Scottish transport start-up Ember has announced that it has increased its fleet of zero-emission coaches following a £5.6m loan from Triodos Bank UK.
Initially launched in 2020 with two coaches operating between Dundee and Edinburg in Scotland, Ember’s network now includes services to destinations including Glasgow, Stirling and Kinross.
The loan from Triodos will be used to fund the purchase of an additional 14 coaches and will take Ember’s total fleet to 38 vehicles.
To support its expanding services, Ember said it is increasing its charging capacity by launching multiple new charging hubs around Scotland.
In addition to expanding its fleet and routes the loan has been used to improve and increase passenger spaces from 38 to 53 and tripling luggage capacity.
What’s more, Ember vehicles now provide 5G Wi-Fi access, while its operating system, EmberOS, offers real-time route information to passengers and onboard temperature controls.
Keith Bradbury, co-founder at Ember, said: “Triodos has been with us from the very start of Ember and has adapted its approach as we’ve scaled the business, taking a deeper look into our long-term plans, and understanding what financial backing it could provide to support each phase.”
The loan from Triodos marks the latest support Ember has received from the bank.
A £490,000 loan under the UK government’s Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) helped Ember to buy its first two coaches and the bank has since provided £4.7m through the CBILS and the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme.
Alongside the loan from Triodos Bank, Ember has also received funding for the new coaches from Transport Scotland via the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.
Achievements and innovations in zero-emission vehicles will be celebrated at the third annual CiTTi Awards, which will be held on 26 November 2024 at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London. Nominations are open now! Please visit www.cittiawards.co.uk to learn more about this unmissable event for the UK’s transportation sector
