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Electrifying Inverclyde

G5502 (SG23 OSJ) showing off the slightly shorter 10.9m Yutong E10 body which will be ideal for the hilly residential areas at Port Glasgow. RICHARD WALTER

A further 14 Yutong electric buses have just entered service with McGill’s to enhance the passenger experience in Inverclyde, with recent public launches in Port Glasgow and Greenock. Richard Walter finds out from CEO Ralph Roberts why Yutong is his current vehicle manufacturer of choice

McGill’s Buses took two deliveries of Yutong E12 buses, one of 22 and a second of 33 in 2021 ahead of the COP 26 summit held in Glasgow. These were branded Switch for services 23, 26 and 38. The third batch, which is now being delivered from Pelican Bus & Coach, the Castleford-based Yutong dealership, will bring another 41 zero-emission buses into the company as part of a £20m project to further decarbonise the fleet. Ten of the 10.9m E10 buses are branded for Greenock to Upper Port Glasgow services 531, 532 and 532 whilst four 12.7m E12s are destined for Greenock to Burns Square, Larkfield service 517.

Public launches for the E10 buses took place at Coronation Park, Port Glasgow, on Friday 24 February and for the E12 buses at Clyde Square, Greenock, on Tuesday 28 February. I spoke with Ralph Roberts, CEO of McGill’s Buses, at the Port Glasgow event and asked him what made the Yutong electrics stand out from the others.

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