Following TfL’s announcement that route 312 will be London’s first all-electric bus route, Optare has won an order for seven electric MetroCity single-deck buses for delivery later this year. The seven new electric Optares will join two that are already operating on the route between south Croydon and Norwood Junction.

The order is an important boost for Optare’s electric buses having beaten off the rival electric buses on trial in London from Chinese manufacturer BYD, albeit the latter has just won a contract for 13 buses in Nottingham, a city which has a long association with Optare vehicles.

According to Optare, the Arriva order is also notable in that it is not supported by grant funding, and could represent a breakthrough in terms of the assessment of commercial viability of electric buses.

'Following an initial trial of the Optare fully electric vehicles on route 312 we were satisfied that the technology was robust enough to stand up to the rigours of operating in an intense urban environment and are pleased to be the first operator in London to be offering a fully electric route,' says Peter Batty, commercial director, