travel
London’s iconic buses go electric
The Pure Electric BYD K10 Double Decker Bus. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, July 4, 2015. In October the English capital will become the world's first city with public transport routes covered by fully-electric battery powered double-decker buses.
There are already a number of cities in Europe and the US that have adopted trolley buses – powered via electric cables suspended above the road – or diesel/electric hybrid and even natural gas-powered buses in order to cut pollution.
But the decision by Transport for London which manages the capital's public transport network of buses, trains, and the underground system, is a world-first.
Announcing the news at London City Hall, Mayor Boris Johnson said: "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."
Bigger, heavier batteries not only take up more space that could otherwise be used by passengers, the extra weight requires extra power, which in turn means that range between charges is seriously compromised.
The same weight-based issue is why the majority of electric cars on the market only offer a range of around 116km. The extra power needed to drive the car forward under the weight of more batteries could end up reducing the range.
To solve this problem, Transport for London has partnered with Chinese firm BYD Company Ltd, which in recent years has established itself as a world leader in electric bus building.
"By working with BYD and utilising 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," said Mayor Johnson.
Route 16 is just six miles in length but passes along one of London's main traffic arteries for locals and tourists alike, Edgware Road, and therefore one of its most heavily polluted.
However, BYD's battery technology is such that its buses are capable of traveling a much longer route without range anxiety. Its Iron-Phosphate batteries can deliver a range of up to 155 miles between charges and range can be boosted via regenerative braking.
And as well as being cleaner, electric buses are quieter and more comfortable due to the lack of vibrations meaning that the buses could become a tourist attraction in their own right. – AFP/Relaxnews pic, July 4, 2015.
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