Stagecoach has announced that it will be introducing the UK’s first all-electric city bus networks in Inverness and Perth as part of its drive to deliver a net zero UK bus fleet by 2035.
The company is rolling out the £13.9m fleet of 38 new e-buses, partly funded by the Scottish Government, 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 £4.8m fleet of 13 buses, including seven single deck, five midibuses and one double-decker.
They will add to the fleet of nine zero emission buses (ZEBs) introduced in the city last December.
The £9.1m investment in Inverness will see a fleet of 25 new electric midibuses 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.
Over the past 14 months, Stagecoach has rolled out 52 new electric buses across its networks in Scotland as part of the Scottish Government’s Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), with a further six electric buses introduced across the west of Scotland in partnership with SP Energy Networks.
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.”
