• Zenobē has partnered with leading Scottish bus operator McGill’s, to build three fully electric depots located in Johnstone, Inchinnan and Dundee, to facilitate the company’s move to electric transport
• McGill’s recently invested £32.5million in 68 electric vehicles, all of which are due to arrive before the end of the year.
• The partnership comes as Scotland continues to rapidly adopt sustainable transport on the road to net zero and ahead of COP26 in Glasgow in November.

Zenobē Energy, the UK’s leading independent owner and operator of battery storage, which powers 20% of the EV bus market in the UK, has partnered with McGill’s to bring electric bus services to Glasgow, Renfrewshire and Dundee.

The partnership will see three depots being electrified, with capacity for further expansion, going live in 2021, helping to facilitate the launch of 68 electric buses.

The investment in electric charging infrastructure at the three depots makes a significant step towards Scotland’s drive to net zero. The depots will go live ahead of COP26, which will be held in Glasgow, and the new fleets will service the event, showcasing Scotland’s investment in sustainable transport, while all eyes are on the UK’s net zero progress.

The partnership follows McGill’s recent £32.5 million electric fleet investment, partly funded by the Scottish Government’s Scottish Ultra Low Emissions Bus Scheme (SULEB), which was set up to help drive the adoption of sustainable transport in Scotland. The SULEB scheme has pumped over £50 million into Scotland’s renewable transport sector, helping the UK move towards achieving its legally binding net zero ambitions.

Zenobē Energy is project managing the infrastructure implementation and implementing an end-to-end software solution to manage both the vehicles and the fleet charging, as well as the resulting power requirements.

Steven Meersman, a co-founder of Zenobē Energy, said: 

“We are thrilled to be working with McGill’s, a home-grown company just like Zenobe, embracing the EV bus transition with an ambitious strategy to develop three key depots. This exciting project will help to boost accessibility to sustainable travel in Scotland and support the UK’s drive towards net zero.

“The three depots are a glowing example of what’s possible when private organisations and the government work together towards a common goal, and what British companies can achieve together.”

Ralph Roberts, CEO McGill’s Buses said:

“This is another industry leading step towards decarbonising our business. We are delighted to be working with Zenobē on these projects and their track record of quality and delivery is what attracted us to them.”

NOTES TO EDITORS

For further information, please contact:

Press Team: zenobe@standagency.com

About Zenobē Energy Ltd. (Zenobē):

Zenobē Energy is a market leader in the EV bus sector. Zenobē’s turnkey solution allows operators to fully electrify fleets, offering proprietary software that provides intelligent flexible power solutions, batteries in the depot and on the bus, and a unique financing model that can minimise upfront cost. With 20% market share of the sector, Zenobē is boosting the adoption of EV vehicles and charging infrastructure. By providing operators and local councils with a full solution for a pay-per-mile fee, it is helping the sector push towards a net zero future.

Learn more about Zenobē.

Learn more about Zenobē’s Electric Vehicle Fleet Solutions.

About McGill’s:

Founded in 1936, McGill’s has depots in Greenock, Inchinnan, Johnstone and Coatbridge. In late 2020, McGill’s purchased Xplore Dundee from National Express.

McGill’s prides itself on high-level customer service and invests heavily in the new vehicles, driver training and development. The company has an in-house driver training academy in Johnstone.

McGill’s worked closely with the Prince’s Trust on the ‘Get Into Bus Engineering’ scheme, to allow younger workers an opportunity to become engineers with McGill’s. The company is also accredited as an Investor in Young People.

McGill’s Bus Service Limited is registered in Scotland (SC027238).