WATCH: Electric bus being tested on Guernsey roads

Tuesday 10 August 2021

A fully electric bus is being trialled in Guernsey.

The Bus Fleet Replacement Programme is ongoing and is seen as an opportunity to work towards the aims of the 2020-2050 Climate Change Policy.

Finding an electric bus that could meet the island’s needs has been difficult. It was thought to be untenable, until the Higer Steed model was discovered.

It’s a fully electric narrow-bodied vehicle that has been put to the test on numerous island routes over the past few days. 

Watch: A virtual tour of the Higer Steed bus. It is powered by CATL Lithium Ion Batteries producing 174 Kw of power.

The Committee for the Environment and Infrastructure continues to work towards the island achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2050, and transport is a major contributing factor towards this.

E&I President Lindsay de Sausmarez said buses, not cars, could be the answer to reducing emissions in the island.

“People think it’s all about electric vehicles, but shared mobility is a really exciting potential. Our job is to give people options,” she said.

A spokesperson for Traffic & Highways Services added: “Transport is a major contributor to our carbon footprint, so although the buses procured in Phases 1 and 2 are ultra-low emissions vehicles and are very significantly less polluting than the older fleet, any opportunity to further reduce emissions from road transport will help us meet our climate change targets and improve our air quality."

“Investigations into electrifying part of the scheduled bus fleet forms an encouraging next step into reducing emissions through internal combustion engine vehicles on-island."