VEV, the United Kingdom-based e-fleet solutions provider backed by energy leader Vitol, has established a collaboration with Shuttle Buses, one of the largest bus operators in Ayrshire, Scotland, to electrify its fleet.
Shuttle Buses has 50 buses operating commercial services plus services through Strathclyde’s Partnership for Transport. This includes MyBus for elderly and disabled people and those without a local bus service. Shuttle Buses is committed to reducing its carbon emissions, and this initiative is predicted to reduce carbon emissions by 34,000 kg per year.
VEV has already installed charging infrastructure at Shuttle Buses’ depot and implemented its smart charging platform, VEV-IQ. This will enable Shuttle Buses to power the electric vehicles with 100% renewable energy through VEV’s energy supply partner. This phase will also be supported by a comprehensive maintenance package to ensure reliable operations.
Under consideration is a solar project comprising power generation and battery storage to reduce demand from the grid supply and generate 148,000 kWh annually — enough to power two buses. This will be subject to planning permission and surveys.
An employee-owned company since 2022, Shuttle Buses employs 70 people.
“We are thrilled to collaborate with forward-thinking companies like Shuttle Buses to support their transition to a fully electric fleet,” says Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV. “This project highlights the value in an integrated e-fleet solution, from charging infrastructure to renewable energy and intelligent management software. We are committed to helping fleets make the transition to electric smooth, smart and sustainable and look forward to supporting Shuttle Buses’ decarbonization goals further with solar power generation and battery storage.”
“VEV understood our environmental and business goals and offered a turnkey solution to support the electrification of our bus fleet,” adds Ross Granger, managing director of Shuttle Buses. “We’re looking at potentially opening up our charging infrastructure to other fleets, and the VEV-IQ platform will be critical to this.”