Stagecoach rolls out 110 electric buses in Devon
The deployment is being delivered in partnership with Devon County Council and Torbay Council and is supported by the UK Government’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme. The programme will replace ageing diesel buses with zero-emission alternatives as part of Stagecoach’s wider decarbonisation strategy.For Exeter, the addition of 30 electric buses marks a significant upgrade to the local fleet. In North Devon, Barnstaple will become a key hub for the new technology, hosting 21 vehicles at its depot. The remaining 59 units will be deployed in Torbay.To support the electrification of the depots, Stagecoach has appointed e-fleet solutions provider VEV to design and install high-powered charging infrastructure. At Barnstaple, 11 dedicated chargers are being installed. The charging systems will be managed via a digital platform designed to monitor power demand in real time and optimise fleet availability.Stagecoach recently made headlines because the electric buses it deployed in the region were too big for the narrow streets. In Torbay, for example, Park Road and Hartop Road feature narrow carriageways and on-street parking, leaving little room for larger vehicles to pass safely, which is why the company is looking into setting up alternative stops nearby.torbayweekly.co.uk, themoorlander.co.uk
