First Bus has opened the UK’s first bus depot to offer consumer electric vehicle charging to the public, at its new purpose-built depot at Summercourt in Cornwall.
The Summercourt charging hub is the first-of-its-kind for the bus industry, providing direct access for the public to rapid electric charging infrastructure for electric vans and cars.
It is along the A30 corridor, a key tourist route into Cornwall.
The ‘turn up and charge’ hub offers eight rapid chargers, payment via contactless credit card, with no app or signup required, at 69p/kWh, as well as rapid charging rates of up to 150kW.
It is open from 6am to 10pm, seven days a week, and includes refreshments, restrooms and waiting area.
The 12-month project saw a £1m investment from First Bus to provide the local area with key electric charging infrastructure, creating a charging site for the community to use for years to come.
Chargers at Summercourt are also available for local businesses to use, following the successful model by First Bus in Glasgow and Leicester, where companies such as Open Reach, DPD and Police Scotland benefit from the use of the operator’s infrastructure to support their own transition to EV fleets.
Simon Goff, First Bus South’s Managing Director, said: “Opening the Summercourt hub is a hugely exciting step forward in our decarbonisation journey.
“For local people, visitors and business, the new hub ensures EV drivers can charge their vehicles on a reliable connection at a fair price.”
