Dumfries and Galloway Council has placed an order for three Alexander Dennis Enviro100EV battery-electric buses, which are scheduled to enter service in 2026.
The new vehicles will operate under the council’s in-house bus service, DGC Buses, and are also expected to be incorporated into the SWestrans fleet. SWestrans, the regional transport partnership for south-west Scotland, manages subsidised local bus services across Dumfries and Galloway.
Funding for the purchase forms part of a 13.8 million GBP award from the UK Government’s Levelling Up Fund. This wider investment aims to improve sustainable transport in the region through measures including nine new multimodal transport hubs, upgrades to cycling infrastructure, the introduction of real-time passenger information, and enhancements to local bus services.
The Enviro100EV is an 8.5-metre-long, 2.35-metre-wide single-deck bus with seating for 26 passengers. Designed to accommodate users with reduced mobility, it will also feature interior bike racks to support active travel. For Dumfries and Galloway Council, the vehicles will be fitted with three-point seatbelts on all forward-facing seats, marking the first such installation for this model.
Each Enviro100EV is equipped with the Voith Electrical Drive System and 354kWh batteries, the largest option currently offered for the type. This specification is expected to provide the range required for both urban and rural routes, offering flexibility for deployment across the council’s operating area.
Alexander Dennis confirmed that discussions with the council began in 2024, with a demonstrator vehicle trialled in the authority’s operations prior to the order being placed.
Charlie Miller, Retail Sales Director for Alexander Dennis, said:We’re delighted to have won this order for our Enviro100EV ‘big small bus’. We started talking to Dumfries and Galloway Council last autumn about their requirements. They loved the product and concept and we worked together to come up with a fantastic specification that ticks all of our customer’s boxes.
Our demonstrator has already been tested in the council’s operation and the feedback from drivers, engineering and office staff was excellent – and so was its performance, giving Dumfries and Galloway Council peace of mind that its new electric buses will deliver perfectly.
