Liverpool’s City Regional Combined Authority is ordering 58 Enviro400EV double-decker buses from NFI Group subsidiary Alexander Dennis to upgrade and further electrify its mass transit system.
The electric buses, which will be publicly owned by the Combined Authority, are expected to join the city region’s existing fleet later in 2025. They will be operated by a commercial bus operator before going through a franchising process from 2026 onwards.
“The 58 new Enviro400EV double deckers we’re building will cut out tailpipe emissions and offer passengers a smoother, quieter journey,” said Paul Davies, President & Managing Director, Alexander Dennis. “They will also support British jobs and apprenticeships across our own network of facilities as well as in our extensive supply chain, ensuring that public money is reinvested in our economy.”
The purchase is supported by the second tranche of the Department for Transport’s Zero-Emission Bus Regional Areas fund (ZEBRA 2).
The Enviro400EV, part of Alexander Dennis’ next generation of zero-emission buses, is designed to use only 0.67 kWh per kilometer over the UK Bus Cycle and boasts of a 97% grid-to-wheel charging efficiency. The buses electric batteries have a warranted energy throughput of up to 1.6 GWh.
All 58 Enviro400EV for the Liverpool City Region will be built in Britain. This will not only create 1,900 UK skilled jobs and more than 60 apprenticeships at Alexander Dennis but also support employment at the manufacturer’s 8,000 suppliers across the UK.
Liverpool City Region Combined Authority manages the mass transit system serving metropolitan areas of Liverpool, Knowsley, St. Helens, Sefton and Wirral. Formed in 2014 to succeed the more localized Merseyside Integrated Transport Authority and offer a more cohesive cross-jurisdiction governance, the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority bus system transports close to 400,000 riders daily, according to reports.
