Zenobē has confirmed a brand-new phase of its partnership with West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA), as the company is set to transfer all its existing electric bus charging and vehicle availability contracts to the West Midlands Bus Company, which the WMCA intends to acquire in full during the second half of 2026.
The move has been announced to coincide with the WMCA’s transition to bring the region’s bus services public ownership and control, and will allow Zenobē to continue supplying and maintaining infrastructure throughout the transition, working directly alongside WMCA and its future franchise operators.
Steven Meersman, Co-Founder of Zenobē, said:This next phase with WMCA shows what's possible when a combined authority and an expert partner work together with a shared long-term goal.
As WMCA takes greater control of bus services in the region, we've structured our relationship to support that ambition directly, giving the Authority certainty over its electric fleet as it delivers on its transport and net zero priorities. It's a model we believe is right for combined authorities across the country as more of them take bus services back under public control
The partnership between Zenobē and the WMCA reflects the former’s growing role as a strategic infrastructure partner to combined authorities, as well as other public sector bodies navigating the shift to public control of transport networks and net zero.
Zenobē’s work with the WMCA sits alongside its wider portfolio of partnerships with both local and combined authorities across the UK, which aim to support public bodies during their transition to zero-emission public transport as well as help them meet their environmental, economic and social objectives without taking on the operational or financial burden of managing fleet infrastructure directly.
The contract transition with WMCA is expected to be completed in stages over the remainder of 2026 and ahead of full franchising of bus services over the next few years.
