First 'emission free' buses hit London streets

An exciting new era of emission free bus travel was unveiled in London recently as Transport for London (TfL) and bus operators began a trial of the UK capital’s first all-electric buses.

01 January 2014 - An exciting new era of emission free bus travel has begun as London goes Greener. The new buses, with zero tail pipe emissions and therefore lower carbon emissions, will begin trial as the technology is particularly suitable for busy short commuter services such as those that operate between Victoria, Waterloo and London Bridge stations.

The trial will establish whether this green technology can stand up to the rigours of operating in intense urban environments and will help TfL develop plans for greater use of electric buses in central London in the future, supporting the Mayor’s vision of a central London Ultra Low Emission Zone.

This comes during the London Mayor’s "Year of the Bus" that marks the 60^th anniversary of the iconic London Routemaster bus.

Matthew Pencharz, Senior Environment and Energy Advisor to the Mayor of London, said: "Electric buses could help deliver the cleaner and greener bus fleet we need to cut carbon emissions and improve air quality."

Mike Weston, TfL’s Director of Buses, said: "This could be a very important step towards adopting this new clean technology in the capital."

The buses take around four to five hours to fully charge overnight with an estimated range of 250 kilometres, which would be sufficient to operate these buses for a full day on these routes.

By 2016 there will be more than 1,700 hybrid buses in service on London’s streets representing 20% of the total bus fleet.