,” says Tom Stables, CEO National Express UK & Germany. “These new British buses, built in Falkirk by Alexander Dennis on a BYD chassis, are clean, green double decker buses that are popular with customers. As a result, they are not only more economical to run, but they will boost passenger growth and revenue by getting more people to ditch their cars for the bus and, of course, they do their bit to help tackle the climate and clean air emergency.”