London’s famous red double-decker bus to go electric

Even if you’ve never been to London, you’ve heard about them. The red double-decker bus is one of London’s most famous icons and will bring another reward to the capital: world’s first electric double-decker bus line! The annoucement has been made by the Mayor Johnson during the first Clean Bus Summit at London’s City Hall.
 

Fist electric double-decker bus line in October

The electric zero emmision double-decker buses are designed and built by BYD. They will start transporting London commuters in October 2015. The buses will have a capacity of 155 miles, which enables them to cover most bus routes for a full day on a single charge. These buses will help the city to promote zero/low emission vehicles across the streets.

“Many believed that a pure electric double-decker bus would not be possible due to the size of the battery packs required to power it,” explained Mayor Johnson. “However by working with BYD and utilizing the latest cutting edge technology London has been able to secure another world first. The new electric double-decker trial will see the zero emission double-decker buses manufactured by BYD enter service on Route 16 from October.”

As well as being environmentally friendly, the electric double-decker buses will bring to London commuters a quiet ride, without vibrations and operate at significantly lower costs. Several cities have already adopted green buses for urban public transport but the technology is not yet available for long-distance journey by coach.

Source: Electric vehicle news, BYD