The first of 50 new electric vehicles will be seen out in service around the city from today (Monday 3rd July) and are set to save over 3,000 tonnes of CO2e per year as they replace older diesel buses.
To accommodate these new zero-emission arrivals to the fleet, a year of significant works in Glasgow’s Scotstoun depot to install necessary infrastructure and 27 dual headed rapid charging points is now complete.
As well as providing an environmentally friendly way to travel round the city, passengers in Glasgow will also benefit from greater levels of comfort with the new buses, with lower noise levels and full air conditioning fitted throughout.
The 50 new electric vehicles, provided by Larbert based vehicle manufacturer Alexander Dennis Ltd, are fitted with market-leading lithium iron phosphate batteries boasting a range of over 370 kilometres on a single, three-hour charge.
As well as providing an environmentally friendly way to travel round the city, passengers in Glasgow will also benefit from greater levels of comfort with the new buses, with lower noise levels and full air conditioning fitted throughout.
“The arrival of these buses marks the latest in our series of steps to decarbonise our operations as we aim to be emission free by 2035” said Duncan Cameron, Managing Director at First Bus Scotland. “We are incredibly proud to bring more sustainable travel to Glasgow, and I’m sure it will encourage even more people to leave their cars behind in favour of environmentally conscious bus travel that will help to reduce congestion and improve air quality in our city. We’re looking forward to hearing feedback from our customers as we continue our investment into greener travel.”
The delivery has been supported by Transport Scotland through its Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB) funding, a challenge fund to support the industry’s swift transition to zero emission vehicles and infrastructure.
“I was delighted to visit the First Bus depot as one of my first engagements in my new post and see these new electric buses for myself” added Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop MSP. “The bus is currently one of the most climate friendly transport choices the public can make, and the Scottish Government is committed to decarbonising the full fleet as we encourage more people to leave their cars at home and choose more sustainable ways to travel. Earlier this year we launched the second phase of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund, with up to £58 million available, and it’s both exciting and encouraging to see the industry rising to the challenge and working with us to tackle the global climate emergency.”
More electric vehicles will also be joining First Bus’s operations further afield, with First Aberdeen depot expected to receive 24 new electric vehicles this summer.
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