- Alexander Dennis has delivered the first examples of its fully-electric Enviro100EV bus, which it nicknames the ‘midibus’ – thanks to its short 8.5 metre length allowing for even more versatility in where it can be used.
- These first 12 buses were delivered to bus operator Stagecoach’s Ayr depot, in West Scotland – helping boost the total number of electric buses it operates in the region to 60.
- The Enviro100EV is likely to be a popular choice for bus operators, with a range of up to 285 miles and seating for 25 in a compact format.
The first Enviro100EV buses hit the roads
The 12 buses delivered to Stagecoach West Scotland came from a £5 million investment, with this funding partly supported through Scotland’s ScotZEB challenge fund – which offers capital towards bus operators to boost the uptake of zero-emission buses in the country. The scheme is similar to England’s ZEBRA2 scheme, which recently helped fund five new electric bus charging depots. These new buses will operate across the highly rural Ayrshire region, on longer distance routes, where their range capability of 285 miles, from a 354kW battery pack, should shine through.
The Enviro100EV recently scored an efficiency rating of 0.54kWh/km, indicating a comparatively high efficiency level to rivals. This should further its popularity with bus operators. Go-Ahead London have already placed an order for 32 of the same model, which will operate on the Transport for London network.
Stagecoach West Scotland Managing Director, Fiona Doherty, commented:
“This 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 £5 million investment comes on top of the £15.7 million 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. 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 towards their target for a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035