The new buses will eventually make up almost a quarter of Cardiff’s fleet
A FLEET of new, state-of-the-art electric buses have been launched in Cardiff as the city aims to reduce emissions.
There will 36 of the fully electric Yutong E12 on the roads by the end of January, making up 24% of the buses serving Cardiff.
Riding one of the new Cardiff Bus vehicles today, Carol Phillips, 64, said: “It’s much smoother than the other ones.”
In addition to being quieter than diesel buses, the electric buses are fitted with USB charging ports, WiFi and air-conditioning.
Paul Dyer, managing director of Cardiff Bus said: “It is a huge step in not only our goal to reach zero emissions, but also our goal of providing a first-class service to our customers.
“Cardiff Bus has been committed to providing travel for the people of our city for nearly 120 years, and we are extremely proud of the part we play in city life. We take our role in improving the air quality in Cardiff very seriously and we know that this development is going to be instrumental in ensuring city life can continue in a more green and sustainable fashion.”
Cardiff Council aims for the city to be carbon neutral by 2030, as set out in its One Planet Strategy which was approved in October. Transport currently accounts for 41% of Cardiff’s carbon emissions.
Councillor Caro Ward said: “It is great to see the new fleet of electric buses on the streets of Cardiff. They will play an important part towards our clean air and carbon neutral ambitions for the city.
“We know from our own research that people are genuinely excited about electric buses coming to Cardiff, so now that they are here, we hope as many people will use them as possible.”
Cardiff Bus and Cardiff Council collaborated on funding for the project, successfully bidding for funding from the Department for Transport’s Ultra-Low Emissions Bus Scheme. Charging infrastructure for the vehicles was paid for and built by electric vehicle and battery specialists Zenobē.
Steve Meersman, co-founder of the company, said: “We’re excited to be boosting accessibility to sustainable travel and clean air across the city and supporting a swift transition to a low carbon future.”
