London has passed a major public transport milestone with now more than 1000 zero-emission buses on the streets of the UK capital city. That means that more than one in nine of the capital’s red buses have now gone green.
While its zero-emission bus fleet is already setting the standard for others to follow, London is set to further expand its electric bus fleet, securing the lion’s share of a £500 million government investment in green transport. The capital already boasts the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Western Europe, with over 1,500 buses operating on more than 70 routes.
Go-Ahead, London’s largest bus operator, has announced a £500 million order for 1,200 UK-made zero-emission buses. Up to 167 of these buses are expected to arrive in London this year, followed by 400 in both 2025 and 2026. The new buses will primarily serve London routes.
Mayor Sadiq Khan has accelerated his plan to phase out diesel buses from London by four years, aiming for a complete transition to greener vehicles by 2030. While electric buses have a higher upfront cost, they offer long-term savings due to lower operating costs compared to diesel buses.
The expansion of the electric bus fleet requires additional garage space to accommodate the charging process, which takes significantly longer than refuelling diesel buses. London currently has over 17% of its bus fleet operating with zero-emission technology, including hydrogen buses, battery electric buses, and opportunity charged electric buses.
Several routes, such as the 152, 276, 307, and 384, have recently been converted to electric vehicles.
Image source: Sadiq Khan and TfL
