Essex Police Share Bus Depot Chargers for Electric Fleet

Police cars patrolling Essex now pull into a bus depot when they need a charge, thanks to a clever partnership that's helping the force go green faster.

Essex Police started using First Bus's Basildon depot to power up its electric vehicles, with high-speed chargers that can fill a police car in just 20 minutes. The force plans to transition 50 of its 800 vehicles to electric this year alone.

The partnership solves a problem many organizations face when switching to electric fleets. Essex Police began converting vehicles in 2022 but quickly learned that relying on public charging networks wasn't practical for a police force that needs vehicles ready around the clock.

Installing their own charging stations would have been "prohibitively expensive," according to a force spokesperson. Sharing existing infrastructure at the bus depot proved both cheaper and faster to implement.

First Bus's facility in Basildon became Essex's first fully electric bus depot last November after receiving over £30 million in funding. Now those same chargers are pulling double duty, powering both buses and police vehicles.

The Ripple Effect

This partnership creates benefits that extend beyond just one police force going green. Every police car charging at the bus depot frees up a public charging station for residents who need it.

The model shows other public services how they can transition their fleets without building expensive new infrastructure from scratch. Fire departments, ambulance services, and municipal fleets across the UK are watching closely.

Jason Tyrrell, acting head of fleet at Essex Police, says the force aims to fully decarbonize by 2035 in line with government targets. The current partnership covers vehicles in southern Essex, with discussions underway to expand charging access in the north.

Andy Gwilliam from First Charge explains that shared infrastructure lets organizations "transition their fleets at a pace that is both operationally and financially sustainable." Translation: going green doesn't have to break the bank or happen overnight.

Essex Police now operates 41 electric vehicles and counting, proving that even organizations with demanding 24/7 schedules can make the switch work. They're cutting emissions while still responding to emergencies and keeping communities safe.

The partnership demonstrates something important: collaboration beats going it alone when tackling big transitions.