Stagecoach West Scotland unveiled its fleet of 12 electric midibuses on 21 October, adding to its existing electric Ayrshire bus routes. The £5million investment will see the introduction Alexander Dennis Enviro100EV buse for routes in East, South and North Ayrshire, boosting the total Stagecoach electric bus fleet across the region to 60 vehicles.
The midibuses are the first of their type to enter service. At the launch in Stagecoach’s Ayr depot, guests, including Siobhian Brown MSP for Ayr and Minister for Victims and Community Safety and Elena Whitham MSP for Carrick, Cumnock and Doon Valley, were able to get a first glance at the new buses, which follow on from a £15.7million investment in 27 single-deck electric buses in 2023.
Commenting on the launch, Stagecoach West Scotland Managing Director Fiona Doherty said: “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.”
Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director Paul Davies added: “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.”
The operator has also invested in 21 new charging stations during recent upgrades to its depots in Kilmarnock and Ayr.
