Cardiff is taking part in an eight-week trial of a ‘state of the art’ Volvo 7900E bus, which will run along Route 6, taking passengers from the civic centre to Cardiff Bay via the city centre.

The scheme is being run in collaboration with the Welsh Government, Cardiff Bus, Volvo Bus and ABB, which has provided the charging station.

The key objective is to prove that an electric vehicle can operate using ‘opportunity charging’ on an allocated route and that the infrastructure can be installed in Cardiff and other Welsh cities — and potentially on a wider scale.

Economy and Transport Secretary Ken Skates said: “I am delighted to see Volvo and ABB taking the lead in this exciting development in city transport.

“There have been a number of such trials around the UK, but this is the first in Wales — and the first step towards our Economic Action Plan commitment to zero-carbon buses.

“I have every confidence the data will support the fact that electric vehicles can deliver a high-quality service, with measurable improvements in air quality along the participating route.”

Hannah Blythyn, the minister for environment, said: “Improving air quality is one of my top priorities. I’m delighted that the Welsh government and Cardiff Council are working with businesses to present innovative solutions to reduce vehicle pollution and improve air quality in our city centres.”