Ember boosts fleet with £5.6 million Triodos loan

Ember has increased its fleet of zero emission coaches with a £5.6m loan from Triodos Bank UK.

The all-electric intercity bus operator launched in 2020 with two coaches operating its first route between Dundee and Edinburgh. Today, the network includes services to destinations including Glasgow, Stirling and Kinross.

The purchase of an additional 14 coaches will take its total fleet to 38 vehicles.

As well as expanding its routes, the company has made improvements to its coaches since it first launched, including increasing passenger spaces from 38 to 53 and tripling luggage capacity.

Ember’s vehicles now provide 5G WiFi access, while its operating system, EmberOS, offers real-time route information to passengers and onboard temperature controls that ensure passengers are always comfortable.

To support its expanding services, Ember is increasing its charging capacity by launching multiple new charging hubs around Scotland.

The loan from Triodos marks the latest support Ember has received from the bank. A £490,000 loan under the Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan Scheme (CBILS) helped Ember to buy its first two coaches and the bank has since provided £4.7m through the CBILS and the government-backed Recovery Loan Scheme.

In March, Ember raised £11m in a Series A funding round led by Inven Capital, 2150 and AENU.

Keith Bradbury, co-founder at Ember , said: “Triodos have been with us from the very start of Ember and have adapted their approach as we’ve scaled the business, taking a deeper look into our long-term plans, and understanding what financial backing they could provide to support each phase .”

Norrie Cruickshank, senior relationship manager at Triodos Bank UK, added: “Supporting the transition to a low carbon economy is an important objective for us as a bank and to work with a pioneering company in the electrification of transport is an ideal fit for us.”

Alongside the loan from Triodos, Ember also received funding for the new coaches from Transport for Scotland using the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund.

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