First Bus order 125 electric buses from BYD-ADL
UK electric bus partners BYD and ADL have received another major order from Scotland. The operator First Bus has ordered 126 electric buses for use in Glasgow. These are 91 double-decker and 35 single-deck buses, which are to operate in Glasgow from March 2023.
The 91 electric double-deckers are the standard version of the Envrio400EV, according to BYD. This is 10.8 metres long and offers 24 seats on the lower level and 43 on the upper deck. In February, BYD-ADL had presented a short version in which the body and wheelbase were shortened by half a metre – for better manoeuvrability.
The 35 Enviro200EV solo buses are 11.6 metres long. First Bus has already been operating two of this model in Glasgow since January 2020 and had ordered 22 more Envrio200EVs in early March. However, the order for these vehicles was separated from the 35 electric buses now on order for good reason: The 22 vehicles are scheduled to enter service this autumn, just in time for the UN Climate Change Conference COP26 in Glasgow in November. The vehicles now on order are not due for delivery until 2023, however.
According to BYD, the buses from the order will be built in Falkirk. The town is located between Glasgow and Edinburgh. “These zero-emission buses will be built at our factory in Falkirk and it is great news for Scotland that this investment is being recycled into the local economy, allowing the benefits to be felt across our communities whilst helping to underpin skilled jobs,” says Paul Davies, president and chief executive of ADL.
The procurement is being funded by the Scottish Government, as are the 46 electric buses Stagecoach has ordered from BYD-ADL for use in three Scottish cities.
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