New electric bus trials will be carried out by Shetland Islands Council to see how battery-powered vehicles could work
in local conditions. Two buses will be used as part of the trials, with the first 27-seater vehicle having arrived in mid January. It is expected to be followed by a full-size bus in early February.
The initial vehicle is a Mellor Sigma, suggesting that the trial is to assess the suitability of electric buses rather than the vehicle type itself. The four-month trials will see how the vehicles perform on Shetland roads, in local weather conditions, and how they compare with established diesel vehicles. Costing around £200,000, the trials are being funded by the UK Government’s Innovate UK fund, as part of the Rural Energy Hub project.
The council is leasing the buses to allow bus operators the opportunity to try the technology at first-hand. The trials will include journeys with and without passengers, but the council says the buses will not be used for public services. Information gathered will be analysed to see if electric buses are a viable alternative for public transport in Shetland, the Council says.
Chairwoman of the Council’s Environment & Transport Committee Moraig Lyall said: “Electric buses are already being used quite widely on mainland Scotland. It’s important for us to see how these vehicles perform in our network compared to other places, how they stand up to Shetland weather, and what they deliver in terms of mileage and performance. “Part of these trials will be without passengers, but we intend to gather data and feedback on journeys with people on board too. Having local bus drivers involved is key to this project and we hope this will give bus operators a chance to consider adding such vehicles in future.
“It’s great to have external funding to allow both the council and operators the opportunity to assess the viability of electric buses in our islands before any future decisions to adopt this technology.”
