New depot for electric bus fleet

A bus operator is building a charging depot in Somerset — in preparation for a fleet of electric buses — as part of a £15 million sustainable transport scheme.

First West of England is transforming the bus depot in Weston-super-Mare ahead of launching 24 new electric buses on the local network next year.

The firm is also investing £44 million in electrifying its Hengrove depot in Bristol, in preparation for 74 electric buses arriving on the city’s network.

The zero-emission buses will replace older diesel models, saving 75 mt (74 t) of CO2 (carbon dioxide) per bus each year, First West of England said, adding that, across the entire fleet, it equated to taking 5,250 cars off the road.