Low Emission Bus scheme winners announced

The winners of the £30m Low Emission Bus scheme have been announced. They include 13 bus operator and local authority collaborations, covering 326 low emission buses and the associated infrastructure.

 

A range of technology and fuel options such as biomethane, hydrogen fuel cell, battery electric and diesel hybrids have been chosen to support the challenge of reducing greenhouse gas emissions while simultaneously improving air quality.

 

Winning bids include electric buses in Nottingham, hydrogen buses for Birmingham and biomethane buses in Merseyside.

 

The significant allocation to infrastructure illustrates a key goal of the scheme to encourage greater uptake of LEBs beyond the 2016-2019 funding period, with winners having demonstrated their ability to bring LEBs into operation without further grant funding.

 

The Low Emission Bus (LEB) scheme is a follow up to the Green Bus Fund, developed to incentivise the uptake latest green and clean buses in England and Wales. The LowCVP has been heavily involved in the creation of the Low Emission Bus accreditation scheme which has stringent eligibility requirements. A low emission buses is one that achieves over 15% well-to-wheel greenhouse gas saving compared to an equivalent Euro V diesel bus and meets the Euro VI engine standard. A full explanation of the Low Emission Bus scheme, certified bus models and latest LEB news can be found at the Partnership's Low Emission Bus Portal.

 

The much-anticipated list of winners is detailed below, totalling 326 buses and over £7m in infrastructure:

 

Further details can be found on the Department for Transport’s website.

 

The Year of the Low Emission Bus is being celebrated by the LowCVP’s Bus Working Group through the creation of a Low Emission Bus Guide to aid local authorities and small bus operators to choose the right LEB for their requirements. A demonstration of these options will be on display at the Low Emission Bus Showcase at Cenex-LCV2016 where visitors will be transported across the site by a range of LEB models.

 

The LowCVP will also be hosting a Low Emission Bus seminar on the second day of LCV (15 September) which will detail how the low carbon transport agenda has been championed by bus manufacturers and operators in the UK.

 

A history of green bus development in the UK was published in a collaboration between LowCVP and Greener Journeys this year.  The Journey of the Green Bus, tracks how the bus market has been transformed over the last 2 decades into one of the biggest markets for low carbon bus technologies in the world.”