Nottingham City Transport’s (NCT’s) electric Yutongs are now in service.

The first of the operator’s new buses are being used on Red 50 to Sneinton, Colwick and Victoria Retail Park, followed by Pink 30 to Ilkeston Road, Wollaton and Bramcote.

Supplied by Pelican Yutong, the buses come to NCT’s usual specification, but have several new features, including:

• Air conditioning as standard
• Re-positioned visual next stop screen, including a rear facing screen which can be seen from the wheelchair bay
• Extra leg room between seats
• Bigger buggy bay
• Hearing loop system fitted
• No tip up seats in the wheelchair bay, which helps reduce conflict over use of the space
• USB-C charging points
• Full colour destination displays that are easier to see from a distance and in the dark

NCT has ordered 48 electric single-deckers and installed new charging infrastructure at its Trent Bridge Garage. The total cost of the new buses and infrastructure is £32.2m, with £13.4m from ZEBRA and £18.8m from NCT over the lifetime of the vehicles.

Blue 39 to Thorneywood and Carlton Valley will see its new electric buses start running next week and a further 12 new electric buses will follow by the end of May. The remaining 24 electric single deck buses will enter service in the first half of 2025.

“This is the very start of an exciting new era in the long history of NCT” – David Astill, NCT Managing Director

David Astill, NCT Managing Director, said: “This is the very start of an exciting new era in the long history of NCT. We are keen to play our part as Nottingham aspires to become a carbon-neutral city. The delivery of our first 24 electric buses marks just the start of a programme that will see our remaining diesel powered buses replaced by electrics as they become due for withdrawal.”

“This is a significant step for Nottingham City Transport on their journey to zero emissions” – Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK

Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK, said: “This is a significant step for Nottingham City Transport on their journey to zero emissions. The Nottingham team have challenged us to produce a customer centric vehicle, and we are extremely proud of what has been achieved. The vehicle is fitted with full colour front destinations, luxury trimmed high backed seating, new swept hand poles, illuminated bell pushes, and our electric air conditioning system for maximum customer comfort.”

Supported by Zenobē

The buses can do a full day in service on a single charge, with the charging infrastructure delivered, supplied and maintained by Zenobē. The EV fleet specialist has also integrated its smart charging software into NCT’s depot infrastructure to optimise charging in the most financially and operationally efficient manner. In addition to a fully managed charging service, Zenobē has also financed 24 batteries on board the vehicles, including a 16-year performance guarantee.

Steven Meersman, Co-Founder and Director Zenobē, said: “This is Zenobē’s first project with Nottingham City Transport, we are pleased to be on board to not only deliver the depot’s charging infrastructure but as a long-term EV fleet partner. Our fully managed charging service will allow NCT to focus on continuing to deliver outstanding service for their passengers, knowing their critical charging infrastructure will be maintained and on-board batteries will be guaranteed to meet route requirements for 16 years.”