First Glasgow has placed the first of 50 BYD ADL Enviro200EV battery-electric single-deckers into service at its Scotstoun depot.
Deployment of the buses – which are part-funded by the first round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB1) scheme – will see the operator’s total zero-emission fleet exceed 200. It follows a year-long project to install supporting infrastructure at Scotstoun.
The 50 ScotZEB buses complement a significantly greater number of BYD ADL models already in service from First Glasgow’s Caledonia depot. When all of the latest batch are in service, they will remove over 3,000 tonnes of CO2 equivalent emissions per year.
27 dual-head rapid charging units have been installed at Scotstoun to support the Enviro200EVs there. First Bus Scotland Managing Director Duncan Cameron believes that further battery-electric members of the First Glasgow fleet “will encourage even more people to leave their cars behind in favour of environmentally conscious bus travel.”
Recently-appointed Transport Minister Fiona Hyslop has visited Scotstoun to see the battery-electric buses and infrastructure. She has underlined Scottish Government ambitions to decarbonise Scotland’s “full fleet,” noting that the second round of ScotZEB opened earlier this year.
“It is both exciting and encouraging to see the industry rising to the challenge and working with us to tackle the global climate emergency,” Ms Hyslop adds.
In addition to the Scotstoun BYD ADLs, First’s other Scottish operation – in Aberdeen – will also benefit from ScotZEB1 money via 24 Yutong E12 battery-electric single-deckers. Some of those buses have already seen service in Glasgow while infrastructure work in Aberdeen to support them is completed.
