BYD Locks In Contract For 37 Electric Double-Decker Buses To Serve Central London

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BYD and its local partner Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL) have won London’s first order for fully-electric double decker buses. The deal will see 37 BYD ADL Enviro400EV buses serving London’s transit passengers in the spring of 2019.

The buses will run the popular Route 43 that runs from Friern Barnet down to the infamous London Bridge, giving locals and tourists alike the experience of riding on a zero-emission electric bus. London’s iconic double-decker buses have been an item on the checklist of many a tourist as they take in all that the city has to offer.

“Operating zero-emission all electric buses on route 43 confirms Metroline’s continued commitment to London, our customers and Transport for London,” Metroline’s Chief Executive Officer, Jaspal Singh related. “The 37 new BYD ADL Enviro400EV’s have very impressive environmental credentials and will deliver significant benefits for Londoners. Metroline’s latest investment underscores our resolve to lead the industry and continually deliver the very best service for London.”

The new electric buses will join the 5 double-decker buses BYD supplied back in October of 2015 to pilot on transit operator TfL’s Route 98 which runs up and down Oxford Street. With more than 6,800 double-decker buses serving London ramping up from 5 buses to 37 represents progress towards the electrification of the fleet but there is still a lot of room to grow the electric bus fleet in the coming years.

“So far the Enviro200EV single decks have delivered in excess of 1.5 million miles of zero emission transport in the UK. This new contract for double decks takes the BYD ADL collaboration to a whole new level in every sense,” ADL’s CEO Colin Robertson shared. “We look forward to continuing our journey of improving air quality, while responding to the operational demands of our customers and the requirements of their passengers with this brand new vehicle.”

The new buses were designed by ADL in Scotland in partnership with BYD’s R&D team in Shenzhen, China, to ensure the classic look of a London double decker bus was beautifully married with BYD’s zero-emissions electric powertrain. The new 10.3-meter long BYD ADL Enviro400EV buses will be manufactured in China, with final assembly in Britain by ADL.

We reached out to BYD for more information about the range and warranties on the new buses and will update this article when we hear back.