Boris Johnson unveils the world’s first double decker e-bus in London
London has reimagined its globally renowned double decker buses as a new line of electric powered vehicles in a city wide pilot.
Speaking at the Clean Bus Summit at City Hall, mayor of London Boris Johnson confirmed that the new range of buses, while much larger than its single decker peers, is fully reliant only on electric power, which is known to release fewer emissions than hybrids and those running on gasoline.
The pilot will see 10 zero-emission electric double decker buses manufactured by BYD enter service on route 16 from October, running between Cricklewood and Victoria Station.
Johnson said: "The iconic red double-decker bus is about to become greener than ever. 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."
Sir Peter Hendy CBE, London transport commissioner, added: “We have blazed the trail when it comes to green bus technology so it’s fitting that the first Clean Bus Summit should take place here in the Capital.
“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. We continue to embrace new technologies as they develop.”
Furthermore as part of the green push, 24 cities involved in the pilot will roll out 40,000 ultra-low emissions buses by 2020.