Brighton & Hove Buses celebrate arrival of electric buses with community launch event

Brighton & Hove Buses celebrated the arrival of electric buses to the city with a vibrant and free event for the community this week at Royal Pavilion Gardens.

The event marked a major milestone in the city of Brighton and Hove's journey towards cleaner, greener transport and featured live music, entertainers and family-friendly activities, including the chance to explore one of the 16 brand-new electric buses.

The Deputy Lieutenant, Mayor of Brighton & Hove, the Department for Transport, Brighton & Hove City Councillors and key representatives from local accessibility groups and charities were in attendance, supporting the commitment to achieve net-zero and cleaner air for the community.

One electric bus in service will save up to 164 tonnes CO₂ per year, the equivalent of planting 7,450 trees, with the 16 brand-new buses first appearing on route 7, a service providing critical links across the city to education, work, healthcare and leisure facilities with onwards travel via Brighton and Hove train stations.

Rupert Cox, Interim Managing Director for Brighton & Hove Buses said:

 This is an important step in our journey towards greener and more accessible travel for our passengers. The turnout at the launch event yesterday is testament to how much people care about their local bus service.

Councillor Trevor Muten, Cabinet Member for Transport and City Infrastructure, said: 

The arrival of these fully electric double decker buses is a major step forward in creating a cleaner city. The council’s joint bid with Brighton & Hove Buses to secure the ZEBRA2 funding from the Government is a great example of how we’re delivering sustainable transport for Brighton & Hove.

To the soundtrack of a steel pan band, guests enjoyed electrifying entertainment from a bubble-blowing stilt-walker and roller-hoop performer creating a carnival atmosphere for all. There were photo opportunities for children and adults alike onboard the brand-new bus and the opportunity to pick up timetables and electric-themed merchandise.

The launch event also had a key focus on accessibility, with co-design and co-production at the forefront of the new electric fleet.

To help remove barriers to travel, Brighton & Hove Buses continues to co-design and co-produce its services, embedding lived experience at every stage.

The 16 brand-new electric buses build on accessibility features shaped through this ongoing collaboration. Designed with disabled people, representative organisations and manufacturers, and informed by continuous passenger feedback, these buses help ensure a more accessible service for all.

John McLeister, Managing Director of Sales for Wrightbus in the UK and Ireland, said: 

Each vehicle represents not only a step forward in decarbonising transport, but also a commitment to accessibility, innovation and passenger experience.

These buses have been designed and built by our skilled teams in Ballymena, and the whole process supports thousands of jobs in the supply chain across the United Kingdom.

These are further enhanced by a new dementia-friendly seating moquette, co-designed and co-produced by the Alzheimer’s Society Horsham Rusty Brains Dementia Voice Group.

Tim Wilkins, Service User Involvement Officer, Alzheimer’s Society, gave an engaging speech to over 150 people at the launch event reflecting Brighton & Hove Buses commitment to co-production and co-design in their vehicles and services throughout the city.

Tim explained: 

The Horsham Rusty Brains are an incredible group of people living with a diagnosis, who have been front and centre in co designing dementia friendly bus seating upholstery alongside the Brighton & Hove Buses team. Seeing their lived experience shape something so visible brings real pride and shows the powerful impact of community voices.

The launch event also featured the unveiling of ‘The Road to Electric’, an exclusive exhibition detailing over 140 years of Brighton & Hove Buses history, alongside a state-of-the-art short film introducing the arrival of electric buses to the city of Brighton and Hove.

Hedley Swain, Chief Executive of Brighton & Hove Museums said: 

We were thrilled to be able to host this important launch event and include a small multi-media display on the history of Brighton buses in Brighton Museum & Art Gallery that will run throughout the summer. Buses have been and continue to be an important part of Brighton & Hove life and the new electric buses mark a new milestone in local bus history.

The multi-media exhibition is available to view at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery until September 2026.

Photo: Ray Ward