McGill’s Buses is set to introduce a further 41 new electric buses to its fleet in a £20m investment.
The company, owned by Scottish businessmen Sandy and James Easdale, has now invested a total of £55m in electric fleet since the end of 2021, placing it in the top three companies in the UK for fleet decarbonisation.
McGill’s now has a total of 109 EV buses - almost 20% of the company’s fleet - with further purchases to follow.
The majority of the new fleet will be used around Inverclyde and Renfrewshire, with Ayrshire and Dundee - through Xplore Dundee - also getting new vehicles.
McGill’s has also financed infrastructure upgrades at four of its depots to enable charging and maintenance of the electric fleet.
A training programme is also underway to up-skill vehicle technicians to support the next generation of buses entering service.
James Easdale, chair of group, said: “The purchase of an additional 41 new electric vehicles is not only important for the environment as Scotland pursues its net zero target, but also serves our passengers and the wider economy.”
Sandy Easdale, McGill’s Group director, said: “James and I have invested substantially, not only in vehicles, but also growing the business by expanding our reach across Scotland.
“The company is also seeing hugely positive results from our long-distance coach partnership with FlixBus and we firmly intend to continue this upbeat approach into the future.”
The investment in electric vehicles by McGill’s Buses was also supported by funding from the Scottish’s Government’s Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme and by the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.
Earlier this week, the Easdale brothers also heralded the decision to increase the number of houses planned at the £250m redevelopment of IBM Greenock.
At a planning meeting held by Inverclyde Council on 1 March, councillors voted in favour of lifting the existing cap from 270 dwellings.
The Easdales had originally applied for 450 houses to be permitted as part of a mixed-use development - which will include retail, leisure and commercial units - and last March councillors gave the go-ahead for the scheme; but with a reduction in residences applied.
Following "extensive dialogue" with council officials, and an independent report indicating that a 270 unit development would leave the whole project unviable, the council has moved to increase the upper limit.
Sandy Easdale said: “The redevelopment of the former IBM Greenock site will be transformational for Inverclyde and we’re pleased that the council has chosen to increase the number of dwellings allowed.
“When IBM closed, it created not only an unemployment shock for the region, but also a visible property scar with little hope of regeneration.
“Thankfully, the potential now exists to heal that wound by unlocking substantial investment and in turn, creating new long-term prosperity for the area.”
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