Newport Transport's new electric buses now in operation

Newport Transport recently announced the addition of two new double-decker electric buses and eleven new single-decker buses to its already sizeable fleet of electric vehicles.

The purchase of these buses increases the size of Newport Transport's fully electric fleet to 57 buses, accountable for 80 per cent of the non-school operation.

The move aligns with Newport Transport's goal towards a total electric fleet of buses by 2028.

The addition of new Yutong U11DD double-decker electric buses, recently introduced to the UK market, marks a milestone for Newport Transport as it's the company's first foray into electric double-deckers.

With a seating capacity that accommodates 70 passengers, these buses will primarily serve high-capacity routes linking Newport to Cardiff, including the 30 and X30 routes.

Supplementing the double-decker additions, eleven new E9L Yutong single-decker midi buses have also been added to the Newport Bus fleet.

One of the new single decker buses (Image: Robin Hall/Newport Transport)

These fully electric midi buses are designed for routes that demand narrower vehicles.

Notably, the E9L buses' small size and short stature better equip them to serve routes in Monmouthshire and Newport that were awarded to the company in March 2024.

Ian Downie, head of Yutong UK, spoke on the collaboration. He said: "Newport Transport required a narrow-bodied, short-length, single deck zero tailpipe emission electric bus with full air conditioning, with a forward twin leaf door.

"Our continued partnership with Newport has again demonstrated our ability to respond to customer requirements.

"We are delighted to have developed this vehicle for Newport Transport’s design brief.

"The E9L builds upon our experience with over 180,000 zero-emission vehicles in service, with 40.7 billion km of operation.

"The vehicles share the same industry-leading safety systems, with lithium iron phosphate chemistry batteries, which are widely considered to be the safest chemistry available."

The newly introduced vehicles were completed in the UK by Pelican Engineering and will be maintained by trained technicians from Pelican and Newport Transport.

David Jenkins, interim managing dfor Newport Transport, appreciated the commitment of Yutong and Pelican to accommodate their specific needs: "These new additions to our electric fleet are another step in our journey towards an all-electric fleet.

"I’d like to thank Yutong and Pelican for their commitment to re-engineering their E9 product to bring a single-door electric midi bus to the UK market.

"This midi bus has high passenger capacity, while its smaller size allows us to serve the space-restricted areas of our Newport network and the more remote parts of our expanding operation."