Nottingham City Transport has completed the rollout of all 62 electric single deck buses, marking a major milestone in the company’s transition to a zero-emission fleet.
With the recent delivery of the final 14 buses, NCT’s entire city single deck fleet is now fully electric. Grey Line 53 and 54 routes now mark the completion of this full conversion, serving Arnold, City Hospital, Ring Road, QMC, and Clifton, and achieving the electrification of the single deck fleet in just 18 months.
The project has been delivered with support from Nottingham City Council, who helped NCT secure funding from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) Fund. £12.3 million of the cost is being supported by ZEBRA, with the remaining £17.7 million invested by NCT.
The vehicles, manufactured by Yutong and finished to NCT’s specification by Yorkshire based Pelican Engineering continue to demonstrate strong reliability and efficiency in daily service.
Since entering operation, NCT’s electric single deck fleet has already travelled over 3.6 million kilometres across Nottingham — the equivalent of making nine trips to the moon, or almost 90 times around the Earth. The buses have also regenerated more than 2.1 million kWh of energy, significantly reducing overall energy consumption.
With the single deck rollout now complete, NCT has placed its first order for electric double decks and The East Midlands Combined County Authority is supporting the introduction of 19 electric double deck buses at NCT with £4.5m funding.
Following a rigorous assessment and trial of several double deckers, NCT has ordered 13 Yutong electric double deck buses, which will enter service in late 2026, marking the start of the electrification of the double deck fleet. NCT will be one of the first UK operators to introduce the very latest U11DD model, which boasts higher capacity batteries that are ideal for city networks throughout their lifetime.
David Astill, NCT Managing Director said:
“The roll-out of our 62 electric single deck buses marks a major milestone for NCT as we transition to a zero-emission fleet. I am grateful to all the team here at NCT for completing the project on time and on budget. Thanks are also due to our key stakeholders Pelican and Yutong, who have provided world-class electric buses and to Zenobe, who have been of huge assistance in providing and installing the charging infrastructure at our Trent Bridge garage. External funding has been key to the business case, and we are indebted to Nottingham City Council for securing the funding from central government to enable our electric bus project to proceed. Our attention will now turn to the double-deck fleet and I am pleased to confirm that we have placed an initial order for thirteen electric double-decks which will be delivered in the Autumn of next year”
Ian Downie, Head of Yutong UK at Pelican Bus and Coach said:
“The performance of our single decks has demonstrated our vehicles are at the vanguard of reliable and efficient zero emission buses, with fantastic feedback from passengers and drivers. It is a testament to the service we provide that NCT have honoured Pelican with an additional 13 electric double decks. The NCT team have been instrumental in designing the revised UK double decker and we are really looking forward to NCT being the first operator of the full height vehicle in the UK”
Councillor Linda Woodings, Executive Member for Regional Development, Growth and Transport at Nottingham City Council, said:
“Nottingham City Council is proud to be part of the partnership bringing more electric buses to the city – with all 62 now out in our city which is an incredible achievement that will have a real impact on local air quality and our CN28 goals, not to mention that we know local people love how smart and comfortable they are. The impressive electrification of NCTs Trent Bridge garage will help pave the way for even more electric buses in the future as Nottingham City Transport continue to lead the way.”
The completion of a fully electric single deck fleet, alongside plans for the first electric double deck buses, demonstrates NCT’s ongoing commitment to sustainable, low-emission transport for Nottingham. These buses not only reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality, but also provide a quiet, comfortable and modern travel experience for passengers across the city. With the electric single deck bus project delivered, 3,800 tonnes of CO2e will be saved each and every year. Over the lifetime of the buses, they will also make a significant contribution to wider efforts to improve air quality, with an estimated 31 tonnes of harmful NOx and 777kg of PM2.5 removed from the atmosphere.
NCT’s website hosts an informative page full of facts, figures and FAQs about the electric bus project at www.nctx.co.uk/electricbus
Posted on 17 December 2025
