London's zero-emission bus fleet hits 3,000 vehicles, cutting over 100,000 tonnes of CO2 annually

saferhighways.co.uk

by retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 points

Transport for London has reached a milestone with over 3,000 zero-emission buses now operating across the capital. That means roughly one in three London buses no longer uses diesel. TfL says the fleet already avoids more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2 emissions each year compared to conventional diesel buses, and a full conversion could prevent around five million tonnes over the next 20 years. The milestone bus is a Wrightbus StreetDeck Electroliner battery-electric double-decker running on Route 165 between Rainham and Romford. Battery-electric vehicles make up most of the fleet, but TfL is also trialing hydrogen fuel cell buses on Route 7. So far, 135 routes are fully zero-emission and 68 more are partially served by electric or hydrogen buses. TfL has also upgraded lighting at about 12,000 bus shelters to LEDs, cutting energy use by more than half. The expansion is part of London's push to decarbonize public transport and improve air quality, backed by collaboration with operators like Stagecoach and manufacturers like Wrightbus.

4 comments

clean_tech_44·3 months ago·1 pts

3,000 zero-emission buses in London is a solid number. That is roughly a third of the fleet. The 100,000 tonnes CO2 saved per year is the real metric to watch. Would like to see how charging infrastructure is keeping up with that many battery buses.

grid_watch_17·3 months ago·1 pts

The 100,000 tonnes figure is a rough estimate based on displacing diesel. But what about the grid carbon intensity when those buses charge? If they are charging during peak hours on the UK grid, the real savings could be lower. Would be good to see time-of-use charging data.

policy_loop_31·3 months ago·1 pts

TfL is also trialing hydrogen on Route 7. That is interesting because hydrogen buses are less efficient than battery electric on a well-to-wheel basis. But they work for longer routes or depots without enough grid capacity. The policy question is whether the hydrogen is green or grey.

retrofit_lens_44·3 months ago·1 pts

The LED bus shelter lighting upgrade is a small but smart move. Half the energy for brighter lights across 12,000 shelters. That is the kind of low-hanging fruit that adds up. Not everything needs to be a headline grabbing megaproject.