ELECTRIC VEHICLES INNOVATION SPECIAL
BUSES ON BOARD
Te EV revolution has seen electric buses launched on a commercial route in Glasgow for the first time since the 1960s. Bus company First Glasgow said the
introduction of the two vehicles was a “statement of intent” as Glasgow aims to become a “net zero” city. Te new buses will run on the M3
route, connecting Milton and Springburn with Stobhill Hospital and the city centre. Te state-of-the-art vehicles have
high definition digital cameras and an interior screen, as well as USB charging points, on-board audio-visual next stop announcements and free wifi. Teir introduction comes after
Glasgow became the first Scottish city to have a low emissions zone, where emissions standards must be met by 20% of buses which pass through the city centre. All vehicles entering the zone from December 2022 will have to meet the standards. First Bus managing director Andrew
Jarvis said the new buses will make travel easier and more convenient for passengers as well as being better for the environment. He added: “Every customer journey
on the route will save around 2kg of CO2 compared with driving on your own in an average car, making the bus the best choice in reducing the impact on the planet.” Te project has been financed through
SP Energy Networks’ £20 million Green Economy Fund, which is also backing the installation of 22 EV charging points in First Glasgow’s Caledonia depot.
>>> Continued from page 21
you would get from a standard three-pin socket. Expert advice should be sought about installation.
Is the installation of a charge point straightforward? Do I need to adapt my electrical system at home? Normally there’s no need to upgrade wiring for home charge point installations. However, as always, expert advice should be sought.
Can an electric point be installed in a public or communal area if I don’t have a drive to park on? The ideal scenario at the moment is if people have an off-street parking space where they can install their home charge point. It would potentially be possible to install a charge point in a public/ communal area, but you would need permission from the organisation that owns the land, e.g. your local authority.
How many public charge points are there in Scotland? There are currently around 1,200 public charge points across Scotland. The majority of these are currently free to use, which is a great incentive. In order to access them, you would
just need to pay £20 annually for a Charge Place Scotland card. You can check out the location and status of
22 CABLEtalk FEBRUARY/MARCH 2020
each charge point by going to www.
chargeplacescotland.org
What are the tariffs for charging at public charge points? How is payment made for these tariffs? As above, the majority of public charge points in Scotland are free at the moment, however charges are likely to be implemented shortly. If there are tariffs to use a charge point you would simply pay through your Charge Place Scotland access card account.
Are there any ongoing government incentives to a company for using an EV? Companies can offset the whole cost of purchasing an electric vehicle against taxable profits in the first year. As of April 2020, company car drivers, who drive pure EVs will pay no benefit in kind tax during 2020/21.
More information on EVs can be found at: www.
energysavingtrust.org.uk/ scotland/businesses-
organisations/transport/electric-vehicles- chargeplace-scotland and www.
energysavingtrust.org.uk/scotland/ grants-loans/low-carbon-transport- business-loan
© Tinglass /
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56
