First Bus launches first repowered electric buses in Bath

The repowered buses will enter service in Bath over the coming months alongside 17 newly built electric buses for the city, four additional electric buses for Weston-super-Mare and 116 electric buses for the Bristol network operating from the Lawrence Hill depot. First Bus is also progressing with the electrification of its Hengrove depot in south Bristol, which is set to become fully electric.Infrastructure work is currently underway at the Bath depot, located between the River Avon and the Kennet and Avon Canal. According to the operator, it is the company’s only island bus depot. Electrification work is also continuing at the Lawrence Hill depot in Bristol.The latest deployment forms part of a wider investment programme worth £90 million, comprising £70 million from First Bus and £20 million in government funding secured by the West of England Mayoral Combined Authority. By spring 2027, total investment in electric buses and charging infrastructure across the region is expected to reach around £150 million.The 27 repowered buses in Bath are undergoing conversion work that includes the removal of diesel engines and gearboxes, which are replaced with battery systems, new wiring and additional hardware. First Bus said further mechanical components are also replaced, while the vehicles receive complete interior and exterior refurbishment.The buses were converted by Wrightbus’s new business unit NewPower, which specialises in converting the manufacturer’s diesel-powered double-deckers. First Bus was the first operator to place an order with NewPower in the summer of 2024. First Bus also asked the company KleanDrive to repower 30 Streetdeck buses in July 2025. Moreover, First Bus invested£1 million in KleanDrive, so this will likely not be the last announcement of this kind.“Yet again we’re hitting more milestones in our electrification of our West of England fleet,” said Doug Claringbold, Regional Director for South and West at First Bus. “Not only are we heading towards our Hengrove depot being 100% electric with the arrival of more buses this year, but we’re also excited to welcome our first repowers, demonstrating a real commitment to going even further in our efforts to be more sustainable.”“This is a big day for Bath & North East Somerset, with the first green buses now at home at the city’s First Bus depot. It’s also a big day for the whole of the West of England, thanks to our first converted electric buses rolling out too,” addded Helen Godwin, Mayor of the West of England.firstbus.co.uk, route-one.net