Scottish public transport operator McGill’s said it has added 30 new Yutong E12 electric single-decker buses to its Midland Bluebird brand, part of a £14 million investment aimed at reducing emissions across its network.
The new buses, each with capacity for up to 70 passengers, feature 422 kWh battery packs, air conditioning, USB charging ports and noise reduction systems.
They will operate across several routes in the Forth Valley, including the Falkirk to Stirling service, which the company said will see increased frequency to every 15 minutes from Monday to Saturday.
The order takes McGill’s electric bus fleet to 151 vehicles, 125 of which are manufactured by China’s Yutong. The rollout includes upgrades at the company’s Larbert depot, where charging facilities are being installed under the ScotZEB2 programme led by infrastructure firm Zenobē. The consortium is developing shared charging networks across Scotland and co-funded the latest bus order.
McGill’s has built its fleet through a series of large-scale purchases, including 35 Yutong vehicles in 2021 and another 41 in 2022. The company said the latest investment marks a further step in its decarbonisation strategy, with Yutong UK noting that McGill’s was the first Scottish operator to commit to its battery-electric models.