McGill's logo

McGills - electrifying three depots in Scotland ahead of COP26

10,212 tonnes

CO2 saved from entering the atmosphere per year*

2,724kg

of NOx saved from entering the atmosphere per year*

*This number was updated on 11/12/24, in-line with our most up-to-date reporting methodology. Learn more here.

Zenobē maximised McGill’s use of grant funding whilst following tight timelines for the electrification of three depots.

McGill's logo
Photo of McGill’s depot and electric bus.

The challenge

McGill’s, Scotland’s largest independent bus operator, needed to electrify three depots with 68 e-buses before October 2021. This would allow the vehicles to enter into service ahead of Glasgow hosting the COP26 conference.

McGill’s had secured grant funding through SULEB 1 & 2, which provided 75% of the infrastructure and 75% of the difference between a diesel and an electric bus, but they required additional financing to fill the gaps.

On top of this, all three sites lacked sufficient grid capacity to effectively charge the e-buses, so they needed Zenobē to procure additional capacity across all three depots.

The solution

Having 13 live depots, many of which were built concurrently, Zenobē’s project managers are confident in managing multiple simultaneous builds whilst keeping to tight timelines. This project was no different.

To ensure sufficient power for the full fleet at go-live, Zenobē worked with multiple Distribution Network Operators (DNOs). We also worked with iDNOs to lower the cost of contestable works and speed up the process.

By financing the remaining CAPEX for McGill’s, we were able to help them maximise the number of e-buses they could put into service, increasing their positive impact on local air quality.

The outcome

Zenobē electrified three bus depots concurrently, bringing 68 e-buses into operation on a tight timeline. Match funding and innovative finance supplemented the SULEB grant, while power procurement enabled on-site smart charging.

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Peter Smith

Head of Product

Pete leads Zenobē’s growing team of Product specialists across all areas of the business. His team oversee our R&D as well as product development in both hardware and software.

 

He has been working in the European E-Mobility sector from over ten years, specialising in the design, build and delivery of software systems for EV Charging.  

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