Warwickshire County Council has approved plans to procure all-electric buses for cross-boundary services operating into Coventry as part of the Coventry All Electric Bus City (CEBC) Scheme.
The decision – made at the Cabinet meeting on Tuesday 28 January 2025 – will see the Council work with bus operators to introduce a fleet of zero-emission vehicles on key subsidised routes operated under contract to the County Council, contributing to a cleaner and greener transport network for the region.
The CEBC Scheme, a major initiative co-funded by the Department for Transport, aims to transform Coventry into the UK’s first all-electric bus city. Warwickshire County Council is playing a vital role in this project, ensuring that subsidised cross-boundary bus services are included in this transition.
Along with the West Midlands Combined Authority, Warwickshire has been instrumental in making CEBC a reality through the provision of a £1.366 million contribution from its Capital Investment Fund.
Cllr Jan Matecki, Warwickshire County Council’s Portfolio Holder for Transport and Planning, said: “This is an excellent example of how working with other organisations helps us to achieve more. In this case, by contributing to Coventry’s aim to be the first UK city to have an all-electric fleet, we are ensuring that Warwickshire benefits with cross-boundary services on key cross boundary routes funded by the County Council.
"Looking to increase the use of carbon neutral vehicles is key to our ambitions of having a county that is net zero by 2025.”
The procurement process will now begin, with the aim of introducing the new all-electric buses by December 2025.
A copy of this report can be found here: Coventry All Electric Bus Scheme Cabinet Paper
More information about electric vehicles in Warwickshire can be found online: https://www.warwickshire.gov.uk/electric-vehicles