AN EMPLOYEE-OWNED bus firm in Ayrshire is going electric - and has plans to use solar power to help keep its fleet on the road.
Electric bus chargers have been installed, along with a 'smart charging' platform and renewable energy supply, at the Shuttle Buses depot in Kilwinning.
And the next stage is already being planned in the form of solar generation and battery storage projected to produce 148,000 kilowatt hours (kWh) of energy, enough to power two buses, subject to planning permission and surveys.
Shuttle Buses operates a small network of local bus services across Ayrshire, including town services in Kilwinning, Cumnock, Largs and Stewarton, as well as a number of inter-urban routes.
The company's fleet of 50 buses operates a combination of commercial services and routes financially supported by the Strathclyde Partnership for Transport - including MyBus services for elderly and disabled people and those who don't live near a local route.
They also operate private coach hire, local bus services, school and private contracts – and have a diverse fleet of buses and coaches.
Shuttle Buses were established in 1990 and are now one of the largest employers in the local area with a workforce of over 70 employees.
They officially became an employee owned company in 2022.
The technology was installed by e-fleet solutions provider VEV, with the smart charging technology using the company's VEV-IQ platform.
The initiative is predicted to reduce carbon emissions by 34,000kg per year.
Ross Granger, managing director of Shuttle Buses said: "VEV understood our environmental and business goals and offered a turnkey solution to support the electrification of our bus fleet.
"We’re looking at potentially opening-up our charging infrastructure to other fleets and the VEV-IQ platform will be critical to this."
VEV CEO Mike Nakrani said: “We are thrilled to collaborate with forward-thinking companies like Shuttle Buses to support their transition to a fully electric fleet.
"This project highlights the value in an integrated e-fleet solution, from charging infrastructure to renewable energy and intelligent management software.
"We are committed to helping fleets make the transition to electric smooth, smart and sustainable and look forward to supporting Shuttle Buses’ decarbonisation goals further with solar power generation and battery storage.”
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