Transportation for London (TfL) has contracted for the manufacture of a brand new, battery electric double decker buses. The company selected to build the next generation London Bus double-deckers is BYD Co. Ltd.
The announcement took place at the C40: Clean Bus Summitheld at London City Hall. Breaking the news was the mayor of London, Boris Johnson.
"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," said 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."
Also addressing the Clean Bus Summit was BYD's Managing Director of European Operations, Isbrand Ho.
"We are delighted to be chosen by London as its partner for the world debut of our new pure electric double-decker. As the Mayor has said, this is genuinely world beating new technology," said Ho. "Since BYD is by far the world's largest maker of zero emission pure electric buses and as such is keen to promote their take up and use as quickly as possible we are also pleased to have today supported the Declaration and pledged BYD to helping promote zero – not just ultra low – emission vehicles on the streets of the world's major cities."
