First Bus, a leading British bus operator, is set to offer charging for all types of electric vehicles at its Summercourt depot in Cornwall, becoming the first operator in the UK to provide such a facility. The operator aims to give “the local community direct access to rapid electric charging infrastructure for electric cars and vans,” making it easier for residents to adopt electric vehicles (EVs).
The Summercourt site will feature “eight rapid charging facilities available on a pay-as-you-go basis.” Each charger, supplied by Heliox UK, delivers a charging capacity of 75 kW. While additional information on the chargers has yet to be provided, the charging hub is expected to open to the public later this summer.
By 2035, First Bus aims to have a completely electric fleet in operation. Isabel McAllister, Chief Sustainability Officer at First Bus UK, commented on the company’s initiative, saying, “We’re proud to be leading the way with this industry first for consumer electric charging. We want to help the communities we serve with their own transition to zero emissions transport solutions. We believe this is the right thing to do. By futureproofing sites like Summercourt, we are proud to be progressing our net zero journey and investing in a greener future for our local communities.”
In addition to local residents, the charging facilities will be available to businesses in the area. First Bus reported successful B2B charging pilots in Glasgow and Leicester, where the bus operator provided charging services to organizations such as DPD and Police Scotland.
