London double deckers, another electric step with ADL, BYD and Optare

The iconic red double decker bus fleet of London is turning electric. 68 new electric buses will hit the road since summer 2019. They’ll be deployed by Transport for London (TfL) operator Metroline. 37 are realized by the pair Alexander Dennis Limited (ADL) and BYD and the remaining 31 are manufactured by the British company Optare.

This new order is going to make the number of electric buses in the fleet grow to 240. In 2020 the whole double decker fleet is expected be composed by electrically driven buses By 2037 all buses in London (about 8,000) will be zero-emission, City Hall has said.

Two full electric bus routes in London

The 68 new buses will be added to London’s bus fleet from next summer on two routes (43 from Friern Barnet to London Bridge Station and 134 from North Finchley to Tottenham Court Road) run by Metroline for TfL. The order has been announced by the major Sadiq Khan in occasion of a national air quality summit attended by cross party leaders from towns and cities across England and Wales as well as Environment Secretary Michael Gove.

Enviro400Ev by ADL-BYD and Ev Metrodecker by Optare

The electric bus by ADL-BYD is the new Enviro400Ev, 10.9 meters long. The bodywork is by ADL. The’ll 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. The vehicle is a brand new concept, designed at ADL’s facility in Scotland and BYD’s R&D centre in Shenzhen, China. The finished buses will be assembled in Britain by Adl as are all BYD-ADL joint products.

By its side, Optare will provide 31 units of its Ev Metrodecker, 10.5 meters long (in the picture below). The electric engine develops a power of 200 kW, with a peak torque of 3,570.

TfL and the largest electric double decker bus fleet in Europe

Claire Mann, TfL’s director of bus operations, said: “We’re committed to reducing emissions from London’s buses and making routes 43 and 134 exclusively electric is an important step to a zero-emission fleet. Buses are crucial to reduce Londoners’ reliance on cars, and with this landmark order it means the largest pure electric double-deck bus fleet in Europe will help reduce emissions across the capital. Electric buses are good for air quality and improve the customer experience, with less noise and fewer vibrations, all creating a more comfortable journey.”