Ember was founded in 2019 by Pierce Glennie and Keith Bradbury, both of whom had previously worked for iwoca.[4] Glennie has stated that the concept for the company was inspired by a long-distance bus journey he undertook from Namibia to South Africa. The name Ember was chosen to reflect the idea of “the end of fire”.[5]
Ember’s first planned route, numbered the E1[a], was to operate between Dundee and Edinburgh. Originally scheduled to commence in March 2020, the launch was delayed due to government restrictions introduced in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, which also postponed the delivery of the company’s first electric coach.[3]
To support the launch, Ember received a £490,000 Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan through Triodos Bank.[6][7] The company ultimately began operations in October 2020 with two battery-electric coaches, which recharged using Dundee City Council charging infrastructure at Greenmarket.[8]
Expansion of routes and fleet (2021–2023)
In February 2022, Ember was awarded £5,562,126 from the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB) to support the purchase of twenty-six battery-electric vehicles and the associated charging infrastructure.[9] The company stated its intention to develop a national zero-emission coach network connecting Scotland’s major cities.[10]
In August 2022, Ember launched a new route between Dundee and Glasgow, designated the E3.[11]
In July 2023, Ember placed an order for fourteen tri-axle Yutong GTe14 battery-electric coaches. This order increased Ember’s total fleet of Yutong electric coaches to thirty-eight vehicles. Co-founder Pierce Glennie highlighted the reliability of the company’s existing Yutong TCe12 coaches as a key factor in enabling the rapid expansion of its zero-emission route network within three years of launch.[12] As of July 2024, three of the GTe14 coaches had entered service, with the remainder undergoing fit-out and branding.[citation needed]
Network diversification and service enhancements (2024)
In January 2024, Ember introduced the E10 service, described by the company as a “short but useful” route, operating between Dundee Michelin Scotland Innovation Parc and Dundee city centre. The service operates more than forty times per day in each direction, calling at three pre-booked stops. The route was designed to make productive use of depot movements that would otherwise constitute dead mileage, while also providing connections with Ember’s Edinburgh and Glasgow services, with future through-ticketing planned.[13]
In March 2024, Ember raised £11 million in equity funding from climate-focused investors, including Pale Blue Dot and Contrarian Ventures. The funding was intended to support the expansion of the intercity network, charging infrastructure, and the company’s in-house technology platform.[14]
In May 2024, Ember launched the E3X express service between Perth city centre and Glasgow, operating four services per day in each direction, with two services extending to Dundee. The service commenced on 7 May. During the same month, Ember introduced the E1X service operating between Dundee, Kinross, Edinburgh and Wallyford Park and Ride, where vehicles utilised newly installed charging facilities, before returning to Dundee. The E1X service was withdrawn on 22 October 2024.[15]
In September 2024, Ember announced plans to launch a new route linking Bridge of Don and Aberdeen city centre with Edinburgh via Dundee, with intermediate stops including Brechin and Forfar. The route also provides a connection to Edinburgh Airport. Full service commencement was scheduled for 22 October 2024, with twenty services per day operating throughout the week. The introduction of this route doubled the frequency between Dundee and Edinburgh to forty services per day, providing a half-hourly service for much of the day.[16] To support operations, Ember established a new depot in Bridge of Don, complementing its existing depot in Dundee.[17]
Further network growth (2025)
In April 2025, Ember announced the introduction of a new route between Fort William and Edinburgh. A further announcement in May 2025 confirmed the launch of a Fort William to Glasgow service.[18]
In July 2025, Ember announced that the E6 route, operating between Inverness and Thurso & Scrabster, would begin on 9 July.[20] Later that month, on 23 July, the company launched the E11 route between Dundee and Aberdeen via Braemar.[21]
On 22 October 2025, Ember commenced operation of the E8 route between Glasgow and Inverness.[23] This was followed by the launch of the E9 route between Edinburgh and Inverness on 5 November 2025.[24]
Coach hire and fleet expansion
In September 2025, Ember expanded beyond scheduled intercity services with the launch of Ember Coach Hire, a zero-emission private hire service utilising its electric coach fleet. The service operates alongside Ember’s scheduled routes and is supported by the company’s proprietary technology platform, Ember OS, which manages vehicle allocation and live tracking.
