Transport for London launches all-electric bus into service

Transport for London (TfL) has introduced what is said to be the world’s first zero-emission, long-range, all-electric BYD double-decker buses into service on a route operated by bus operator Metroline. Electric vehicle manufacturer BYD will fast charging equipment at Metroline’s Willesden bus garage in north London and provide driver training for the bus operators. BYD designed and developed the 33 foot long vehicles to TfL specifications, feature air conditioning, seats for 54 passengers and space for
March 21, 2016 Read time: 2 mins
1466 Transport for London (TfL) has introduced what is said to be the world’s first zero-emission, long-range, all-electric BYD double-decker buses into service on a route operated by bus operator Metroline.

Electric vehicle manufacturer BYD will fast charging equipment at Metroline’s Willesden bus garage in north London and provide driver training for the bus operators. BYD designed and developed the 33 foot long vehicles to TfL specifications, feature air conditioning, seats for 54 passengers and space for 27 standing passengers.

The buses are equipped with BYD-designed and built iron-phosphate batteries, delivering 345 kWh of power that come with 12 year battery warranty. The batteries can power the bus for over 24 hours and up to 190 miles of typical urban driving on the service routes with a single daily recharging requiring only four hours. TfL plans to charge the buses overnight using low-cost, off-peak electricity to provide additional cost savings.

“It’s a very exciting moment that this is happening here,” said London’s Deputy Mayor of Environment and Energy, Matthew Pencharz. “The running costs are much lower and some of the maintenance and operations costs are much lower on the buses. Also, these buses are zero-emission, zero-tailpipe-pollution and that is a huge benefit for Londoners.”
UTC

Related Content

  • April 30, 2015
    Cable cars come of age in trans-continental expansion
    David Crawford explores a high-level option of public transport. Sharing its origin with that of ski lifts at winter sports resorts in the European Alps, urban aerial cable transport is attracting growing interest as a low-footprint, low-energy alternative to conventional public transport that can swoop over ground-level traffic congestion.
    Read More
  • October 23, 2017
    T-Charge introduced to older vehicles in London to tackle toxic air pollution
    To combat thousands of premature deaths caused by air pollution in London, up to 34, 000 polluting vehicles travelling into Central London every month may have to pay the T-Charge £10.00 ($13.00) which will operate on top of the Congestion Charge £11.50 ($15.00). Launched by the Mayor of London Sadiq Khan, the T -Charge applies to drivers of pre-Euro 4 vehicles that do not meet the PM and NOx emissions and has come into effect from 7.00am on 23 October 2017.
    Read More
  • July 28, 2017
    London’s mayor launches fund to help retire polluting diesel taxis
    In the latest in a series of measures to clean up London’s toxic air, the Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, and Transport for London (TfL) have launched a US£55 million (£42 million) fund to encourage the owners of the oldest, most polluting diesel black cabs to retire them from the Capital’s fleet. Taxis are a significant contributor to London’s toxic air quality, and are responsible for 16 per cent of NOx and 26 per cent of Particulate Matter (PM) road transport emissions in central London. From today, the own
    Read More
  • March 1, 2018
    ABB to supply fast chargers for Norway electric bus project
    Swiss power and automation company Asea Brown Boveri (ABB) will supply four Heavy Vehicle Chargers (HVCs) to Trondheim’s dual-manufacturer electric bus program as part of the Norwegian city's commitment to mass electric transportation. The solutions will be delivered in February 2019 and will charge 25 Volvo buses and 10 Heuliez models across four routes. Called HVC 450P, the fast chargers are said to recharge batteries in three to six minutes and provide 450 kW Direct Current output power. They utilise
    Read More

Highlighted Content