31 Wrightbus Gen2 Electroliner BEV buses enter service on the Isle of Wight under ZEBRA 2 funding

Southern Vectis, a bus operator providing public transport services on the Isle of Wight, off the south coast of England, has unveiled a fleet of 31 battery-electric buses for the Isle of Wight, funded through a £10.7 million operator investment and the UK’s ZEBRA 2 scheme.

The new vehicles were presented at the operator’s Nelson Road depot in Newport during an event attended by representatives from the Isle of Wight Council, the Department for Transport and manufacturer Wrightbus. The introduction marks the first deployment of electric buses on the island’s public transport network.

The investment package combines £10.7 million from Southern Vectis, £733,000 from the Isle of Wight Council and additional support from the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Area (ZEBRA 2) programme. The 31 zero-emission buses have been developed and built in the UK by Wrightbus, according to Southern Vectis.

Wrightbus Gen2 Electroliners enter service on the Isle of Wight

According to Wrightbus, the vehicles supplied are Gen2 StreetDeck Electroliners manufactured at its facility in Northern Ireland. The manufacturer states that 22 of the buses are low-height Electroliners equipped with 442 kWh battery packs and will operate under the Southern Vectis brand on the Isle of Wight. Wrightbus also reports that additional Gen2 Electroliners have recently been delivered to operators on the south coast of England, including Salisbury and Stonehenge services.

The buses unveiled in Newport are scheduled to enter service in the coming weeks. Demonstration rides were organised during the launch event ahead of their commercial deployment.

Alongside vehicle procurement, Southern Vectis has upgraded its Newport depot to support electric operations. The operator confirmed that the site is now equipped with the required charging infrastructure to manage the new fleet.

Depot preparation forms part of the overall investment linked to the rollout of the 31 electric buses. The facility will serve as the operational base for daily charging and dispatch.