First Bus is opening its Glasgow depot charging facilities to the public for the first time, marking a significant expansion of the transport operator’s charging network beyond commercial partnerships.
The company’s Caledonia depot features 34 charging bays located minutes from Glasgow city centre. EV drivers can access 150kW charging at 39p per kWh – roughly half the typical ultra-rapid charging rate across the UK.
Glasgow joins Summercourt Hub in Newquay as the first First Bus depots welcoming general public access.
The First Charge programme extends beyond public access, though. First Bus is opening 15 charging hubs nationwide to commercial operators seeking reliable charging infrastructure during daytime hours.
These hubs span from Aberdeen to Fullwell in Cornwall. Charging speeds range from 125kW to 360kW across the network.
The facilities primarily serve First Bus’s fleet of 1,200 electric vehicles during overnight hours. Lower daytime demand created the opportunity to share capacity with external users during regular business hours.
Commercial Partnerships Drive Expansion
First Bus already partners with several major operators at its depot charging locations. Current partners include DPD, Centrica, Openreach, and Police Scotland.
The First Charge programme builds on these existing relationships by opening access to additional commercial operators.
Bus depot infrastructure offers particular advantages for larger electric vehicles. The facilities accommodate everything from rigid vans to eHGVs and electric passenger transport – vehicles that often struggle to find suitable charging infrastructure elsewhere.
Isabel McAllister, First Bus UK’s chief sustainability and compliance officer, emphasized the company’s broader decarbonization goals.
“At First Bus, we’re progressing rapidly towards our goal of a zero-emission fleet by 2035, with an investment of over £320 million to date,” McAllister said.
“With First Charge, we’re building on our position as an industry leader, sharing our infrastructure to accelerate decarbonisation to help other users move faster too.”
The initiative represents a practical approach to maximizing existing charging infrastructure utilization. Rather than building separate public charging networks, First Bus is leveraging capacity that’s already built but underused during certain hours.
Commercial operators gain access to reliable, high-speed charging in urban locations where such infrastructure remains limited. The depot locations often provide better access than traditional service station charging hubs for fleet operations.
First Bus’s £320 million investment in electrification creates infrastructure that extends beyond the company’s immediate needs. The First Charge programme demonstrates how transport operators can monetize excess capacity while supporting broader EV adoption.
