Electric double-decker buses coming to London
With Transport for London (TfL) being the public transit division serving the Mayor of London Office, it was down to Sadiq Khan to place the order. Thus the mayor has moved to increase the number of electric double-deckers in London more than ten-fold.
The new buses, which are being manufactured as part of a collaborative effort between BYD, Alexander Dennis Limited and Optare. It is the first and largest order for their brand-new double decker electric buses.
The 10.9m long electric double deckers feature ADL’s eye-catching bodywork with a glazed staircase and will be built to TfL’s specification. They will use BYD’s Iron-Phosphate battery technology which enables the buses to run all day on a single charge using cost effective off-peak electricity at the depot.
In London they will enable two routes (43, 134) from Barnet to central London via London Bridge to be covered entirely by fully-electric vehicles.
TfL aims to run 240 electric buses next year and wants to ensure that all double-deckers will run on electricity by 2020. The electrification of the whole fleet including the lower coaches is scheduled for 2037.
The order comes in the wake of a call to action in which London and cross-party leaders urge the British government to end pure diesel and petrol sales in 2030, ten years earlier than planned (we reported).
London has also decided to expand the Ultra-Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) to the North and South Circular boundary in 2021. The new ULEZ will cover an area 18 times larger than the ULEZ in Central London. The latter is being delivered in April 2019, 17 months earlier than planned (we reported).
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