Passengers in Nottingham are set to benefit from a further 31 new electric buses.
With EMCCA funding, Nottingham City Transport (NCT) is investing in the fleet, thanks to funding from the East Midlands Combined County Authority (EMCCA) – further accelerating the operator’s transition to a zero-emission fleet.
The investment has been made possible by funding from the Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward, and EMCCA, awarded by Nottinghamshire County Council. For all 31 buses, EMCCA is now providing £6.3m of support, with NCT providing £12.3m of match-funding.
Mayor of the East Midlands, Claire Ward said: “People want their buses to be clean, quiet, and efficient, and EMCCA is on the case. To support this in Nottingham, we are adding 31 new buses to the NCT fleet, ensuring that more people can have a positive experience of using public transport.”
“These buses bring everything that our residents have told us they need from their journeys, with air conditioning, extra leg room, and full colour destination displays. And this is vital; the more that people use the bus, the closer we get to building a city that is clean, well connected, and climate resilient.”
Once these additional electric vehicles are delivered, NCT’s zero emission electric fleet will increase to 93 vehicles in total. This marks another major milestone in the company’s transition to zero-emission transport, with one-third of the fleet operating as fully electric.
NCT’s electric buses continue to support our shared ambitions to become a carbon-neutral region, while offering the people of Nottingham a modern, comfortable and sustainable way to travel.
Further details about the NCT Electric Bus project can be found at www.nctx.co.uk/electricbus
The order announcement consists of five Yutong U11DD double deck buses and seven E12 single deck vehicles. The additional 12 buses are expected to enter service in April 2027, while the previously announced vehicles are due to arrive in late 2026.
The announcement was made during the ALBUM Conference 2026, the annual conference of the Association of Local Bus Managers (ALBUM), which brings together operators, suppliers and industry leaders from across the UK bus sector.
Conference Gold Sponsor Pelican Bus & Coach are the UK’s Yutong partner, adding 40 per cent of the value of the buses at their factory in Yorkshire by finishing the buses to NCT’s specification.
Rob Hicklin, NCT finance director, said: “We are delighted to announce our order for an additional 12 Yutong electric buses from Pelican Bus & Coach. Since their first single deck started operating with NCT two years ago, our electric bus fleet has proven to extremely reliable, clocking up more than five million kilometres in service.”
Ian Downie, head of Yutong UK at Pelican Bus and Coach, said: “We are delighted to receive these additional orders from NCT. The vehicles will join the growing Yutong fleet on the streets of Nottingham.”
The investment comes after Mayor Claire outlined her bold plans to deliver a bigger, more ambitious and better bus network for residents across the region – including more frequent services, stronger local connections and a system designed around the needs of passengers.
Over the coming months, EMCCA will carry out a full review of the network, working with operators and listening to passengers to identify where services, fares and facilities can be improved.
Mayor Claire said: “Our ambition is simple, to make buses across the EMCCA region more reliable, accessible, and easier for people to use. By bringing passenger voices and accessibility groups directly into our decision-making, we can ensure that the improvements we make reflect the needs of the communities we serve every day.”