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London to trial pure electric double-decker bus

02 July 2015

by Nick Michell

The world’s first purpose-built purely electric double-decker bus will enter passenger service in London this year, Boris Johnson, Mayor of London, has announced, as he hosted representatives and major bus manufacturers at London City Hall for the first ever global Clean Bus Summit.

“The iconic red double-decker bus is about to become greener than ever,” said Johnson. “I could not be more pleased that London will play host to these exciting pure electric double-deck buses, and I’m sure the lucky users of route 16 will embrace it with gusto. London is a world leader in clean buses but we can’t do it alone, and events like this Clean Bus Summit are key to making further progress.”

Since 2008, London has rolled out more than 1,300 hybrid electric buses, retrofitted more than 1,400 buses to reduce their emissions by up to 88 percent and developed the New Routemaster, one of the cleanest double deck buses of its type in the world. There will be 800 New Routemasters on London’s streets by 2016 and they will reduce CO2 emissions in the Capital by around 27,500 tonnes a year.

This is part of the mayor’s plan to halve NOx (nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide) emissions from the bus fleet by the end of his term in office in 2016, compared to 2008. Cleaner buses have contributed to important steps forward in air quality for Londoners, including halving the number of citizens living in areas above nitrogen dioxide limits, and a reduction in nitrogen oxide emissions by 20 percent and emissions of particulate matter down by 15 percent.

“The introduction of new electric buses and further developments like induction charging at termini for hybrid bus batteries will significantly improve air quality and provide our passengers with quieter and smoother journeys later this year,” said Sir Peter Hendy, London’s Transport Commissioner.

Many believed that a purely electric double-deck bus would not be possible due to the size of battery packs required to power it. However, by working with BYD, a Chinese manufacturer of automobiles and rechargeable batteries, and utilising the latest technology London has been able to secure another important step forward. The new electric double-decker trial will see the zero-emission electric double-deck buses manufactured by BYD enter service on route 16 from October, running between Cricklewood and Victoria Station.

London will also shortly be welcoming two Irizar-manufactured electric single-deck buses. These new models join eight single-deck electric buses manufactured by Optare and BYD, which have been used in London’s fleet since 2013. The capital’s first pure electric bus route, the 312–which runs between Norwood and South Croydon–will also be created later this year.

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