The 24 single-deck and 22 double-deck buses have been part-funded by the Scottish Government and will be deployed in the operator’s fleets in Aberdeen, Perth and Kilmarnock.
The order for electric buses follows the Scottish Government’s award of funding through a second round of the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme, which helps bus companies invest in electric vehicles and associated infrastructure. The Scottish Government has set a legally binding target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2045, while Stagecoach has recently announced that it is targeting a zero-emissions bus fleet by 2035.
Stagecoach will receive 22 BYD ADL Enviro400EV double deck buses with a length of 10.8m for Aberdeen city services, as well as 15 BYD ADL Enviro200EV for Kilmarnock and nine similar buses for Perth. While the single-deckers for Kilmarnock town services will be 10.9m in length, the operator has chosen the longer 11.6m model for Perth to offer additional capacity.
Using BYD’s battery electric driveline technology, ADL will assemble the buses at its factory in Falkirk, Scotland.
The award from Scottish Government also includes funding for electric infrastructure for depots. Stagecoach is partnering with Scottish-founded renewal energy company SSE to deliver the new electrical infrastructure needed in Aberdeen and Perth depots.