Company:Ember (coach operator)
Ember is coach operator in Scotland. It operates the first electric intercity coach services in the United Kingdom .[1]
History
Ember was founded in 2019 by Pierce Glennie and Keith Bradbury, who previously worked for iwoca.[2] Glennie was inspired by a bus journey he took from Namibia to South Africa . The name Ember was chosen because it describes "the end of fire".[3]
Ember's first route, between Dundee and Edinburgh, was planned to start operating in March 2020, but this was set back by the COVID-19 pandemic delaying the delivery of its first coach.[1] Ember received a £490,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption loan via Triodos Bank, which allowed it to launch in October 2020 with two coaches.[4][5] The coaches recharge at a Dundee City Council charging point at Greenmarket.[6]
In February 2022, Ember was awarded £5,562,126 from the Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund for 26 battery electric vehicles and associated charging infrastructure.[7] Ember aims to develop a national network running between all the main cities in Scotland.[8] It launched a route between Dundee and Glasgow in August 2022.[9]
Routes
E1
- Dundee Science Centre
- Dundee Technology Park
- Longforgan
- Inchture
- St Madoes
- Bridge of Earn
- Kinross park and ride
- Rosyth
- Ingliston Park and Ride
- Edinburgh Zoo
- Haymarket railway station
- St Andrew Square
E3
- Dundee Malmaison[10]
- Dundee Technology Park
- Longforgan
- Inchture
- St Madoes
- Broxden Junction park and ride
- Auchterarder Gleneagles railway station
- Greenloaning
- Dunblane
- Stirling
- Cumbernauld
- Buchanan bus station
Tickets and fares
Tickets can be bought in advance on Ember's website up to 10 minutes before the scheduled departure time, but are also sold onboard at most stops. Passengers with a Scottish National Entitlement Card travel for free. Through tickets are available to Edinburgh Airport, which includes a short tram journey.[11][12]
Fleet
Ember's first two Yutong TCe12 battery electric coaches were delivered in 2020. A further two were added in 2021, and four more in 2022, funded by the Scottish Utra-Low Emission Bus Scheme.[8] Ember was also awarded funding for four single-deck Arrival buses.[13]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "UK set to launch first all-electric coach service from Edinburgh to Dundee next month" (in en). 21 September 2020. https://inews.co.uk/news/environment/uk-first-all-electric-coach-service-edinburgh-dundee-launches-655023.
- ↑ "Ember to trailblaze electric coaches" (in en-GB). 11 September 2019. https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/ember-to-trailblaze-electric-coaches/.
- ↑ Aitken, Ben (10 October 2020). "The clean, green, smog-fighting machine" (in en). https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/the-clean-green-smog-fighting-machine-lbpwl9gfx.
- ↑ "UK’s first all-electric inter-city coach service launches between Dundee and Edinburgh" (in en-GB). 2 October 2020. https://www.businesstraveller.com/business-travel/2020/10/02/uks-first-all-electric-inter-city-coach-service-launches-between-dundee-and-edinburgh/.
- ↑ "Triodos Bank funds UK’s first 100% electric intercity coach service" (in en). 21 September 2020. https://www.triodos.co.uk/press-releases/2020/triodos-bank-funds-uks-first-100-electric-intercity-coach-service.
- ↑ Calder, Simon (30 September 2020). "Zero-emissions electric bus service launched between Edinburgh and Dundee" (in en). https://www.independent.co.uk/travel/news-and-advice/bus-electric-edinburgh-dundee-ember-b695120.html.
- ↑ "Scottish Zero Emission Bus challenge fund". https://www.transport.gov.scot/public-transport/buses/scottish-zero-emission-bus-challenge-fund/.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Ember Core aims to develop a national network" (in en). 15 April 2022. https://www.keybuses.com/article/ember-core-aims-develop-national-network.
- ↑ "Electric coach firm Ember to expand Scottish network with Glasgow-Dundee service followed by Fort William" (in en). 13 June 2022. https://www.scotsman.com/news/transport/electric-coach-firm-ember-to-expand-scottish-network-with-glasgow-dundee-service-followed-by-fort-william-3728754.
- ↑ "E3 - Dundee - Glasgow – Ember – bustimes.org". https://bustimes.org/services/e3-dundee-glasgow.
- ↑ "FAQ" (in en). https://www.ember.to/faq/.
- ↑ French, Roger (8 February 2022). "ember’s still glowing" (in en). https://busandtrainuser.com/2022/02/08/embers-still-glowing/.
- ↑ Holley, Mel (22 March 2021). "Scottish Government awards £40m second round of the Scottish Ultra-Low Emission Bus Scheme". https://itthub.net/coach-bus-minibus/scottish-government-awards-40m-second-round-of-the-scottish-ultra-low-emission-bus-scheme/.
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