Liverpool orders 30 electric midibuses from Alexander Dennis
The Liverpool City Region Combined Authority has ordered 30 electric buses of the Enviro100EV type from Alexander Dennis. They are part of a contract for at least 207 buses worth £57 million, or approximately €66 million. Deliveries are scheduled for 2027.
Image: Alexander Dennis
Only a small portion of the order consists of purely battery-electric buses – the remaining 177 vehicles are low-emission internal combustion engines. With this order, the number of buses Alexander Dennis supplies to the region’s public transport network rises to around 400.
Alexander Dennis won four out of the six bids it submitted, according to its own statements — meaning two bids were awarded to other competitors. There are also options for the contract that could increase the volume to 357 buses and £95 million (approximately €110 million). The statement does not specify how many of these would be additional electric buses.
The 30 electric buses ordered are the Enviro100EV, the smallest model in the British manufacturer’s portfolio: a midibus that is 8.5 meters long, 2.35 meters wide, and has a turning radius of 8.6 meters. The small electric bus can carry up to 45 passengers, 25 of whom can sit down.
The Voith Electrical Drive System in MD configuration is responsible for propulsion, with a peak power of 250 kW and a continuous power output of 230 kW. The NMC battery has a standard capacity of 354 kWh, though an optional version with 236 kWh is also available. The battery can be charged at up to 150 kW, or 118 kW in the smaller configuration. Optionally, Alexander Dennis provides roof rails for pantograph charging at up to 177 kW or 118 kW respectively. The manufacturer claims a range of up to 450 kilometers, with around 300 kilometers possible using the smaller battery. However, the announcement does not specify which configuration Liverpool ordered.
The remaining vehicles in the order are, according to the manufacturer, low-emission internal combustion engines that can later be converted to electric drive through the company’s own Repower service. All vehicles are set to be built or assembled in Great Britain, with production taking place at the manufacturer’s facilities in North England and Scotland.
First electric double-deckers already in use
The 30 Enviro100EVs complement the 58 battery-electric double-deckers of the Enviro400EV type that Liverpool had previously ordered from Alexander Dennis, bringing the total number of electric bus orders for the region from this British manufacturer to 88 vehicles. That order was announced in February 2025, funded by the second tranche of the UK’s ZEBRA 2 subsidy program.
Originally, the double-deck buses were supposed to arrive by 2025, but the first batch actually arrived in Liverpool in February 2026. Driver training was required before regular service could begin. The Combined Authority does not specify how many of the double-deck buses have already been delivered. The procurement includes over 100 electric double-deck buses from Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus, with integration expected to be completed by the end of 2027.
Buses to become publicly owned
The electric buses are part of the transition of bus services in the Liverpool City Region to a franchise model, similar to one already in place in London and currently being established in Manchester. Under this model, public transportation remains under public ownership. Ticket prices, schedules, and bus routes are set by the public authorities, while the operation of these routes is contracted out to private operators. The first phase began on September 6, 2026, in St Helens and on the Wirral Peninsula. The entire region is expected to follow by the end of 2027.
In the coming years, significant amounts of money are set to be invested in Liverpool City Region’s bus network against this backdrop. The plans — funded by resources from the £1.6 billion “Transport for City Region” (TCR) grant program — include substantial investments in depots, intelligent ticketing systems, and the new bus fleet mentioned earlier. The electric buses will thus become property of the Liverpool City Region Combined Authority.