London’s world-famous red buses are steadily going electric. Route 153 serves many of the City of London’s most congested streets, between Finsbury Park in the north and Moorgate in the heart of the financial district.

This route will be the fourth in the capital to go fully electric, with a new fleet consisting of eleven 10.8-meter single-deck Enviro200EV electric buses, jointly manufactured by China-based BYD and Scotland-based Alexander Dennis. The depot will be served by charging points manufactured by BYD.

Buses provided by the BYD/Alexander Dennis partnership have already accumulated over a million miles of emissions-free operation in London, Liverpool and Nottingham.

“We are delighted to make another significant step in the electrification of London’s bus routes and to be in the vanguard of the transformation,” said Richard Harrington, Engineering Director of Go-Ahead London, which operates the route on behalf of Transport for London. “At Go-Ahead we have developed considerable practical knowledge of electric bus operation, gained over six years, and are well positioned to contribute further to the improvement of the capital’s air quality.”

“The smooth switch-on of our electric buses to operate another intensive London route is a testament to the strength of our overall offering – not just the proven and reliable buses themselves but the back-up and support of our partners in planning and installing the necessary equipment to make electric bus operation successful from day one,” said Frank Thorpe, UK Country Manager for BYD UK.

Source: Alexander Dennis