A FLEET of six fully electric busses, set to serve rural Scottish communities, have been unveiled this morning in a UK-first.
SP Energy Networks and Stagecoach West Scotland unveiled the fleet at Kilmarnock Football Stadium, with the busses expected to operate along the Irvine Valley. The energy company has provided £2 million from its £20m Green Economy Fund to set up the project.
A speedy charging point has been set up at Kilmarnock Bus Station, so busses can charge-up on-route. The Volvo-built busses can travel up 100 zero-emission miles on full charge.
According to the transport firm, the busses will save approximately 680 tonnes of Co2 emissions every year, and provide a quieter experience for passengers. There will be a positive impact on air quality too, they said.
SNP MSP Willie Coffey attended the official launch of the fleet at the stadium, calling the day “a historic moment” for East Ayrshire.
“Providing people with more environmentally-friendly public transport and cleaner air is paramount for Scotland and Kilmarnock is leading the way for a new era of electric bus services,” he said.
“This all-electric service will help the country to develop the green transport network of the future and support jobs right here in Scotland alongside supporting Kilmarnock bus users and the environment.
“The major funding from SP Energy Networks to launch Stagecoach’s electric fleet will significantly speed up the transition to zero-emission buses.”
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Fiona Doherty, managing director at Stagecoach West Scotland, added: “Traditionally electric buses have only ever been used on urban routes and this is a fantastic opportunity for Stagecoach and its partners to show that fully electric vehicles can be used across more challenging, non-urban routes.
“The introduction of the new opportunity charge buses across Kilmarnock further cements our commitment to meet the requirements of the Scottish Government and East Ayrshire Council’s climate change strategies. There is no other comparable project in the UK with other electric vehicle routes either on urban or low mileage rural routes.”
To date, 35 projects have been awarded funding from SP Energy Network’s Green Economy Fund across Central and Southern Scotland.
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