Glasgow bus depot transformed to UK’s largest rapid charging EV hub
First Bus has announced the completion of the first phase a major transformation programme at its Caledonia depot in Glasgow, which has become the UK’s largest electric vehicle (EV) rapid-charging centre.
Scottish Transport Minister, Jenny Gilruth, recently visited the site to mark the completion of works, which will allow 150 EVs to be charged at one time – a feat that the Minister hailed as “a game changer”.
Caledonia depot, located in Glasgow’s southside, has had 160 state-of-the art, rapid-charging points installed over the last nine months, supporting First Bus’s ambition to be emission-free by 2035.
The depot will also help other organisations operating in the city to decarbonise their own fleets as First Bus is trialling the use of its charging infrastructure to third-party businesses during the day when its buses are out on service.
First Bus now plans to expand the depot further, in partnership with Ofgem and Scottish Power Energy Networks, with the construction of a new substation. This will supply enough power to host an additional 200 vehicles and charging points and will see Caledonia depot home to a total of 350 charging points.
Scottish Minister for Transport, Jenny Gilruth, said, “I am delighted to visit the depot to see the scale of what is now the largest DC charging centre in UK. We’re putting buses at the heart of Scotland’s just transition to net-zero by helping people to choose to travel more sustainably.
“We can only achieve that transition by all pulling together. What’s been achieved at the Caledonia depot is a great example of partnership working with the bus, energy and finance sectors to make the best use of Scottish Government investment.”
Duncan Cameron, Managing Director at First Bus Scotland, said, “It’s a landmark moment on our journey to an entirely zero emissions fleet and a vital step in decarbonising the local environment and improving air quality.
“We’re proud to enable more Glasgow companies to realise their own paths to zero emissions, too. With the great range of our new EVs, and the immense power of these new charging stations, our buses only need to stop to be charged overnight, allowing us to free up the depot during the day for other electric fleets in and around Glasgow”.
First Glasgow’s Caledonia Depot bus fleet will be 50% electric by December 2022 when it takes delivery of a further 52 electric buses. Glasgow currently has 98 electric buses operating in the city.
The depot’s new rapid-charging stations can fully charge a bus in four hours if required and will be controlled via smart-charging software. This intelligent solution will ensure that power is used in the most efficient way – minimising the draw-down from the National Grid at peak times. First Bus plans to replicate this model across many more sites as part of its decarbonisation journey.
First Bus Managing Director, Janette Bell, said, “Caledonia Depot is now our pathfinder project as we roll-out electric vehicles at scale across the rest of the UK and marks a very exciting turning point for both our people and our customers.”