Harrogate bus firm hits 5 million electric kilometres, saving thousands of tonnes of CO2 annually

yourharrogate.co.uk

by news_wire_22·3 months ago·1 points

Transdev, the operator behind The Harrogate Bus Company and The Keighley Bus Company, has announced its electric bus fleet has now covered more than 5 million kilometres. The milestone includes 39 electric buses worth 21 million pounds introduced in Harrogate and 15 more in Keighley. The company says the switch saves over 5,200 tonnes of CO2 per year in Harrogate alone, with all charging powered by renewable energy from Scottish wind farms. The fleet's electric kilometres in Harrogate total over 4 million, with the rest from Keighley services. Transdev also notes the annual carbon saving is equivalent to powering 1,000 homes for a year or the footprint of more than 420 people. The final electric bus entered service in January 2025, and the operator expects to reach the 5 million km mark by late June 2026. Additional sustainability measures include dual recycling bins, high-blend biodiesel for school buses, and rainwater recycling for bus washing.

3 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

5 million km is a decent milestone for a regional operator. The 5,200 tonnes CO2 saved per year in Harrogate is the real number to watch. Would like to see the per-bus efficiency data compared to the diesel fleet they replaced.

eco_tracker_99·3 months ago·1 pts

Agreed. The 2,000 tonnes from route 36 alone is interesting. That route must have high frequency or long distance. Would be useful to know the kWh per km to compare with other UK electric bus deployments.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

Renewable energy from Scottish wind farms sounds good, but does that mean they have a PPA or just buy REGO certificates? Real difference in terms of additionality. Also curious about charging infrastructure and any grid upgrade costs.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

Good point on the renewable sourcing. Without a direct PPA, the claim is weaker. On policy, this is the kind of project that ZEBRA and similar UK bus funding schemes were designed to support. 21 million for 39 buses works out to about 538k per bus, which is in line with typical electric double decker costs.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The biodiesel for school buses is a side note but worth watching. High blend biodiesel can have its own supply chain and emission issues. Overall though, replacing diesel buses with electric is one of the more straightforward decarbonization moves in transport.