Kent County Council and Dover District Council’s five new Volvo BZL electric buses can travel up to 300km on a single charge
The historic coastal town of Dover has welcomed some new arrivals – its first fleet of fully electric buses. The buses will take over the existing Dover Fastrack network that connects Whitfield with Dover town centre and Dover Priory railway station.
Image courtesy of Kent County Council
The upgrade project has been delivered through a partnership between Kent County Council, Stagecoach South East and Dover District Council, and is funded through the Department for Transport’s Zero Emission Bus Regional Areas (ZEBRA) scheme.
The new fleet of Volvo BZL electric buses has been designed to be comfortable and accessible. Each bus features low-floor access, dedicated wheelchair spaces, on‑board digital information screens, and USB Type B and Type C charging points at every seat. The buses also run smoothly and quietly, and produce no emissions. The result is a greatly enhanced journey experience for passengers.
What’s more, each bus is capable of travelling up to 300 kilometres on a single charge, making their reliable and relatively inexpensive to run.
The launch of the new fleet is the latest milestone in the Dover Fastrack service introduced in November 2024 and operated by Stagecoach South East. The service has seen continued growth in numbers of passengers and recently extended the timetable to run earlier in the morning and later at night to meet the last high-speed trains.
Peter Osborne, Cabinet Member for Highways and Transport at Kent County Council, says: ‘The introduction of these electric buses is an important step in strengthening public transport for the Dover area. This project reflects the strong partnership between KCC, Stagecoach South East and Dover District Council, and demonstrates our shared commitment to providing reliable, modern and high‑quality services for residents, businesses and visitors.
‘As the Whitfield area continues to develop, we fully anticipate the service to continue to grow and play its part a key role in stimulating the local economy, with a strong focus on increasing footfall in the town centre.’
Joel Mitchell, Managing Director of Stagecoach South East, adds: “This represents a major investment for the people of Dover and for Kent as a whole. These electric buses will provide a smoother, quieter journey for our customers while significantly reducing environmental impact. It’s an important step forward in delivering a more sustainable public transport network for the region.’
Cllr Gordon Cowan, Cabinet Member for Transport at Dover District Council, says: ‘We are delighted to welcome the launch of electric vehicles on Dover Fastrack. We are pleased to have been involved in helping facilitate this project, to have secured the funding for the infrastructure, and to have worked with KCC as the Highways Authority and Stagecoach as the service provider.’
Domenico Bondi, Managing Director at Volvo Bus UK & Ireland, adds: ‘It has been a privilege to partner with Kent County Council, Dover District Council, and Stagecoach South East to deliver this project. This investment is an important step for East Kent, providing cleaner air and quieter journeys on the local public transport network. The support from our dealer MC Truck & Bus is also integral, with its skilled local team in Hythe providing the technical expertise the operator needs to keep the vehicles performing at their best for the communities they serve.’
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