Alexander Dennis (ADL) has welcomed the Scottish Government’s award of £7.4m through the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), describing it as an “urgently needed” first step in stimulating demand for new buses.
ADL is currently finalising contracts for the supply of 35 of the 41 vehicles that the money will help to fund. It is the intended supplier to First Glasgow, McGill’s Buses and Xplore Dundee through SULEBS.
Says ADL President and Managing Director Paul Davies: “As Britain’s leading manufacturer of clean buses, we welcome the Scottish Government’s award of funding for ultra-low emission vehicles, which will contribute to Scotland’s green recovery.
“This is a much appreciated first step in stimulating urgently needed demand for new buses. We look forward to building 35 electric buses here in Scotland.”
Mr Davies says that manufacture of the zero-emission vehicles by ADL will support skilled jobs and apprenticeships of its own, as well as its wider Scottish supply chain.
In related news, the NFI Group subsidiary will also benefit from Lothian Buses’ confirmation of its intent to proceed with an order placed in 2019 for 98 double-deckers based on Volvo chassis. ADL will body them at Falkirk. Earlier in 2020 ADL said that it had seen a “significant decline” in demand for new buses as the impact of the coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic bit.
Two BYD ADL Enviro200EV battery-electric single-deckers were built for the First Glasgow fleet in 2019 (pictured). They were funded as part of SP Energy Networks’ £20m Green Economy Fund.
