Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD UK jointly announced that their EV partnership’s customer First Bus will operate the delegate shuttle service at the upcoming COP26 UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow.
The fleet of 22 BYD ADL Enviro200EV zero emission buses will provide a link for all delegates attending the event between the city centre and the blue and green zones on the event campus, based at the OVO Hydro and Scottish Exhibition & Conference Centre site.
First Glasgow’s new fleet of fully electric BYD ADL single deck buses, built in Scotland by the BYD ADL partnership, will be used to operate the service. The buses, part funded through Transport Scotland’s Scottish Ultra Low Emission Bus Scheme (SULEBS), can operate a range of up to 160 miles on a full charge.
Paul Davies, ADL president and managing director, said: “With the appointment of First Bus to operate the official shuttle service with its new BYD ADL electric buses, delegates to COP26 will experience first hand the smooth drive and quiet running of our British-built zero emission buses.
“Demonstrating First Bus’s commitment to the communities it serves, these 22 buses have been built here in Scotland at our factory in Falkirk, as will the next 126 vehicles, ensuring that the Scottish government’s SULEBS funding is reinvested locally.”
The selection of First Bus as official transport provider follows a tender process run by Strathclyde Partnership for Transport (SPT) on behalf of the UK and Scottish governments.
Duncan Cameron, interim managing director, First Bus in Scotland, added: “First Bus Scotland are delighted to have been chosen to operate the official COP26 shuttle service and will be working closely with SPT, Transport Scotland and the cabinet office to ensure a smooth and efficient service can be delivered for all delegates attending the event.
“As leaders in sustainable mobility, we are fully aligned with the government’s ambitions for a net-zero carbon transport system, including zero-emission bus fleets. We have already committed to achieving this by 2035 and we look forward to showcasing this to delegates over the course of the event.”
Read more about COP26:
UK transport charities to highlight local initiatives at COP26
Advanced Electric Machines to discuss sustainable EV motor production at COP26
