Two routes through the borough will use the new 100 per cent electric buses
A Shepherds Bush bus garage is pioneering the use of fully electric buses in the capital.
The major shift at Wells Road depot, near Goldhawk Road tube station, will mean two bus routes through the borough now run emission-free.
The change has been welcomed by H&F Council which aims to be the greenest borough in Britain.
“To make a genuine change to improve our air quality requires taking decisive, radical action,” said Cllr Wesley Harcourt, H&F Cabinet Member for Environment.
“So we commend the operators for pioneering this change, and hope other bus operators follow their lead and work closely with the council to achieve significant improvement to air quality.
“This is the future of travel in our city and will be a change for the better health of both people and the planet.”
The bus garage has been equipped with multiple charging points to allow routes C1 and 70 to run exclusively clean, green buses.
A fleet of 36 all-electric vehicles will run on the routes. The buses are charged overnight, avoiding energy use in peak hours.
The new vehicles were formally unveiled at a ceremony last week.
Shepherds Bush is ahead of the curve. It is expected to take until 2037 before all London’s buses are zero-emission, although many hope this will be achieved earlier.
In two years’ time, all single-decker buses in central London will be zero-emission. Double-deckers will take longer to convert.
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