Nottingham City Council’s electric bus fleet has reached the one million mile mark.
This means that since starting operations in 2012, there has been £300,000 of savings in fuel costs and reductions in carbon emissions of at least 1050 tonnes. It would take 27,000 trees grown from seedling over ten years to absorb this amount of CO2.
There are also the added benefits to local air quality, with a reduction in the amount of harmful particles which can enter the bloodstream compared to equivalent Euro 5 diesel buses.
The City Council currently has 45 electric buses in its fleet which are operated by Nottingham Community Transport.
Next year Nottingham City Council will be adding to this fleet of electric buses by introducing 13 new buses onto the Centrelink and Eco link services, which are currently being trialled, while also expanding their charging network and operating bases.
Nottingham City Council has been awarded funding under the Government’s OLEV Low emission bus scheme, plus through DfT and WPL, to help fund these initiatives to improve Nottingham’s air quality.
Nottingham City Council is also looking into a direct line feed from Enviroenergy and PV panels at P&R sites for cheaper electricity.
Councillor Nick McDonald Portfolio Holder for Business, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said: “This is a great achievement for the city and shows how we have already helped to improve the city’s air quality, reduce carbon emissions and support the financial sustainability of services through reduced fuel costs.
“We have Europe’s largest fleet of battery buses and we are currently implementing the UK’s first Eco Expressway in which electric buses and ULEVs will use to provide great alternatives to get around the city that will only help the city continually reduce the environmental impact of transport in Nottingham.”
Ian Combellack, General Manager of Nottingham Community Transport, said: “I am very proud that Nottingham Community Transport is continuing to work with the City Council to provide these electric bus services to the public, and we are pleased that together we are working towards providing a cleaner environment for the people of Nottingham and making savings not only in the air quality but also in operation costs.”