Lothian Buses has introduced the first full electric buses to Edinburgh’s streets at a cost of more than £2.7m.
The municipal bus firm has introduced six brand new Wrightbus StreetAir single deck buses to its Service 1, which operates through Edinburgh’s central air quality management area.
Once a further five vehicles are added to the service during 2018, it will be the Scottish capital’s first fully electric route. Around 1.8 million customers travel on the service every year.
Transport minister Humza Yousaf with Richard Hall
Lothian said the delivery of cleaner and greener buses into its fleet is key to its ‘Bus 2020’ environmental strategy. Lothian aims to reduce its emissions footprint by a further 42% by 2020.
Managing director Richard Hall said: ‘Electric bus technology is here and we need to embrace it and ensure that it is part of our future fleet and business planning strategies. It has a really important and exciting role alongside traditional diesel and hybrid technologies.’
Edinburgh transport convener Cllr Lesley Macinnes said: ‘Lothian Buses have made great progress in modernising their buses to help us improve Edinburgh’s air quality and these new fully-electric buses are a very welcome addition to their fleet.’
The new buses are built in the UK and can accommodate up to 70 passengers. They are fitted with Wi-Fi, high back seats, USB charging points and LED spotlights.
They operate on a pure electric powertrain, including an all-electric heating and cooling system, with 300 kWh of total battery energy, which allows them to run with zero tailpipe emissions.
The buses will be charged overnight at the company’s newly installed charging stations. They take 3-4 hours to receive a full charge and can operate for up to 130 miles.
They also have regenerative braking, which allows energy to be recovered back to the batteries and extends the range of the bus.
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