Scottish coach operator, Ember has expanded its fleet of electric buses with a 5.6 million GBP loan from Triodos Bank UK.
Ember already operates the UK’s first 100% electric intercity coach service, serving Dundee, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling and Kinross.
To further scale its network, the operator is purchasing an additional 14 coaches, taking its fleet to 38 vehicles.
The company launched in 2020 with two coaches operating its first route between Dundee and Edinburgh.
It has since expanded its routes and has made significant improvements to its coaches, including increasing passenger spaces from 38 to 53 and tripling luggage capacity.
Ember’s vehicles also provide 5G WiFi access, and its operating system, EmberOS, offers real-time route information to passengers, as well as onboard temperature controls.
To support its expansion, the company is now increasing its charging capacity, launching multiple new charging hubs around Scotland.
The loan from Triodos is the latest support Ember has received from the bank. Initially, a 490,000 GBP loan under the government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) enabled Ember to purchase its first two coaches. Since then, Triodos has provided an additional 4.7 million GBP through both the CBILS and the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme (RLS).
Norrie Cruickshank, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK, said:Supporting the transition to a low carbon economy is an important objective for us as a bank and to work with a pioneering company in the electrification of transport is an ideal fit for us. We’re excited to have the opportunity to provide further support as Ember continues to expand its provision of high quality, affordable zero-emission transport to a greater number of passengers across more locations.
In addition to the loan from Triodos Bank, Ember also received funding for the new coaches from Transport for Scotland using the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZeb).
