Operators in Glasgow and Birmingham renewed the largest proportion of their fleets with Euro 6 vehicles, with more than four in five new buses and coaches registered meeting the standard.
Meanwhile, in London, which has the biggest bus fleet by far in the country, just over half of new vehicles featured Euro 6 technology.
SMMT chief executive Mike Hawes notes that the UK bus and coach parc comprises 88,638 units, meaning that adoption of Euro 6 vehicles is essential to improve air quality in Britain’s towns and cities.
“Industry has invested billions of pounds in advanced vehicle technology that delivers real results so it is encouraging to see this rapid uptake of Euro 6 in the UK,” states Hawes.
“The UK automotive sector remains committed to working alongside operators, government and local councils to encourage widespread adoption of the latest vehicles that will help dramatically improve the air quality in our towns and cities.”
Real world testing of Euro 6 buses by TfL (Transport for London) showed a 95% decrease in NOx emissions compared with earlier Euro 5 vehicles.
