Go-Ahead Group and partners launch £82.5m all-electric bus fleet in Oxford

By Daniel Face

17 January 2024

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One of the UK’s biggest fleets of electric buses has been launched on the streets of Oxford as part of an £82.5m project.

A partnership between Oxfordshire County Council, Oxford Bus Company (part of the Go-Ahead Group) and Stagecoach, the initiative will deliver a total of 159 new battery buses.

Oxford Bus Company has electrified its Cowley House depot in anticipation of the launch, with each charging point providing enough electricity to power a bus for 200 miles a day.

Stakeholders gathered for a launch event at Divinity School in the city centre this week to see the new buses and hear from key representatives.

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Matt Carney, CEO of The Go-Ahead Group’s bus division, said: “Go-Ahead is proud to be the largest operator of zero emission buses in Britain.

“Electric buses make an enormous difference to air quality in cities and by decarbonising our fleet in towns and cities across the country, we aim to make a positive contribution to the fight against climate change.

“These new buses in Oxford will form Go-Ahead’s biggest fleet of zero emission buses outside London.

“The project is an example of bus operators working closely with local authorities to deliver for communities.”

Oxford Bus Company will deliver 104 electric buses into service, while Stagecoach will provide the other 55.

Luke Marion, MD of Oxford Bus Company, added: “This is a historic moment in our journey towards transforming our city services to electric.

“Our first tranche of electric buses is now in service, and is already starting to improve air quality and make bus travel an even more attractive option for people to travel around Oxford.

“Decarbonising buses is an exciting project – and we’ve demonstrated that with the right strategic partnership working between the public and private sector, we can unlock investment to make it happen.

“We look forward to working with Oxfordshire County Council on important initiatives going forward to encourage people to travel by bus.”

By Daniel Face

Born and raised in Berkshire, Dan fell into journalism after completing his bachelor’s degree in English at UCL.

Writing for The Business Magazine and local Biz News sites has given him the opportunity to chat with all manner of small business owners and share their success stories with a wider audience.

Outside of work, Dan enjoys live music, board games and quiz shows, and is making a slow but persistent effort to learn Spanish.