First Bus has opened its first depot for public and fleet electric vehicle (EV) charging, in an infrastructure-sharing initiative.
‘First Charge’ will see 15 bus depots across England and Scotland open to fleets and private vehicles during the day, allowing use of its ultra-rapid EV charging facilities.
The first depot to open is the Caledonia depot in Glasgow, which can charge up to 34 vehicles simultaneously.
The depot is open to the public from 9am to 4:30pm, with introductory charging rates of 39p per kWh.
Fiona Hyslop MSP, Cabinet Secretary for Transport, said: “I’m pleased that the First Bus Caledonia Depot is opening its doors to people and communities by providing ultra-rapid electric vehicle charging at affordable pricing.
“When the Scottish Government invested over £6.4 million to fund the charging infrastructure at the Caledonia Depot, it was always the intention that First Bus thought innovatively and collaboratively about how it might be used.
“By providing more public EV charging, we’re now seeing that ambition realised, improving charging opportunities and promoting range confidence for EV drivers.
“Through the new First Charge brand, First Bus is now leading the way by sharing their charging infrastructure, adding to Scotland’s comprehensive public EV charging network and continuing to support the transition to a net zero transport system.”
First Bus already shares its EV charging facilities with fleets such as DPD, Openreach, and Police Scotland.
The charge hubs support payment via contactless, as well as cards and apps such as Allstar, Electroverse, Fuuse, and Paua.
Isabel McAllister, chief sustainability and compliance officer at First Bus UK, said: “At First Bus, we’re progressing rapidly towards our goal of a zero-emission fleet by 2035, with an investment of over £320m to date.
“With First Charge, we’re building on our position as an industry leader, sharing our infrastructure to accelerate decarbonisation to help other users move faster too.”
