Coventry will receive £50m to fund 297 all-electric buses after the Board  of West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) gave the funding approval. It means Coventry will be the first city in the country to host all-electric buses by 2025. As well as funding for new vehicles, the grant will also cover investment in wider infrastructure such as charging points and upgrades to the electric grid. The £50m will be supported by a further £78m of investment from local bus operators into the new electric buses, depot charging facilities and associated power upgrades.

As well as funding for new vehicles, the grant will also cover investment in wider infrastructure such as charging points and upgrades to the electric grid.

The funding from the Department for Transport aims to support improvements to air quality, lower greenhouse gases, and reduce the costs of running buses. Highways officers believe it will save around 55 tonnes of Nitrogen Dioxide every year.

Coventry is one of only two cities selected by Government from the 19 towns and cities that applied to be the UK’s first all-electric bus city – having shown how the scheme could help solve poor air quality. Oxford was also successful.

The project aims to improve air quality, lower greenhouse gas, and reduce the costs of running buses. The electric buses will also provide a more comfortable passenger experience which will help to boost the number of people using buses to travel around the city. Highways officers believe it will save around 55 tonnes of Nitrogen Dioxide every year.

The £50 million will be invested by the Department for Transport and the work to put an all-electric bus fleet on the streets of Coventry will begin from April.

The bid was secured by Coventry City Council, Warwickshire County Council and Transport for West Midlands (TfWM), which is part of the WMCA.