By late 2025, Ember operated a fully electric fleet of seventy-eight vehicles. A further tranche of coaches funded through the second round of the Scottish Zero Emission Bus Challenge Fund (ScotZEB2) is expected to increase the fleet to approximately 138 vehicles in Scotland by the end of the first quarter of 2026.[25]
In November 2025, Ember announced the launch of a dedicated electric coach hire service for group travel and stated its intention to expand its fleet further, with plans to add up to 100 additional electric coaches by 2026.[26]
Charging infrastructure
Ember’s charging infrastructure has expanded alongside its fleet growth. In addition to its original hub in Dundee, the company operates charging facilities in Fort William, Thurso and Inverness, with further sites under development in Oban, Perth, Livingston and Glasgow. The network supports both scheduled services and private hire operations.[25]
Routes
E1 Bridge of Don – Edinburgh
Half of the services will terminate in Dundee, the others will continue to Bridge of Don. Stops at Longforgan, Horn Milk Bar, St Madoes and Walnut Grove will only be operated by the short service which terminates in Dundee. Direct Ember services to Aberdeen are not available from these stops.
Tickets can be bought in advance on Ember's website up to ten minutes before the scheduled departure time, but are also sold onboard at some stops. Most intermediate must be booked ten minutes before schedule to ensure that the bus will stop. Often these are stops in remote areas with poor WiFi and mobile phone connectivity. Passengers with a Scottish National Entitlement Card travel for free. Through tickets are available to Edinburgh Airport, which includes a short tram journey from Ingliston.[28] At night, the buses go straight to Edinburgh Airport.[citation needed]
In May 2024, Ember increased fares by an average of around 4%, followed by a further increase of approximately 8.5% in April 2025 and 6.1% in February 2026, citing rising operating costs and changes to concessionary reimbursement levels. The company maintains fixed pricing regardless of booking time and does not use dynamic yield-based fare systems.[29]
Services
Tickets can be purchased online up to ten minutes before departure and, at most stops, onboard using contactless payment. Cash is not accepted. Many intermediate stops operate on a demand-responsive basis and must be booked in advance for the coach to call. Passengers holding a Scottish National Entitlement Card are entitled to free travel, including companion travel where applicable. Through tickets to Edinburgh Airport are available, with daytime services connecting via Edinburgh Trams at Ingliston Park & Ride and overnight services calling directly at the airport terminal.[30]
Ember coaches are equipped with passenger facilities including toilets on the majority of vehicles, free Wi-Fi, USB charging points at each seat, and accessible spaces for wheelchairs and bicycles, which can be reserved in advance.[30]
In addition to scheduled intercity services, Ember offers private coach hire using its all-electric fleet for schools, corporate travel, events and tourism within Scotland.[31]
Ember coaches are fitted with passenger amenities including free Wi-Fi, USB charging points at each seat, and accessible spaces for wheelchairs and bicycles, which can be reserved in advance. Services are tracked in real time via Ember’s website, allowing passengers to monitor vehicle location and expected arrival times. Tickets can be amended or cancelled without charge prior to departure.[32]
Fleet
Ember's first two Yutong TCe12battery electric coaches were delivered in 2020. A further two were added in 2021, and four more in 2022, funded by the Scottish Utra-Low Emission Bus Scheme.[10] Ember has taken delivery of fourteen Yutong GTe14 tri-axle electric coaches in early 2024 – the first operator to order the coach model.[33] Ember was also awarded government funding in March 2021 for four single-deck Arrival buses,[34] the development of which was ultimately postponed in 2022. The company also had eight new additions to the fleet of Yutong TCe12s in 2023.[citation needed]
In 2023, Ember became the first bus operator in the United Kingdom to develop its own ITSO-certified smart ticketing system in-house. The system enables validation of Scottish National Entitlement Cards and integration with concessionary travel schemes, replacing third-party solutions that could not be integrated with Ember’s platform.[14]
As of 2025, Ember operates its electric coach fleet exclusively on Michelin tyres, supplied directly by the manufacturer and fitted in-house. The arrangement applies to both Yutong TCe12 and GTe14 battery-electric coaches.[35]
↑The service used to have a counterpart the E2. The E1 ran from Dundee to Edinburgh (and still does), and the E2 ran from Edinburgh to Dundee. Ember renumbered the E2 to E1 while keeping the same route, so now the service has the same route number in both directions.
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