First Bus is collaborating with Openreach, granting the broadband network provider with access to its rapid Electric Vehicle (EV) charging infrastructure at bus depots nationwide.

Openreach joins DPD and Police Scotland in plugging into the shared infrastructure initiative.

The initial phase of the partnership will see up to 30 Openreach electric vehicles charging at First Bus depots in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Leicester while buses are in service. This is intended to enable the broadband provider’s engineers to cover more ground, reduce their environmental impact and dedicate more time to the needs of their customers.

First Bus says it is keen to harness its EV infrastructure to help support local communities and businesses reach their own environmental aspirations. This commitment aligns with the operator’s own ambition of reaching a zero-emission bus fleet by 2035.

“The shift to electric is a journey for businesses nationwide, and we are offering a smart, community-friendly solution” – Faizan Ahmad, Decarbonisation Programme Director at First Bus

Faizan Ahmad, Decarbonisation Programme Director at First Bus, said: “We’re excited about this collaboration, showcasing the power of teamwork to reduce carbon emissions and improve air quality in the communities we serve. The shift to electric is a journey for businesses nationwide, and we are offering a smart, community-friendly solution that’s simple, effective, and benefits everyone.”

New approach

For Robert Thorburn, Openreach Scotland’s Partnership Director, the search for the most efficient way to power its own and First’s fleets makes sense.

“First Bus has made a massive investment in charging infrastructure and using their empty stations to juice up our vans will take pressure off public charge points” – Robert Thorburn, Openreach Scotland’s Partnership Director

Robert said: “First Bus has made a massive investment in charging infrastructure and using their empty stations to juice up our vans will take pressure off public charge points. Our engineers often live in flats or apartments where charging is not yet an option, so this will make life easier for them too.

“It is all about learning and trying new, sustainable ways of working. There are many hurdles on the low carbon journey, and businesses need to join forces to overcome them, help drive wider adoption of electric vehicles and talk to government on issues like charging infrastructure availability.”

“We are constantly looking at new options that can help us the transition of one of the largest commercial fleets in the UK to electric vehicles” – Andrew Kirkby, Head of Fleet Sustainability at BT Group

Andrew Kirkby, Head of Fleet Sustainability at BT Group, added: “We are constantly looking at new options that can help us the transition of one of the largest commercial fleets in the UK to electric vehicles, which will be vital to achieving our goal of being a carbon net-zero business by March 2031. Enabling UK-wide charging infrastructure will be a key part of how we achieve this, and we welcome trials that will help accelerate the removal of diesel vehicles from our fleet.”