Deputy Minister for Climate Change, Lee Waters and Transport for Wales (TfW) have unveiled a new fleet of electric buses to operate on the TrawsCymru T1 route between Carmarthen and Aberystwyth.
These new vehicles will enter service from 26 March and will be based at a new charging depot in Carmarthen.
Lee Waters and TfW were joined at the launch event by Carmarthenshire County Council, First Cymru and Pelican.
Deputy Minister Lee Waters said:Buses play a vital role in keeping our communities connected and offer people a sustainable transport alternative to the car.
The introduction of brand-new electric buses will provide a great boost to the TrawsCymru service and is another important step forward in achieving our ambition for a high-quality, multimodal, integrated and low-carbon network of public transport across Wales.
The new Yutong electric buses are the first in the UK that can charge at 240kWs per hour to reach a full charge in less than 90 minutes.
They are also equipped with a number of modern features such as reading lights, tables, cordless charging and USB sockets, arms rests, information screens and an air purification system.
It is estimated that taking the T1 bus from Carmarthen to Aberystwyth would save 14804g of CO2 compared to driving. This amount of CO2 is equivalent to keeping a lightbulb on for 4174 hours (174 days).
Chris Hanson, General Manager of First Cymru said:Buses have an important and exciting role to play in Wales’s ongoing move to more sustainable travel.
We are absolutely delighted to have this opportunity to run the T1 route and the stunning electric fleet. People use First Cymru transport every day to move across towns and counties in South Wales. But we know many more will do the same as buses evolve to bring all the benefits of electric to customers and their communities.
