Buses, coaches and minibuses in reverse – SMMT
Sales of new buses, coaches and minibuses fell 17% to 1,965 units in the third quarter of 2025, according to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The decline marks the end of nine consecutive quarters of growth, with falling minibus registrations down 39.8% to 895 units following strong growth in the same period last year. However, single and double-deck bus and coach registrations both rose, up 35.8% and 5.7% to 626 and 444 units respectively.
Meanwhile, zero emission vehicle uptake was up 16.3% in the quarter to 563 units, accounting for 28.6% of all new buses, coaches and minibuses. In contrast, diesel registrations declined 25.5% to 1,402 units.
Year-to-date registrations are 26.9% above 2024 volumes at 7,465 units, while more than one in four (28.7%) have been zero emission vehicles, which represents an increase of nearly 56%.
Mike Hawes, SMMT chief executive, said: “A dip in registrations is disappointing but not enough to stall fleet renewal year-to-date. Yet more growth in zero emission demand is good new as the sector continues to invest in new, cleaner models to give operators choice.
“Given the role these public transport vehicles play in delivering mobility for millions of people – especially in urban and rural areas – we must focus on speeding up the transition. That means investing in sector-specific charging and continuation of Zero Emission Bus Regional Area funding.”
