First Bus launches ‘First Charge’ shared EV-charging network
By Luke Willetts - 4th September 2025
UK – First Bus has launched First Charge, its new EV charging brand, opening up depot infrastructure to external users. The initiative allows businesses, fleets, and, at selected sites, the public to access ultra-rapid charging when buses are not being serviced. The first public-facing hub is at Glasgow Caledonia depot, with 34 charging bays offering 150–360 kW power and contactless payment. Additional depots in Aberdeen, Leeds, Leicester, Norwich, York, Bristol, and Cornwall are set to follow later this year.
By making daytime capacity available, First Charge supports commercial fleets lacking access to reliable high-powered charging. The strategy reduces costs, boosts utilisation of renewable energy, and accelerates the UK’s zero-emission transition. The scheme underpins First Bus’s wider plan to run a fully zero-emission fleet by 2035.
