A repowered New Routemaster bus was unveiled at the European Bus Expo. The bus has had its hybrid drivetrain replaced with a ‘zero emission drivetrain’.
The New Routemaster has a 400 kWh battery which will provide an expected in-service range of 150 miles. The zero-emission bus was designed and created by Norfolk based company Equipmake.
Bus operator Metroline is currently conducting trials of the New Routemaster around London to gather data for Transport for London (TfL). TfL is currently testing various forms of zero emission bus technologies.
The Zero Emission Drivetrain features a water-glycol cooling circuit and provide the bus with hearing by capturing thermal energy. The battery can be recharged at a depot overnight with a CSS DC charging point, one has been set up at the Holloway bus depot for the trial.
Ian Foley, CEO of Equipmake, said: “Repowering is a vital, cost-effective transitionary technology that can bridge the gap between diesel and a new electric bus fleet. London is leading the way in the adoption of green technologies for large commercial vehicles and as TfL continues to evaluate a range of clean technologies, we are confident our repower systems can play a rapid role in accelerating any zero-emission vehicle strategy.”
Equipmake is also working with other UK bus operators to provide zero emission buses. They are currently converting 12 buses to the Zero Emission Drivetrain in York which are expected to be operational by the end of November.
