First Bus now offers a consumer charging hub for electric vehicles

First Bus has become the first bus operator in the UK to offer a consumer charging hub, aiming to assist the local community in transitioning to electric vehicles. This innovative initiative will be housed in a purpose-built facility in Cornwall, set to be operational later this summer.

The hub will feature eight rapid charging points specifically designed for public electric vehicles, capable of fully charging a family car in under 30 minutes. Situated along a key tourist route into Cornwall, the location of the facility is ideal for easing range anxiety for holidaymakers traveling through the county.

Preparation works are currently underway at the site, and it is expected that the hub will be fully operational and open to the public later this summer. With eight rapid chargers available, this facility will enable the complete charging of an average-sized family car in under 30 minutes.

This Summercourt charging hub represents the next step in First Bus’s decarbonization strategy, aligning with their mission to operate a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035. It signifies a significant leap forward for customers, colleagues, and the local environment. The company’s MD Janette Bell recently told Sustainable Bus that “as of today, we actually have 229 zero-emission vehicles in operation, with the biggest area of operation being our Caledonia depot in Glasgow. We have 412 buses currently on order, and those are being delivered as we speak. We expect to take deliveries every month now through until March next year, and we will have a total of 622 zero-emission vehicles by then».

First Bus provide consumer charging hub in Cornwall

To coincide with Clean Air Day 2023 (June 15), First Bus is thrilled to announce its investment in this new consumer Electric Vehicle (EV) charging hub at the Summercourt depot in Cornwall. This groundbreaking move within the bus industry will provide the local community with direct access to rapid electric charging infrastructure for cars and vans.

The “turn up and charge” hub will offer eight rapid charging facilities available on a pay-as-you-go basis. By establishing this charging infrastructure, the hub will not only serve the immediate area but also encourage more people to transition to electric vehicles, thereby improving local air quality.

Moreover, the charging hub will also be accessible to local businesses, following the successful pilot of business-to-business charging provision by First Bus in Glasgow and Leicester. Companies like DPD and Police Scotland have already benefited from using First Bus’s charging infrastructure for their electric vehicle fleets.

First Bus UK, Chief Sustainability Offer, Isabel McAllister said: “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.”