Transport for London (TfL) has made a strong commitment to hybrid buses (pictured) – by approving a production order for 600 new buses to be introduced in the capital during the next four years.
The order of 600 buses will represent a 200 per cent increase of the current hybrid bus fleet in London – which is already set to grow with 180 vehicles on order. When the final vehicles from this order are delivered in 2016, London will boast more than 1,000 hybrid buses: the largest fleet in all of Europe.
It will also mark the completion of Mayor of London Boris Johnson’s pledge to introduce 600 of the vehicles by 2016 – they feature the iconic hop-on, hop-off rear platform.
TfL has actually been trialling hybrid technology since 2006 – it is believed they offer fuel efficiency savings of 30 per cent; as well as reducing NOx emissions by 20 per cent. According to recent tests, the new buses emitted less than half the CO2 and NOx of existing diesel buses.
It is expected that the first central London bus route will be converted by the end of April, 2013; with another route set to be converted by next August. Around 93 new buses will be delivered to TfL in 2013. It is thought they will have an operational life of 14 years.
The buses are manufactured in Northern Ireland by Wrightbus.
Paul is a freelance writer with a background in everything from motoring to finance; and holidays to women's undergarments he just writes about them, honestly! He has now sadly crept into his early 30s and seems to have forgotten everything learned at school Still, he's a green car fanatic and isn't that what counts?
James MIller
Forget the engineering and the green credentials, it's the comfort and style that the passengers really like. Be at the Angel, when a bus arrives and people run down and across the road to get it.
This bus will really show, how bus travel can be reinvigorated and become really cool and popular, thus improving air quality, due to the engineering.
Perhaps, what summed up the bus for me, was the words of a thirty-five or so woman to a driver. "Do you mind me saying this! This bus is so beautiful!"
October 07, 2012