The transition to electric vehicles is essential to combating global warming. Our buses can go up to 350 miles on a single charge and we charge them multiple times per day. This allows them to travel almost 200,000 miles per year. By using the buses this intensively, we keep lifetime emissions (including manufacturing the vehicle) to a tiny fraction of a diesel equivalent. Our buses use LFP batteries which are cobalt free.
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Over 97% of our buses have toilets, including all of those used on longer routes. We try to make sure these are kept clean and available for use but occasionally there may be issues that mean a toilet needs to be closed off. If this happens and you are desperate for the toilet, let the driver know and they'll do their best to help.
We have USB points at every seat – just USB-A on older vehicles but USB-A and USB-C on our recent vehicles. These will comfortably charge your and you may be able to trickle charge your laptop on the USB-C ports. Our latest vehicles also have three pin plugs in some rows.
We try to carry a few common charging cables which you can borrow if you don't have yours. Just ask the driver when you get on board.
You can bring either two medium bags or one large suitcase without a problem. You can also bring an additional small bag that will fit under your seat or in the overhead rack. If you are planning to bring more than this, it's best to to check that there will be room. Otherwise, we can't guarantee there will be space on busy services (but we will always do our best to carry it).
Yes, we have a dedicated wheelchair space accessed via a lift at the centre doors. You can reserve a space whilst booking your ticket and we don't need any additional advance notice. If you haven't booked online then we'll happily let you buy a ticket on board, subject to the wheelchair space being available for your whole journey - the driver will be able to confirm this.
If you would prefer to sit in a bus seat then you don't need to book a wheelchair space in advance and your wheelchair can go in the hold.
We're happy to carry bikes, including e-bikes. You can reserve a bike space whilst booking your ticket. Folding bikes don't need to be booked.
We'll either carry your bike on board in the wheelchair space or underneath in the hold. Wheelchair users always take priority over bikes in the wheelchair space so you may need to move your bike if a wheelchair user boards at an intermediate stop. There should be plenty of space underneath but in case issues, the wheelchair user will still have priority and we'll work to find you an alternative solution. We can't guarantee your bike will be carried upright and it is carried at your own risk (but we've carried thousands of bikes without incident).
We'd appreciate if your bike is clean. If it's really dirty, please stick it in a bike bag. Folding bikes don't need to be booked, just turn up and get on. If you have a particularly large bike (e.g. a tandem), send us the dimensions before booking so we can check it will fit.
Absolutely. Dogs (and other small animals) are welcome on board so long as they're well behaved and don't disturb other passengers. Dogs should either sit on your lap or on the floor in front of your seat. All guide, hearing and assistance dogs are welcome but should be kept under control. Dogs must not sit in the aisle. If your dog can't fit on your lap or in front of your seat, you can book an additional child ticket for them and they can travel on the floor in front of the adjacent seat.
For more information, please visit Electric Intercity Buses.
If you have lost or forgotten anything on the bus, send us an at and we'll do our best to find it. Make sure you tell us which service and time you were travelling on, as well as where you were sitting on the bus.
Large instruments, such as a cello, can travel on a seat provided a child fare ticket is booked for them. They can sit on the seat or on the floor in front of the seat, upright or at an angle. The instrument and case combined must be less than 95kg and fit within the seat width of 45cm. You'll need to secure the instrument with the seatbelt at the window seat and sit next to it. Ultimately, safety is our priority so if the driver isn't satisfied your instrument can be safely secured we will have to place it in the hold.
Yes. People with a Scottish bus pass can travel free with Ember. Bus passes are available for people aged 5 - 21 or over 60, or those with disabilities. You can book online for free as a concession, then tap your bus pass when you get on board. If your card has the companion symbol, you may take a companion free of charge. Companions should be booked as an additional concession.
If you are booking a through ticket to Edinburgh Airport as a concession, you'll need to pay a small fee to cover the tram component of the journey. This is because Edinburgh Trams only accept concession passes issued by Edinburgh City Council. If your card is issued by Edinburgh City Council, you can choose to book to Ingliston Park & Ride instead and use your card for the tram journey.
You can buy a ticket onboard except at pre-booked only stops, but it's cheaper to book online. This applies no matter whether you book a month ahead or just a few seconds before. We don't accept cash onboard so you'll need a card (or a with contactless payment).
You need to book online at least 10 minutes before for pre-booked stops, otherwise the bus will not call there. This covers most of our intermediate stops. If you're unable to book online you can call us on +44 (0)131 510 and we'll ask the driver to stop there so you can buy on board. Make sure to within office hours (9am - 6pm, seven days a week).
We leave it to parents to decide when their child is mature enough to travel on their own. This will vary from child-to-child and journey-to-journey. For instance, it wouldn't be appropriate for a young child to travel on a late-night service by themselves but it might be ok for them to travel on a daytime service to a familiar location. Our drivers are not able to provide a chaperone service but will of course try to look out for the child and alert the relevant authorities if they have safety concerns.
Yes. You can cancel any ticket you buy online for a full refund, either to credit or to your original payment card. You can also change your ticket in just a couple of clicks whether it's to change the number of passengers, change the stops or travel at a different time. We'll just charge you the difference, or refund the difference if your new ticket is cheaper.
At Volvo, we take responsibility for the full environmental impact of our products and services, all along the value chain, from cradle to grave. We make sure that materials, manufacturing, operation and recycling meet the highest environmental standards. We keep track – and we publish the results. As our customer, you will share our drive towards a world of circularity and products that do not cause unnecessary harm to humans or the planet.
Our ambition is to offer the world’s safest electric bus system. Volvo has been pioneering safety innovation for almost a century, and in a true zero city, we believe in zero accidents. Today we lead the development with superior product safety, driver support and connected solutions. But safety encompass so much more. Driver training, charging solutions, high-voltage safety in the depot, and not least, cyber security which are very important areas for us at Volvo.
As a global supplier of electric vehicles, Volvo has implemented complete electric bus systems with charging infrastructure in a number of cities. Through long-term and close cooperation with customers and partners, we tailor each e-mobility solution to each individual city. With our world-wide service network we are always present, ready to support and ensure the reliability and efficiency our customers demand. For us it’s about delivering zero unplanned downtime, and that is a huge responsibility.
Want more information on urban city-bus? Feel free to contact us.