Electric Public Transport in the UK

With more and more drivers choosing electric to get from A to B, naturally we’ll be thinking about how the public transport network will adapt.

 

From electric bikes and scooters to electric buses, here are some ways in which the public transport has been electrified, and what we expect in the coming years. 

 

What is Already in Place?

There is already a solid electric infrastructure in place for electric public transport, with buses, trains, and eScooters being available to the public to use emission free.

 

Trains

Many of the trains in the UK are already electric. As of March 2020, 38% of the British rail network (3,758 miles) was electrified.

 

However, plans to electrify the rail network further has been disputed heavily over the years, with plans being paused and halted due to funding issues and controversies.

 

In 2019, the Railway Industry Association published a paper on electrification costs and suggested several ways to how to forward the movement.

 

As of 2023, there are no solid plans to electrify the railways, however the government aims to ‘decarbonize’ all rail transport by 2040 – whether that be using electricity, or alternative and emerging technologies such as hydrogen.

 

Buses

The UK is currently the leader in alternatively fuelled buses and coaches. Between 2012 and 2022, 1835 electric buses were registered in the UK, the most out of any European country.

 

In 2022, the UK government pledged £198.3 million to contribute to 943 electric buses that will operate between Greater Manchester and Portsmouth.

 

Coventry plans to be the UK’s first all-electric bus city by 2025. The city already has ten all-electric buses, operated by National Express, and the plan hopes to see results of improved air quality and reduced greenhouse gases.

 

As of January 2024, Oxford has the most electric buses per capita, with more than other cities such as London, Glasgow, and Leicester, with 159 battery powered buses funded by Go-Ahead and Stagecoach.

 

Taxis

Although not necessarily public transport, electric taxis have been increasing in numbers on our UK roads.

 

In 2013, the London Electric Vehicle Company was founded, which supplies an electrified version of the iconic black London cab. The car is named the TX and has an impressive range of 333 miles and offers two variants: the ICON and the VISTA.

 

Uber, one of the world’s leading taxi companies, have currently over 7000 active EVs operating in London. The company plans to have up to 25,000 electric vehicles available to Uber drivers to rent across Europe by 2025, beginning in London with the aim to expand as far as Paris and Amsterdam.

 

Bikes and Scooters

Electric bikes and scooters are a new, popular way to get around the city. There are currently 18,000 electric scooters available for short term hire in the UK, from operators such as Voi, TIER, Spin, Lime, and Neuron.

 

The process is simple – sign up and pay via an app, use the scooter for as long as you need, and just drop it off at a public docking point.

 

Electric bikes aren’t quite as popular, with 2500 shared eBikes in the UK, but operate in the same way.

 

Although environmentally friendly and inexpensive to use, the eScooter scheme has been met with controversies – many deem them unsafe, and the scooters are subject to irresponsible use by underage users (you must be 18 to use them and hold a provisional licence) or being used whilst intoxicated.

 

What Can We Expect in the Coming Years?

Here is what we can expect from electric public transport in the coming years:

 

• 4000 new zero emission buses

• Stagecoach to have a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2035

• The ban on the sale of ICE buses by 2032 at the very latest

• Plans to extend the electrification of the rail network

• 25,000 EVs available for rent by Uber drivers across Europe by 2025

 

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