electric buses

We’re proud to be a front runner in the switch to zero emission electric buses – not just for short-hop urban journeys, but also for the longer run from city to town and country. 

As UK Environment Award winners in 2024, we’ve plenty of reasons to celebrate the groundbreaking success of our mission to reduce our carbon footprint, but we’re not stopping there. 

In November 2024, the first of 20 all new Mercedes Benz eCitaro fully electric single deck buses entered service in Harrogate, with the full fleet now in service on the popular route 1 linking Harrogate and Knaresborough up to every eight minutes, plus interurban route 7 between Harrogate, Wetherby and Leeds and rural route 24 between Harrogate and Pateley Bridge in beautiful Nidderdale. 

At the development stage, we received valued feedback from our customers and several of their suggestions have been incorporated into our bespoke interior design. 

This interior specification has been carefully devised to make travelling by bus comfortable, accessible and attractive, with fast and free Wi-Fi and USB device charging, custom-designed seating in a part leather, part moquette design unique to us, a hearing loop and two colour audio-visual information screens, one facing the wheelchair space, giving constantly updated journey information.  

Each bus also features extensive safety systems, including electronic pedestrian and cyclist detection and automatic collision avoidance technology. And under the surface, there’s a powerful, zero emission electric motor which can provide all-day battery life – so important for our busy routes. 

The replacement of our single deck fleet based in Harrogate is supported by a total investment of around £9 million by ourselves and our funding partners, reflecting our shared belief that now is the time for action to protect our environment. 

Meanwhile, 19 fully electric double deck buses are entering service in a phased programme on our multi award-winning route, The 36, linking Harrogate with Leeds and Ripon. One of the first of the new buses was unveiled at a family open-air fun party in the heart of Harrogate in June 2024, before going on to steal the show at Euro Bus Expo, a biannual showcase for the bus industry’s latest innovations at the NEC in Birmingham. 

We’ve already re-equipped our Harrogate depot to provide up-to-the-minute electric charging and maintenance services, while additional top-up charging facilities are also in place at Harrogate Bus Station. 

This new generation of buses and charging systems has taken us three years to develop, following a successful funding application through ZEBRA, the Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) fund.  

We’re very grateful for the support of our two exceptional partners, North Yorkshire Council and the West Yorkshire Combined Authority, in securing joint funding for these exciting projects, which will ultimately introduce a completely new fleet of all-electric double and single deck buses worth £21 million to the Harrogate area. 

We’re also rolling out 15 new electric buses to convert our frequent interurban route, the SHUTTLE linking Keighley and Bradford, to zero emission electric operation. The new buses exceed the requirements of Bradford’s Clean Air Zone, launched in September 2022, and represent a £4.4 million investment by us at Transdev, supported by £3.1 million from the Government’s ZEBRA funding stream. 

A total of 15 brand-new energy-efficient Mercedes Benz Citaro hybrid buses has also rolled out on our popular FLYER network of routes linking Leeds, Bradford and Harrogate with Leeds Bradford Airport. Widely seen as among Europe’s most energy efficient buses, the new vehicles run on a combination of electric power and biodiesel to keep emissions as low as possible with a hybrid design. 

On board each bus has a full package of customer comfort features, including free Wi-Fi and USB charging, next stop information displays and a hearing loop system to make communication easier for those with a hearing disability. 

With the FLYER network’s role in serving Leeds Bradford Airport in mind, each bus offers plentiful luggage space. 

We’re confident our customers love travelling on these impressive new buses – providing the most energy-efficient and environment-friendly way to reach our regional airport – while helping to offset carbon emissions associated with air travel. 

With every new electric and hybrid bus that we place into service, we gain first-hand operating experience which will inform the introduction of more low and zero emission vehicles in other areas of our network across the North of England.