SOMERSET County Council has taken possession of two fully electric, specially adapted wheelchair-accessible minibuses.

The Maxus EV80 minibuses are the first of their kind in the county.

They have a capacity of ten passengers and the seats can be adapted so that three wheelchairs can be included.

The buses can travel approximately 114 miles on a single charge.

They are being used by special educational needs and disability (SEND clients in the Bridgwater area, but their use may be expanded countywide in the future.

Cllr Mike Rigby, County Hall executive lead member for transport and digital, said: “Our new electric, accessible minibuses should improve both the quality of life of our residents and our carbon footprint going forward.

“It’s very important that we provide the best service we can in the most climate-conscious way possible.”

Earlier this year Somerset County Council was ranked as the UK's top county council in taking a lead on climate change.