Nottingham now home to UK’s biggest council-run electric bus network

Nottingham is now being served by the UK’s biggest network of council-run electric buses after 13 new vehicles began running to and from the Queen’s Drive Park and Ride.

The ‘Ecohub’ at the site is the UK’s first all-electric bus-based park and ride service, and the 13 new arrivals are on top of 45 already in service across Nottingham.

The City Council’s £3.2 million investment on the single-decker buses is only the start, says Councillor Nick McDonald, portfolio holder for transport.

He said: “There will be more in the future, we want to continue to build the fleet, we can’t do it overnight, and we can’t do it without investments”.

Nottingham’s new electric bus.

The buses will also run along the city’s new Eco Expressway, which gives priority to electric vehicles.

Electric Bus

Cllr McDonald added: “Some of this is European funding, so Nottingham has actually benefited enormously from European funding over the years, and we are going to have to rethink about how we do that sort of thing in the future as we head towards leaving the European Union.”

The current Citylink1 service from Queens Drive will be re branded as Centrelink and Citylink2 from Nottingham Racecourse, will be branded as Ecolink.