Europe’s largest fleet of all-electric buses was officially ‘switched on’ by Val Shawcross, deputy mayor of London for transport, on Friday (9 September).
The 51 vehicles – 12-metre, single-deckers – will be operated by Go-Ahead London from its Waterloo garage, and were built in Britain by BYD and Alexander Dennis Ltd (ADL).
The order for the Enviro200EV buses follows a three-year trial of two BYD vehicles from the same garage. The trial proved the reliability and range of the buses, which ran consistently for 16-hour shifts without a recharge.
The new vehicles have lightweight aluminium bodies, built by ADL at its Falkirk, Scotland, plant.
Go-Ahead’s Waterloo depot has been equipped with 43 recharging posts, capable of powering 46 buses, with a further five charging posts at a nearby depot.
