While subsidies will not cover the total purchase costs, grants will cover up to 75 per cent of the cost difference between a new electric bus and an equivalent diesel vehicle. The cost of associated charging infrastructure will be subsidised by up to 75 per cent.
Councillor Geoff Whittle, assistant city mayor for environment and transport, said, “We are now working with operators in the partnership, seeking bids for up to £5m of new grant funding to help expand their electric bus fleets.”
According to local media, the funding round is expected to support the introduction of up to 30 additional electric buses. The city is the largest in the East Midlands in England, and has already made considerable efforts to fulfil its goal of completely electrifying the bus network by 2027.
To date, 190 electric buses are already in operation, which represents about 75 per cent of the Leicester Buses network. Another 60 electric buses are currently on order to come into service by March 2027.
eastmidlandsbusinesslink.co.uk, leicester.gov.uk
