Shuttle Buses has taken delivery of its first two electric Sigma 8 vehicles from Rochdale-based manufacturer Mellor for its operations in North Ayrshire.
The buses represent the first Sigmas in Scotland, as well as the first customer examples of the electric midi-bus.
They are capable of carrying 27 seated passengers with 27 standees and have been configured to Mellor’s ‘rural’ specification with a single passenger door.
Now in daily service, the two vehicles were part-funded by Transport Scotland under their ScotZEB scheme, with financing from Virgin Money Asset Finance Direct.
Before placing an order, the long-standing Mellor customer tested a Sigma 10 demonstrator.
The second model in Mellor’s six-strong Sigma range, the Sigma 8 is 2.35 metres wide, making it ideal for service routes with low patronage, operating in environments such as housing estates and on narrow lanes where vehicle size is a limiting factor, and on demand-responsive transport programmes.
As a ground-up electric bus, Sigma has also been engineered for a service life of 15 years and has undergone accelerated testing to ensure durability throughout its time in service.
Ross Granger, managing director of Shuttle Buses, said, “Our two Sigma 8s have settled down well and we’re achieving 145 miles a day with battery power to spare, even in a Scottish winter.
“Drivers and passengers alike appreciate the ‘big bus’ feel of the Sigma, and we look forward to continuing to partner with Mellor as we move towards an all-electric fleet”.
Morgan Clissett, Bus Division Managing Director at Mellor said: “Shuttle Buses were undoubtedly impressed with the quality, engineering and refinement of the Sigma.”
