• Around 1,200 zero emission buses needed in cities each year between now and 2036 to meet climate commitments
• Just 7% of all buses currently operating in London and Metropolitan areas are zero emissions

Around 15,000 buses operating in England’s major cities must become zero emissions by 2036, if city regions are to hit their ambitious net zero targets.

This is the key finding of a new report from the Urban Transport Group which reveals the challenges of greening England’s buses, from funding and manufacturing zero emissions buses (ZEBs) to installing bus depot charging infrastructure and electricity grid connections.

According to Government statistics, there were 16,500 buses operating in London and the Metropolitan areas at the end of March 2023, but just 1,200 (7 per cent) of these were ZEBs, with the vast majority (1,000) in the capital. Only 100 ZEBs were operating elsewhere in England.

London and the Metropolitan areas have highly ambitious (but differing) net zero targets – under which bus fleets must be decarbonised by switching from diesel engines to be electrically or hydrogen-powered – with target dates ranging from 2030 to 2036. This means that an average of 1,200 new ZEBs would need to be delivered each year to meet these cities’ targets – around 15,000 buses between now and 2036.

The report - A Smoother Ride: Unlocking a green bus revolution – was supported by research from consultants EY, through which ZEB manufacturers were interviewed to understand the capacity of the domestic supply chain to support the transition to ZEBs. The report identifies a series of challenges and recommendations on how to overcome them, including:

- Policy: Manufacturers, operators and authorities stress the importance of clear government policy to build confidence in the supply chain and among potential investors. Government should provide certainty on the end of sale date for new, non-zero emission buses, to give confidence to manufacturers and empower operators to bring forward plans to decarbonise their fleets. This date must be proportional and be accompanied by long-term funding certainty and a comprehensive plan.

- Funding: The majority of ZEBs in operation have been purchased with the support of government funding. UTG members do not yet have funding secured to meet their committed net zero fleet decarbonisation target. Plans for a longer-term stable funding stream for ZEB procurement must be set out in order to avoid the current boom/bust approach and give confidence to private investors.

- Manufacturing: The UK ZEB market could provide the opportunity for a sustainable and long term, green economic boost. Government should work with manufacturers, operators and transport authorities to explore opportunities for discounted bulk orders across regions to achieve cost savings, as well as grasping the opportunity to grow the domestic battery industry to create jobs, grow the economy and increase resilience against geopolitical shocks to the supply chain.

- Depot infrastructure and grid connections: The scale of upgrade requirements in certain bus depots is constraining the ability to quickly increase the volume of ZEBs, whilst grid connection has been highlighted as potentially the most challenging aspect of ZEB deployment. Simplifying and creating a nationally consistent process for installing charging and refuelling infrastructure at depots must be a priority.  

Jason Prince, Director of the Urban Transport Group, said:

“The prize of getting more zero emissions buses on our streets is huge – from lower emissions and cleaner air to supporting economic growth through new jobs and increasing bus passenger numbers through modal shift from private car use.

“City regions have made great progress to date and are clear in their determination to becoming net zero. But there are multiple challenges to overcome in manufacturing and deploying the thousands of zero emission buses – and installing their associated infrastructure - that are needed to hit those ambitious targets. This report sets out the opportunity for the transport sector to work hand-in-hand with Government to unlock a green bus revolution.”