First Glasgow has opened plans with Ofgem and Scottish Power Energy Networks to expand battery-electric charging capacity at its Caledonia depot to 350 vehicles.
It comes after existing infrastructure work there, partially funded by the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme and which will allow up to 150 battery-electric buses to be charged at one time, was completed.
The subsequent upgrade efforts will see the construction of a new substation to provide sufficient power for an additional 200 battery-electric vehicles. Caledonia is already the UK’s largest DC electric vehicle rapid charging centre, the operator claims.
98 BYD ADL Enviro200EV and Enviro400EV battery-electric buses are already in operation from the site to the south of Glasgow city centre. When 52 more zero-emission buses are delivered by December, half of Caledonia’s allocation will have transitioned away from diesel.
First Glasgow says that Caledonia’s transformation will not only support its own battery-electric fleet, but also act as a group-wide ‘pathfinder’ project and help other organisations in the city to decarbonise. The bus operator is thus currently trialling the use of Caledonia’s infrastructure by other businesses during the day, when it would otherwise lie unutilised.
First Bus Scotland Managing Director Duncan Cameron (pictured, right) has described the completion of current work to upgrade Caledonia as “a landmark moment” on the group’s journey to an entirely zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.
“With the great range of our new EVs and the immense power of these new charging stations, our buses only need to be charged overnight, allowing us to free up the depot during the day for other electric fleets in and around Glasgow,” adds Mr Cameron, who recently hosted Scottish Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth (pictured, left) to inspect the already-completed work.
‘Smart charging’ software controls the power draw of battery replenishment to minimise the depot’s load on the national grid at peak times. First Bus says it plans to replicate that model “across many more sites” in the UK as part of its move away from diesel.
In addition to work centred on Caledonia, First Glasgow was earlier in 2022 awarded money from the first round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund towards 50 battery-electric single-deckers for operation from its Scotstoun depot. When those and the outstanding confirmed buses for Caledonia are delivered they will take the operator’s zero-emission fleet to 200.
