FirstGroup, a British transport operator, and Hitachi, a Japanese multinational electronics company, agreed to form a $124m joint venture for leasing up to 1k electric bus batteries as part of its fleet expansion plan. "Hitachi is committed to becoming a climate change innovator. We continuously strive for growth through collaboration and co-creation with our partners and customers, and this specific partnership enables us to use our innovative technologies and global expertise to help decarbonise fleets efficiently, discover untapped revenue streams, and maximise the residual value of assets. I’m delighted we’ve successfully grown our existing relationship with FirstGroup, which will further add to our decarbonisation experience and combined learnings, in developing solutions for transport operators globally," Alistair Dormer, Hitach Executive Vice President and Executive Officer, General Manager of Green Energy & Mobility Strategy Planning Division.