Stagecoach West Scotland has just pulled the wraps off a world first – a fleet of 12 electric midibuses, unveiled this week and they're rolling out on Ayrshire’s all-electric bus routes this autumn. This snazzy £5 million investment adds a dozen Enviro100EV midibuses to the mix across East, South and North Ayrshire, boosting Stagecoach’s electric fleet in the area to a solid 60.
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| Stagecoach West Scotland |
These pint-sized powerhouses, built by Alexander Dennis in bonnie Scotland, are the first of their kind anywhere in the world. Local folk are in for a treat too – these midibuses aren’t just emission-free, they’re also small and sprightly enough to zip through streets the bigger buses can’t manage.
The Enviro100EV is a cracking bit of design. Stagecoach and Alexander Dennis teamed up to make it happen, crafting the perfect bus for shorter routes where the big boys just don’t fit. These midibuses glide through the day on a single charge, without a whiff of engine noise and come with fancy extras like USB charging and contactless payments. No fumbling for change here!
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| Alexander Dennis |
At the big reveal in Stagecoach’s Ayr depot, a few lucky guests, including Siobhian Brown MSP for Ayr and Elena Whitham MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, got the first look at the shiny new fleet. This £5 million splash of cash follows the whopping £15.7 million spent earlier this year, which brought 27 single-deckers onto the scene.
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| Stagecoach West Scotland |
Fiona Doherty, Managing Director of Stagecoach West Scotland, couldn’t have been prouder:
“Today’s launch demonstrates that we are delivering on our commitment to decarbonise our fleet across Ayrshire. These 12 new EV midibuses are an important addition to our service and they will serve communities in Ayr, Irvine and Kilmarnock in particular with zero-emission transport. This £5million investment comes on top of the £15.7million invested in the transition to electric in 2023 making bus travel in Ayrshire one of the greenest forms of transport available.”
Paul Davies, Alexander Dennis’s President & Managing Director, was buzzing too:
"This is a really proud moment for the team at Alexander Dennis as the very first Enviro100EV is officially launched in partnership with Stagecoach here in West Scotland, supporting routes across East, South and North Ayrshire. The Enviro100EV is our brand-new battery-electric small bus that has been engineered to feel just like a big bus.
“We've packed a significant amount of power into our 'big small bus' making it the best-in-class by some distance, with its 354kWh of battery capacity and up to 285 miles of range, alongside its future-proof battery system and the next generation of aftermarket support from AD24. We know this fleet of small buses will enjoy a long, productive working life supporting Stagecoach West Scotland with their targets for a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.”
Stagecoach isn’t just stopping at buses either – they’ve kitted out their depots in Kilmarnock and Ayr with 21 brand-new charging stations. All part of the master plan!
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