More fully electric buses for London

[flecc]

Our 5 fully electric double decker buses are to be joined by 68 more this year, making it the largest electric bus fleet in Europe. The fleet will rise further to 240 next year. Primarily they'll be on routes travelling into central London where the pollution problems are worst. This couples with some central London major streets being banned next year to all taxis except those running only on electric power and the existing 51 single decker electric buses.

The buses are built by the Chinese BYD car company who have only ever built e-cars, in partnership with the Dennis company.

We're gradually getting there.
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[tommie]

just hope they don`t start pushing their cars over your way...

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/byd/e6

The biggest drawback — apart from the inexplicably scary £47,000 price

Any idea what they`re charging for these buses?

 

[flecc]

just hope they don`t start pushing their cars over your way...

https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-review/byd/e6

The biggest drawback — apart from the inexplicably scary £47,000 price

Any idea what they`re charging for these buses?

Yes I've read all the figures. They show a €90,000 advantage over a diesel bus over 8 years, due to running on the much lower cost electricity.

Of course I wouldn't buy the BYD car here, too expensive and the spec not good enough compared with our home offerings. It's ok in the Chinese market. The 2018 Nissan Leaf I have on order is the same size and price as the equivalent level latest Ford Focus, so a more sensible buy here.

We know the BYD buses are ok, we've had 51 of the single deckers for some while and a number of places in Europe have them. They are BYD's big success and I think they'll concentrate much more on them in future.
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[oyster]

e're gradually getting there.

Having had the diversions of the bendy buses and the "new" Routemasters (at £350,000 each), "gradually" doesn't seem quite emphatic enough as a description of how slow real progress has been.

My childhood memories of buses were that every single one looked at least thirty years old - just like much rail rolling stock - seems such a waste to have seen so many generations of new buses which failed to deliver.

 

[mike killay]

London buses for many years were quite old compared to buses elsewhere.
Don't know why, perhaps better servicing or not doing the mileage of rural buses.

 

[oyster]

better servicing

Many years ago I watched a film of a Routemaster maintenance depot. Then whole design of the bus and the depot allowed incredibly fast strip and refit. Tried to find it (or a similar one) but couldn't...

Ah! Maybe this

 

[peter.c]

Ensign bus depot is just down the road in Purfleet we have had electric double decker buses for a while in Thurrock the things are very quite and sneak up on you, the looming shadow behind you is the 1st clue it is there

 

[mike killay]

I can remember electric trolley buses in Cardiff in the early 1950s

 

[Benjahmin]

I also remember electric trolley buses in walsall, staffs. they were very late to get rid of them and the associated infrastructure. Bet they're kicking themselves now. They certainly didn't sneak up on you though. Bit like a milk float on steroids !

 

[flecc]

Having had the diversions of the bendy buses and the "new" Routemasters (at £350,000 each), "gradually" doesn't seem quite emphatic enough as a description of how slow real progress has been.

Those were due to the idiocy and crackpot schemes of Boris Johnson when Mayor of London, and of course those on the fringe who voted him in.

Those days are over and progrss is much more rapid now.
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[oyster]

I also remember electric trolley buses in walsall, staffs. they were very late to get rid of them and the associated infrastructure. Bet they're kicking themselves now. They certainly didn't sneak up on you though. Bit like a milk float on steroids !

The ones I remember were in Newcastle. Never lived there but family ties meant I visited a number of times as a child.

I was absolutely fascinated by the overhead lines - there were just so many!