Xplore Dundee has debuted the first of 12 BYD ADL Enviro400EV battery-electric double-deckers. They are the city’s first zero-emission buses and all are expected to be in service early next year once driver training is complete.
The Enviro400EVs and their associated infrastructure represent an investment of £7m, including £1.95m from the first round of the Scottish Government’s Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS). They will be used on service 28, which the operator says “is at the heart of the city.”
Xplore Dundee Managing Director Christine McGlasson adds that the McGill’s Group subsidiary intends “to continue investing in our fleet to provide a cleaner, greener public transport offering to the people of Dundee.”
Unveiling of the new Enviro400EV fleet comes around one year since McGill’s Group purchased Xplore Dundee. Since then the group has invested £32.5m, assisted by SULEBS grant funding, in 68 battery-electric buses. It already has 56 such single-deckers – one BYD ADL Enviro200EV and 55 Yutong E12s – in service in its McGill’s Buses fleet.
Says McGill’s Group Chair James Easdale: “We led the way in introducing clean Euro VI fleet, and by the end of 2021 McGill’s Group is operating more electric buses than any other company in Scotland.
“We firmly believe that the new electric fleet will entice more people to leave their car keys at home and switch to the bus.” Mr Easdale adds that zero-emission buses provide a “new level of passenger experience” and that the quiet journey they offer is attractive to customers.
Notes McGill’s Group Chief Executive Ralph Roberts: “How the people of Dundee want to move around is changing and as a mobility company, we must keep up with those requirements. At McGill’s we are determined to be at the cutting edge of developments in bus technology, and we will continue to provide a high-quality bus service for the city of Dundee that is modern, safe and offers a viable, greener alternative to the private car.
“This is the beginning of a significant shift towards zero-emission public transport in Dundee. We are very proud to be at the forefront of that.”
