Electric buses increased by 76% within the last year

Today (27th November 2024), the Department for Transport released their annual bus statistics for the year ending March 2024 on local bus services across England. These statistics exclude Scottish, Welsh, and Northern Irish services, alongside long-distance coach services, private hire work, closed contracts, and community transport services.

Some of their data provides valuable insights into the proportion of public “open” bus fleets that have made the transition to electric vehicles (EVs). Of the 29,790 buses recorded in use by local bus operators in England up until March 2024, eight per cent of these were zero emission vehicles (ZEV), in comparison with the 61 per cent of vehicles that just met Euro VI emission standards.

As at March 2024, 72.7 per cent of English buses had a diesel fuel engine, with a further 14.8 per cent having a diesel-hybrid engine. 7.4 per cent were fully electric, with 0.2 per cent having a hydrogen fuel cell.

These statistics can be compared to data from a study conducted 12 months prior ending in March 2023, though it is important to note that some data includes public buses across England, Scotland, and Wales. However, data on emissions exclusively involves England, so these statistics can be compared.

As at March 2023, the proportion of all buses in England that had a diesel engine was 76.1 per cent, with 14.8 per cent of buses having diesel-hybrid engines. 4.2 per cent were fully electric, with 0.1 per cent having hydrogen fuel types. 

The Department of Transport’s statistics show that diesel fuel engines in English public bus fleets have declined within the past year, with a signifiant increase (76.2 per cent) in fully electric public buses.

The next annual bus statistics are set to be published in late 2025 encompassing the next year up until March 2025. We can hope to see further increases in fully electric public buses.