First Bus: Work Starts on UK’s Biggest Electric Vehicle (EV) Charging Station
- Work is underway to future-proof First Bus’s Caledonia depot in Glasgow; the UK’s largest bus depot
- Impressive transformation due for completion in summer 2022, with first phase of works expected to be complete by September this year
- Phase One of the development will support the arrival of 22 new electric buses to the city ahead of COP26, the United Nations Climate Change conference
Work has begun on an ambitious new project by First Bus that will transform its Glasgow Caledonia bus depot into the UK’s largest Electric Vehicle (EV) charging hub. The plans mark another major milestone on the leading transport operator’s sustainable travel roadmap and follows its pledge to only invest in zero-emission vehicles from December 2022, with a 100% zero-emission fleet by 2035.
With phased completion scheduled across the next 18 months, the Caledonia depot, already the UK’s largest bus depot, is designed to have space to charge up to 300 EV buses on site. The first phase of the project, now underway, will see 11 dual DC rapid charging units installed, with an additional 69 installed in Phase Two from this summer, increasing the number of chargers on the site to 162.
Phase One of the depot transformation is expected to be complete by September this year, allowing for the introduction of a further 22 electric buses to Glasgow’s streets ahead of the COP26, the United Nations Climate Change conference.
This transformation is being supported by £35.6m in part funded by £28.2m from the Scottish Government’s Scottish Ultra Low Bus Scheme (SULEB).
This article was originally published by FirstBus (North) Limited and FirstBus (South) Limited.
