Alexander Dennis, a subsidiary of NFI Group Inc., one of the world’s leading independent global bus manufacturers, today announced that the first ever Enviro100EV buses have been delivered into Stagecoach West Scotland.
Earlier this week Stagecoach launched the first Enviro100EV into service at a launch event in Stagecoach’s Ayr depot where representatives from Alexander Dennis joined in on celebrations of the first of the ‘big small bus’ going into service.
The next generation Enviro100EV buses have high manoeuvrability at just 8.5m length and 2.35m width, which seats up to 25 passengers in the same comfort and style as larger buses with a bright and spacious interior and generous 2+2 seating.
Powered by the Voith Electrical Drive System, and a battery system developed for Alexander Dennis by Impact Clean Power Technology, the energy stored in its 354kWh batteries gives it a class-leading range of up to 285 miles and enables a long operating life from the original batteries, making it a versatile performer capable of performing on longer, rural routes.
The purchase has been supported by the Scottish Government’s ScotZEB challenge fund and will benefit routes across East, South and North Ayrshire, boosting the total Stagecoach electric bus fleet across Ayrshire to 60 vehicles.
Alexander Dennis President & Managing Director, Paul Davies, said: “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.”
Speaking at the launch event for the vehicle’s Stagecoach West Scotland Managing Director Fiona Doherty said: “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.”