The UK may not yet be in Norway’s EV league, but it is steadily moving to electrify its transport networks. A couple of weeks ago Albion announced plans to fund 484 new electric buses in 10 regions of England.
Now the Scots, not to be outdone by their southern neighbors, have confirmed £45 million in new funding under the third round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB3). This pot of gold will support the deployment of 334 zero-emission vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.
All projects will be funded by a combination of public and private cash. Fleet operators will collectively contribute over £163 million, and public funding complemented by private investment contributions will come to over £118 million.
The ScotZEB3 allocation marks the final round of direct capital funding from the Scottish government aimed at helping large bus operators to electrify their fleets. Since 2020, cumulative investment through ScotZEB and the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS) has reached £154 million, enabling the deployment of around 800 buses and related infrastructure.
The ScotZEB3 programme will deliver 227 buses and 107 coaches to several fleet operators:
- Rock Road will procure 14 Alexander Dennis double-deck buses, along with 69 single-deck units from Alexander Dennis and 10 from Wrightbus.
- First Bus will repower 15 double-deck buses, and acquire 22 new double-deck vehicles from Yutong.
- Ember will procure 100 Yutong coaches.
- Stagecoach will introduce 7 coaches, 21 single-deck buses and 16 double-deck buses, all from Yutong.
- Lothian will add 60 double-deck buses, built by Volvo/Alexander Dennis and Wrightbus.
“This final investment of £45 million from the Scottish Government through ScotZEB3 signals our commitment to a zero-emission future for Scotland’s bus sector,” said Cabinet Secretary for Transport Fiona Hyslop. “Since 2020, we have invested over £154 million in zero-emission buses and infrastructure. With every £1 of public funding leveraging over £2.50 of private investment, ScotZEB3 has demonstrated that government and industry can work together to deliver transformative climate action.”
Source: Transport Scotland via Sustainable Bus
