Shepherd’s Bush gets new eco-friendly buses

A BUS company is planning London’s biggest all-electric depot after unveiling its first zero-emission vehicles.

Thirty-six single-deckers were showcased at a newly converted garage in Shepherd’s Bush yesterday, with the hope that the remaining 74 diesel buses there will be upgraded in the future.

The first 36 will operate on route 70 from Chiswick Business Park to Queensbury Place and the C1 route from Victoria to White City.

The depot is run by RATP Dev, the British arm of French transport giant Régie Autonome des Transports Parisiens. Its new Scottish-made vehicles, fitted with Chinese battery technology, have a 130-mile range and can reach 50mph.

The firm described it as a “multi-million pound deal”, with each vehicle costing about £450,000.

Batteries have an expected lifespan of a decade and power is sourced directly from the grid instead of a custom-built generator. Each bus has just 31 seats, plus room for 49 people standing, but only one wheelchair user. Features include USB sockets in the back of seats.

The electric models, which are near silent, were tested for a month ahead of yesterday’s official launch.

One of the first drivers behind the wheel, Daniel Abebe, said: “I’ve been driving for 15 years and this is the best vehicle I’ve driven so far.”

Europe’s biggest electric fleet is based at Go-Ahead London depot in Waterloo, where 46 single-deckers are housed.

Mayor Sadiq Khan has announced a 68-strong fleet of emission-free doubledeckers arriving next summer.

There are now 132 electric buses on London’s streets, including the 36 in Shepherd’s Bush. TfL plans 150 by the end of the year. There are also more than 3,000 hybrid buses on the road.