First Bus in Aberdeen has placed an order for 24 new electric vehicles to begin arriving in the city.
The firm expects the entire £8.1 million fleet will be in operation by spring 2024.
Combined with the company’s double-decker hydrogen buses, it means 50% of First’s Aberdeen operation will be emission-free.
Ahead of their arrival, work will begin at the King Street depot to install rapid charging points, which is expected to take about 12 months.
The new buses, which will replace older diesel vehicles, will be supplied by manufacturer Yutong and will be able to travel about 230 miles on a single three-hour charge.
First says other benefits to passengers will be air conditioning and quieter journeys.
Duncan Cameron, managing director at First Bus Scotland, said: “We’re incredibly proud of the progress that we’ve made in Aberdeen and these new buses will make a significant impact to our mission to be emission-free by 2035.
“What we hope will make an even more sizeable impact on emissions and air quality in Aberdeen is people’s decision to choose the bus.
“These state-of-the-art new EVs (electric vehicles) will offer a more pleasant journey to passengers, and we hope that they’ll encourage more in the city to leave their cars behind in favour of bus travel.
Ian Downie, Head of Yutong Sales UK, said: “With over 133,000 zero-emission vehicles in service, we are delighted that First Bus has chosen our tried, tested and proven product for operation in Aberdeen.”
The purchase was supported by Transport Scotland through its Scottish Zero Emission Bus Funding, which encourages the industry to switch to zero-emission vehicles and infrastructure.
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