The electric fleet of nine ADL E200 single deck vehicles will operate on busy Perth city service routes 1 and 2, connecting Letham and Tulloch with Perth city centre, including retail and leisure developments, Perth Royal Infirmary, educational establishments and McDiarmid Park.
The vehicles were built in Falkirk by ADL in partnership with BYD, the company’s partner for electric buses in the UK and Ireland. Locally-headquartered energy company SSE is also partnering with Stagecoach to deliver the new electrical infrastructure at Perth depot.
Minster for Transport Graeme Dey said: “More journeys are made by bus compared to any other public transport mode and a vibrant bus industry can provide the solutions to complex challenges in our society. With the buses being manufactured in Falkirk, we are also helping the Scottish bus industry and wider supply chain.”
Stagecoach is introducing a total of 52 new fully electric buses in key transport networks including 46 in Aberdeen, Kilmarnock and Perth as part of the Scottish Government’s Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS). During the summer, the bus company also launched six new electric buses serving rural communities across the west of Scotland in partnership with SP Energy Networks. Stagecoach has also made one of the biggest single investments in electric vehicles in Europe with its double-decker fleet in Manchester.
The 46 new fully electric buses, representing an investment of £21.4m across Scotland (£4.4m in Perth), were part of a drive to improve air quality and support the Scottish government’s environmental targets through SULEBS which helps bus companies invest in electric vehicles and associated infrastructure to support a green recovery out of the coronavirus pandemic, improve air quality and advance Scotland’s ambitions for a net-zero economy.
The Scottish Government has set a legally-binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2045.