Electric buses serving rural communities unveiled in Scotland

A fleet of six fully electric buses serving rural communities has been unveiled by SP Energy Networks in partnership with transport group Stagecoach West Scotland.
 
Five of the six new all-electric buses were funded by £2 million from SP Energy Networks’ £20million Green Economy Fund and will operate on a Stagecoach West Scotland route connecting villages along the Irvine Valley with Kilmarnock town centre.

Due to the length of the rural bus route, this project will be the first in Scotland to introduce opportunity charging where buses benefit from rapid and intense charges of power on route, rather than the traditional technique that sees buses charging overnight for hours at a time.

The introduction of Scotland’s first 'pantograph' charging point at Kilmarnock Bus Station will provide the on-route charging for the new electric vehicles. This fast-charging point supplies the power through special electrical connectors built into the roof of the zero-emissions electric buses. The new innovative opportunity charging point is leading the way for the roll-out of electric infrastructure in East Ayrshire allowing for charging across 24 hours and more flexibility for transport operators.

Stagecoach West Scotland’s new zero-emissions buses will save around 680 tonnes of CO2 emissions annually and will provide bus riders with a smoother and quieter experience as well as improving the air quality in Kilmarnock and those rural areas serviced by the buses.
 
Through the Green Economy Fund, SP Energy Networks is investing in the communities that it serves to support the UK and Scottish governments’ green energy ambitions. It also contributes to government plans to meet climate change targets, boost local economic growth, improve air quality across the country and deliver a better future, quicker for our communities.  

Alan Brown, MP for Kilmarnock and Loudoun, said: “This is really exciting news for Kilmarnock and a huge step towards becoming an all-electric public transport region. The funding from SP Energy Networks will ensure that more local people can contribute towards climate change by choosing to use electric public transport.

“The new charging hub at Kilmarnock bus station also means that our public transport network can get ready to go electric, reducing emissions and future-proofing East Ayrshire”.