Scheduled electric coach service start-up Ember says it is targeting a “usable national network” after it was awarded £5.56m through the first round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus (ScotZEB) challenge fund.
routeone understands the award will go towards 26 new electric vehicles and associated infrastructure. Ember currently runs four battery-electric Yutong TCe12 coaches between Dundee and Edinburgh and is looking to put into service further vehicles until it serves all major Scottish cities.
Co-founder Keith Bradbury says the business will take a further four vehicles in the next few months to be used on a yet to be confirmed route. It will also look to take delivery of eight coaches in September or October which will potentially see service on routes towards Aberdeen. “The ones behind that will be deployed afterwards probably in December-January time, and I think our goal overall is to build out a usable national network which is running between all major cities but includes smaller towns and villages along the way.”
The 26 vehicles delivered through ScotZEB builds on 10 delivered through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme and two that the business purchased itself. That will take the operator to 38 vehicles in total.
