Scottish transport operator Xplore Dundee has revealed a new fleet of 12 zero-emission electric double-decker buses for use within the city.
The new vehicles, the purchase of which was made possible as part of an 8.4 million GBP investment by parent company McGill’s Group, were launched at an event attended by Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop MSP, and Dundee City Council Leader, Mark Flynn.
Tony Williamson, Chief Executive of McGill’s Group, saidWe are thrilled to be bringing these state-of-the-art buses to passengers in Dundee, and we’re certain they will enjoy travelling on them in the months and years ahead.
We were pleased to welcome the Cabinet Secretary and the council leader to the event today and it was a good opportunity to give them a tour of the work that has gone on to support this transition at the depot.
With this latest rollout, McGill’s now operates one of the largest electric bus fleets in the UK. We are proud to lead the way in the transition to greener public transport and to provide a cleaner, more comfortable travel experience for our passengers.
Owners Sandy and James Easdale have made a tremendous investment in McGill’s Group, and this latest addition to our electric fleet is a testament to their commitment to sustainable transport. Their vision and dedication have enabled us to take bold steps in making zero-emission travel a reality for thousands of passengers every day.
Supplied by Yutong, the fleet of U11DD vehicles are capable of carrying up to 84 passengers and come equipped with air conditioning and USB charging sockets, with central vehicle power being delivered by a set of 244kWh capacity batteries.
In addition to the new vehicles, a slew of significant upgrades have been carried out to Xplore Dundee’s East Dock Street depot in order to facilitate charging and maintenance of the new fleet, with the infrastructure upgrades provided by Zenobē.
With this latest fleet expansion, the McGill Group now operates a total of 121 electric buses, with a further 30 due for delivery this summer.
McGill’s investment into the new electric vehicle fleet was also supported by an investment of around £2.7 million from the Scottish Government through the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB), which aims to accelerate the adoption of zero-emission bus fleets across Scotland.
Cabinet Secretary for Transport, Fiona Hyslop, said:I’m pleased to welcome the introduction of 12 new zero-emission buses by Xplore Dundee, supported through investment of around £2.7 million from the Scottish Government.
This brings our total investment to McGill’s Group, through three previous rounds of subsidy for zero emission buses and charging infrastructure, to over £25 million. This has encouraged early investment and has resulted in 121 zero-emission buses being introduced for their customers since 2020.
This means high levels of passenger comfort, zero emissions, and better air quality for people and communities in Dundee and across Scotland. This could not be achieved without the leadership and ambition we’ve seen from Xplore Dundee and McGill’s in our shared ambition to protect the climate and encourage more sustainable bus travel.
