Councillor Corinne Ashwell of Lewisham Council has voiced significant concerns regarding the infrastructure and time demands associated with charging electric buses, questioning the practicalities of the transition to a greener fleet.
During a Public Transport Liaison Forum meeting, Councillor Ashwell highlighted the substantial time difference between charging an electric bus and refuelling a diesel one. When you haven't got a diesel bus that can be filled up in 10 minutes, 15 minutes, you've got to timetable things so that your bus can sit there for three hours while it's being charged,
she stated, underscoring the logistical challenges for service reliability and scheduling.
Her inquiry also touched upon the need for potential support for running additional cabling to the New Cross Gate bus garage to facilitate faster charging and increased capacity. Representatives from Go Ahead and Stagecoach confirmed their ongoing efforts to electrify routes and upgrade existing fleets. While both operators are enhancing their electric bus capabilities, Stagecoach identified infrastructure at bus garages as the primary challenge. Go Ahead welcomed any support from the borough council in this transition, acknowledging the complexities involved.
Councillor Ashwell's comments underscored the huge amount of infrastructure and logistics
that are involved in transitioning the bus fleet to EVs, beyond just the cabling, and the significant time needed for charging compared to refuelling diesel buses. The meeting's agenda and reports can be found on the Lewisham Council website.
Agenda frontsheet 20th-Oct-2026 19.00 Public Transport Liaison Forum Public reports pack 20th-Oct-2026 19.00 Public Transport Liaison Forum Minutes of Previous Meeting