Lothian introduces electric bus fleet, Edinburgh

Lothian Buses has launched a fleet of six fully electric vehicles to operate in Edinburgh Service 1 route to reduce emissions and improve air quality in the area. The company claims its fleet will carry 1.8 million customers each year throughout the hilly terrain. The Wrightbus Street Air single deck buses (WSASDB) operate on pure electric powertrain, including an all-electric heating and cooling system, and have regenerative braking allows energy to be recovered to the batteries.
October 5, 2017 Read time: 1 min

Lothian Buses has launched a fleet of six fully electric vehicles to operate in Edinburgh Service 1 route to reduce emissions and improve air quality in the area. The company claims its fleet will carry 1.8 million customers each year throughout the hilly terrain.

The Wrightbus Street Air single deck buses (WSASDB) operate on pure electric powertrain, including an all-electric heating and cooling system, and have regenerative braking allows energy to be recovered to the batteries. Onboard energy storage of 300kW/h provides gives an operating range of up to 210km (130 miles) and recharging the batteries takes three to four hours using a new 75kW charging stations installed at Annandale Street garage.

Passenger facilities include WI-FI, high back seats, USB charging points and LED spotlights. 

Lothian plans to add five more EVs to the service next year, which will make it the Edinburgh’s first fully electric route.

Related Content

  • RAC survey shows big safety gains with average speed enforcement
    January 11, 2017
    Cheaper and easier communications are providing authorities with new options for influencing driver behaviour. Colin Sowman reports. It’s official; Average speed cameras (ASCs) cut the number of fatal or serious injury crashes by more than a third.
    Read More
  • From sunlight to street light
    March 23, 2016
    A zero-emission LED street light which its Danish developer, Scotia, claims eliminates electricity costs and feed energy back into the grid has been installed in a car park in Copenhagen for seven years and, says have consistently produced five per cent above their initially predicted yield, with no fall-off. Commissioned by the Danish Government and the United Nations as examples of future zero-emission street lighting for the COP 15 Conference on Climate Change which was held there in December 2009,
    Read More
  • Siemens Mobility is clearing the air
    October 2, 2020
    Tens of thousands of premature deaths in the UK alone are linked to air quality - but it doesn’t have to be that way. Siemens Mobility’s Wilke Reints explains why
    Read More
  • UK drive to be world leader in electric cars
    January 31, 2014
    UK Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg has announced that government will invest more than US$15 million to boost the number of charging points for electric cars. Major car manufacturers BMW, Nissan, Renault, Toyota and Vauxhall are all backing the Go Ultra Low campaign in a ground breaking partnership with government to debunk common myths and misconceptions that put drivers off switching to electric or hybrid cars, such as cost and how far the vehicles can travel before being recharged. Electric car o
    Read More

Highlighted Content