Scottish Power has taken delivery of the first Yutong battery-electric bus to enter service in Scotland. It is a seatbelt-equipped E10 that is powered by renewable electricity.
Fittingly, the E10 has entered service at Whitelee Windfarm Visitor Centre. Whitelee is the UK’s largest onshore windfarm. It is located on Eaglesham Moor, 20 minutes from central Glasgow. It generates up to 529MW of electricity. The E10 will be used to transport visitors to the site and it has been funded by Hitachi Capital.
In addition to seatbelts, the bus has been equipped with 360-degree camera and passenger information systems. It also has electric air-conditioning and utilises DC charging. That allows a full replenishment of the batteries to be completed in under three hours.
Pelican Bus and Coach has supplied the vehicle. Says Head of Yutong Bus UK Ian Downie: “It is a fantastic story that, with the increased focus on wind to generate clean energy, Scottish Power has invested in a zero-emission bus powered by renewable electricity.
“This has to be one of the cleanest vehicles in the world, showcasing wind-generated electricity and zero-emission passenger transport to visitors.”
With the E10 for Scottish Power, Pelican has now supplied Yutong battery-electric buses to operators in England, Scotland and Wales. Its first vehicles for Scotland were two TCe12 battery-electric coaches that were delivered to Dundee-based scheduled service operator Ember earlier in 2020.
