Transit buses and motorcoaches firm NFI Group, through its subsidiary Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL), has supplied nine electric buses to public transit firm Stagecoach East Scotland.
The buses were developed by combining ADL’s expertise in bodywork assembly and passenger-centric interiors and BYD’s expertise in batteries and electric technology. SSE will deliver the electrical infrastructure needed for the EVs at the Perth depot.
“We are all really excited to be introducing our first fully electric vehicles in East Scotland thanks to the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme and the funding made available for us to deliver this," Stagecoach East Scotland’s Managing Director Douglas Robertson said. "There has never been a more important time to take action to address the climate emergency and play a part in helping Scotland deliver on its net zero ambitions. Stagecoach is the UK’s biggest investor in hybrid-electric bus technology, and we have invested more than £1billion in new greener buses over the past decade.
Stagecoach's efforts has helped avoid some 190,000 tons of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, he said. The latest fleet addition is expected to deliver an estimated annual reduction of around 67,000 tons of CO2 from its fleet of more than 1,200 buses in Scotland in less than 15 years, Robertson added.
Stagecoach intends to add 46 new electric buses to its fleet and all will be supplied by the BYD ADL partnership. It will be partially funded by the Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme. The plan aligns with the Scottish Government’s aims to achieve net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045.
