London Major Sadiq Khan unveiled in London the world’s first double-decker hydrogen bus, as he committed to phasing out purchasing new pure ‘dirty’ diesel buses from the capital. He revealed that no more pure diesel double-deck buses will be added to the capital’s fleet from 2018 and that all new single-decks for central London will be zero-emission.
Based on the success of two Irizar 100% i2e electric buses that have been operating in London since June 2015, London’s largest transport operator, Go-Ahead, is incorporating the buses into its fleet and has signed an agreement with Irizar that includes service and maintenance.
The Valeo and Siemens joint venture dedicated to high-voltage powertrains has begun operation. Named Valeo Siemens eAutomotive GmbH, the JV is headquartered in Erlangen, Germany and is expected to have a total of around 1,000 employees. Valeo Siemens eAutomotive will be managed by Louis Pourdieu (CEO) and Peter Geilen (CFO).
Ayats has announced that it has started work on a zero-emission variant of its Bravo I City open-top double-decker with an Actia electric driveline. The Spanish manufacturer says that interest in the project has been received from a number of sightseeing operators in Europe.
Eindhoven and Helmond, main cities in the Dutch provice of North Brabant, head towards zero-emission public transport by putting into operation 43 completely electrically powered articulated buses (18 metres) in a single Public Transport concession in this region. This is an important step leading to sustainable bus transportation and a glimpse at the future of public transport, says Transdev, which is operating the system.