First Bus to turn Caledonia bus depot into charging hub
With phased completion scheduled across the next 18 months, the Caledonia depot, already the UK’s largest bus depot, is designed to have space to charge up to 300 EV buses on site. The first phase of the project, now underway, will see 11 dual DC rapid charging units installed, with an additional 69 installed in Phase Two from this summer, increasing the number of chargers on the site to 162.
Phase One of the depot transformation is expected to be complete by September this year, allowing for the introduction of a further 22 electric buses to Glasgow’s streets ahead of the COP26, the United Nations Climate Change Conference. In total, First Bus aims to install 160 charging points across their bus depot, in order to replace half the fleet with electric buses. The programme is expected to be completed in 2023 with the first 22 buses arriving by autumn. The buses themselves will be locally manufactured and provided by Alexander Dennis at its manufacturing sites in Falkirk and Scarborough.
“We are making excellent progress on our commitments to reduce air pollution and carbon emissions in our communities. By improving the air quality in the areas we operate within, we are supporting the health of our customers, and by cutting carbon emissions we are putting our weight behind Scotland’s ambitious plans for tackling the global threat of climate change,” said Janette Bell, Managing Director for First Bus UK, adding: “Launching this project at Caledonia depot, the largest of its kind, is a very exciting next step and reinforces that both First Bus and our stakeholders are making continued investment in the future of bus.”
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