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Stagecoach to deliver UK’s first all-electric city bus networks

Posted: 24 August 2022 | | No comments yet

Plans are well underway to see Stagecoach make its city bus networks in Inverness and Perth all-electric from the end of 2022 and early 2023 respectively.

Stagecoach to deliver UK's first all-electric city bus networks

Credit: Stagecoach

Stagecoach has announced that it will be introducing the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks as part of its drive to deliver a net zero UK bus fleet by 2035. New electric buses will run across routes that have previously operated with largely diesel fleets, helping to drive cleaner air in these two major cities.

Stagecoach is introducing the £13.9 million fleet of 38 new electric buses, partly funded by the Scottish government, across the cities of Inverness and Perth through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB), designed to support the transition to zero-emission technologies as part of Scotland’s overall target to achieve net zero by 2045.

The new electric buses in Perth, which will be introduced in early 2023, will be made up of a £4.8 million fleet of 13 buses, including seven single deck, five midi-buses and one double-decker. They will be added to the fleet of nine zero-emission buses (ZEBs) that had been introduced in the city in December 2021.

The £9.1 million investment in Inverness will see a fleet of 25 new electric midi-buses introduced from late 2022 across routes 1-9, replacing the city’s diesel bus fleet.

New zero emission buses (ZEBs) are also being introduced over the coming months on Stagecoach networks across other areas in Scotland, including Aberdeen, Ayr, Dunfermline, Kirkcaldy and Kilmarnock as part of the ScotZEB plans.

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Minister for Transport Jenny Gilruth said: “This latest announcement from Stagecoach is welcome, and is fantastic news for everyone who lives in, works and visits Inverness and Perth. Not only will these new buses help reduce transport emissions and respond to the climate emergency, they will improve local air quality too. Stagecoach have been a valued partner in our Bus Decarbonisation Taskforce. They understand that to respond to the climate emergency, we all need to accelerate the transition to a zero emission bus fleet as soon as possible. I look forward to seeing these latest electric buses soon, which I know continue to be welcomed by customers across Scotland.”

Sam Greer, Stagecoach Regional Director for Scotland, said: “As part of our drive to target a net zero UK bus fleet by 2035, we are excited to be announcing our plans to deliver the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks, building further on the investment made in new zero emission buses in a number of places in the UK.”

The funding announced in early 2022 as part of the ScotZEB initiative follows two rounds of funding under the predecessor Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme in September 2020 and March 2021. The funding stream is designed to encourage the market to agree and implement new and innovative ways to finance zero emission buses.