Our journey to electric

Government investment for nine more electric buses for the Isle of Wight

 Southern Vectis, in partnership with Isle of Wight Council, has successfully secured Department for Transport (DfT) investment for a further nine double decker electric buses on the Isle of Wight.

The DfT had previously awarded funding from its ZEBRA (Zero Emission Bus Regional Area) scheme, to bring 22 new electric buses to the island. This project, which includes the purchase of the electric buses and the installation of the electric charging infrastructure at Southern Vectis’ depot, is well under way and is scheduled to begin in 2026.

The nine extra double decker electric buses will mainly be used on routes 4, 8 and 37, which operate in Ryde, and link the town with East Cowes, Seaview, Bembridge, St Helens, Sandown and Newport. They are expected to begin operation in 2026 and the successful bid, which is worth more than £4.4m, also includes a further five additional chargers with 10 additional charging points at the Newport depot. The project to provide the extra buses is expected to cost around £3.8m, with both Southern Vectis and Isle of Wight Council contributing the additional funds.

“This is excellent news for the Isle of Wight, and it will further drive our mission to put the island right at the forefront of sustainable transport,” said Southern Vectis managing director, Andrew Wickham. 

“These new buses will help to improve air quality here, and reduce carbon emissions, while also giving passengers modern, high-quality buses for their journeys.

“The additional joint investment is testament to the excellent relationship we have with Isle of Wight Council, and we will continue to work together to ensure the Isle of Wight’s bus network remains the envy of other areas of the United Kingdom.”

Stewart Chandler, the council’s transport strategy manager, added: “I am delighted that electric buses will be landing on our Island soon. The arrival of zero-emission buses is a big step in reducing carbon emissions from transport as we work hard to address the climate crisis. The support that Southern Vectis has shown for this project demonstrates the excellent working relationship we have with the bus operator and how working together can help achieve the very best for the Island.”

Isle of Wight / Southern Vectis Electric Buses – FAQ

Q: How many electric buses are coming to the island?
    A: We are getting 31 electric double decker buses

Q: Which routes will the electric buses be used on?
A: They will be used on route 1 between Cowes and Newport, 5 between East Cowes and Newport, 9 between Ryde and Newport, 4 between East Cowes and Ryde, 8 between Newport and Sandown, Bembridge, and Ryde, and route 37 in Ryde.  These are some of the busiest bus routes on the island.

Q: When will the electric buses arrive on the island?
A: They are planned to start arriving early next year and should all be delivered by the end of March 2026.

Q: What make, and model are they going to be?
    A: They will all be Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner BEV’s

Q: Will they be built in Britain?
    A: Yes, the Wrightbus factory is in Ballymena, Northern Ireland.

Q: Are electric buses better than diesel?
A: Electric buses emit zero emissions, so the islands air quality will be improved.  Electric buses are also quieter, smoother and provide an improved level of comfort for bus passengers.

Q: How many miles will the electric buses be able to do on one charge?
A: On average over a year, the electric buses will be able to easily cover in excess of 200 miles on a single charge.  They will then be charged each evening at our bus depot in Newport.

Q: How much does an electric bus cost?
A: Each double decker bus costs around £500,000, and the charging infrastructure is around £50,000 per-bus.  In comparison, a new diesel bus costs around £290,000 and there is no infrastructure cost.
Q: Are you receiving funding to buy the buses?
A: We have been successful in a joint bit with Isle of Wight council to the Department for Transports Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) Fund.  Our initial bid for 22 electric buses in 2024 increased to 31 electric buses through a further top-up bid in 2025.

Q: Does the funding pay for all the buses and the charging infrastructure?
A: No, Southern Vectis is providing most of the funding for the buses, but the charging infrastructure is largely paid for by funding from, the DfT and Isle of Wight council.  The ZEBRA fund pays for roughly 75% of the difference between the cost of a diesel buses and electric buses and 75% of the total cost of associated charging infrastructure.  Southern Vectis is therefore paying roughly a 25% premium over diesel buses.  This additional cost is offset by cheaper operating costs of electric vs diesel though.

Q: Why are Southern Vectis not just buying the electric buses themselves?
A: Because electric buses and the charging infrastructure are so expensive to buy compared to a diesel bus, the cost of buying, installing and running bus routes would be far too expensive and unaffordable. Until prices come down, financial support is needed. The ZEBRA fund initiative has allowed Southern Vectis to buy electric buses for a bit more than a diesel allowing us to be greener faster, support jobs in British manufacturing plus setting up Southern Vectis to be fitter for the future.  

Q: Are the electric buses heavier than diesel buses?
A: Yes, whilst battery technology and energy density has improved, the weight of batteries is more than that of a tank of diesel.  Zero-emission electric buses offer huge air quality benefits to islanders, and of course there are many vehicles using the island roads that are as heavy, or heavier, than electric buses.  If more people can be attracted to use buses rather than cars, and a full double deck bus taking roughly 75-cars off the road, there are undoubtedly improvements to wear and tear on the island’s roads.

Q: How much will bus emissions be lowered by with the introduction of these electric buses?
A: It is estimated that in total for the 31 electric buses, more than 30,000 tonnes of Carbon dioxide (CO2) will be saved from being emitted each year.

Q: Will the price of bus tickets increase because of buying these electric buses?
A: No, as a direct result of the electric buses coming to the island there will be no fare rises.

Q: Will the price of bus tickets go down because of buying these electric buses?
A: No, the overall cost of operation remains roughly the same as before.  Whilst electric buses are cheaper to run, as electricity is cheaper than diesel, this is offset by the additional cost of buying the buses and charging infrastructure.

Q: How big are the batteries on the electric buses, and how long will they take to charge?
A: Each bus has a 454-kilowatt-hour battery and will take around 3-hours to charge each night.

Q: Is there a lot of work that needs to be done at the bus depot to prepare, and when will it be ready?
A: Our depot in Newport will have its own substation installed which will be connected to the electricity network.  Given the large amount of energy required to charge the buses each night, we have ordered more power from the network.  There will be 16 chargers installed around out depot each capable of charging 2 electric buses at once.  The work to prepare our bus depot will take place between July and October 2025.

Timeline of our journey to electric

•    December 2023 – APPLICATION made to the Department for Transport Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) Fund for 22 electric double deckers

•    March 2024 – SUCCESS as funding awarded

•    May 2024 – DEMONSTRSATOR electric double deck bus arrives on the island for a week’s trial

•    October 2024 – ORDER submitted for 22 Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner BEV’s

•    December 2024 – APPLICATION made to increase the number of electric buses from 22 to 31.

•    April 2025 – MORE SUCCESS as top-up funding awarded to increase the number of electric buses from 22 to 31.

•    April 2025 – VISIT of an electric double decker to the island to allow for further testing and learning.

•    July 2025 – DIG groundworks expected to commence at our Nelson Road bus depot, to install the power and charging infrastructure.

•    October 2025 – COMPLETE groundworks expected to finished and electric turned-on at our Nelson Road bus depot.

•    January 2026 – DELIVERY expected to commence of the first of the 31 electric buses.

•    March 2026 – GO! Delivery and training expected to be complete and electric buses go into service on the island’s bus network.