Taunton and Minehead bus depots power up: Electrification projects pave way for green bus fleet

Buses of Somerset has begun work to electrify its Taunton and Minehead depots, ready to operate 26 brand new electric buses from Spring 2025.

The works will create electric vehicle charging infrastructure as well as upgrading the bus depots in Taunton and Minehead.

Once complete, the electric ready depots will enable a fleet of 26 double and single decker electric buses to run across Buses of Somerset’s routes, bringing cleaner, greener travel for local people.

The £14.7m project to bring EV (Electric Vehicle) buses to Somerset will be delivered in partnership with Somerset Council. Working together, an investment of £2.2m was secured for Somerset Council from the Department for Transport’s (DfT) Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA) government funding, alongside significant capital investment of £12.5m from First Bus South - which operates Buses of Somerset.

The introduction of the state-of-the-art electric buses to Buses of Somerset’s fleet is a first for bus travel in the area and leads the way in reducing emissions and improving air quality. The electric buses will replace part of Buses of Somerset’s diesel fleet and overall, it is expected that each electric bus will save up to 75 tonnes of tailpipe emissions per year. 

(From L-R) Simon Goff, First South Managing Director; Councillor Richard Wilkins, Somerset Council; Gary Weaver, First South Engineering Director, Linda Snelling, Somerset Bus Partnership; Pete McNaughton, Buses of Somerset Operations Manager; Peter Travis, Somerset Bus Partnership

The electric buses will provide smoother, quieter bus journeys for passengers and will run on routes including:

• Route 28: Taunton to Minehead
• Route 21: Taunton to Bridgwater
• Route 22: Taunton to Wellington
• Route 1: Taunton Town Service
• Route 2: Taunton Town Service

In support of the Taunton and Minehead projects, representatives from Somerset Council including Councillor Richard Wilkins, Lead member for Transport and Waste Services, and Somerset Bus Partnership visited Taunton depot to mark the start of works. The group were able to meet the depot team and see plans for the transformation of the depot.

Simon Goff, First Bus South Managing Director, said: “Today is an important milestone as work starts to transform Taunton and Minehead depots into electric ready bases for our new EVs. We look forward to getting these state-of- the-art new buses on the road for customers by Spring 2025.

“The 26 zero-emissions buses are fantastic news for passengers, bringing cleaner, greener vehicles to our routes, helping to improve air quality, and making bus travel even more sustainable. What’s more, the transformation of these depots will also bring smart new facilities for our staff at Taunton and Minehead.”

Councillor Richard Wilkins, Lead member for Transport and Waste services at Somerset Council, said:

"This is an important moment in our journey to bring electric buses to Somerset. The partnership with First Bus South has enabled us to take huge steps in the right direction to support the switch to sustainable methods of travel. We have a vision to transform bus services in our towns and working together, we are able to achieve that. I look forward to seeing the development of the Taunton and Minehead sites, and the arrival of electric buses next year."

The electrification of Taunton and Minehead is the next step in the company’s mission 2035 pledge to operate a fully zero emission fleet. In March this year, First Bus announced £89 million investment in 178 zero-emission buses and infrastructure across four regions of the UK.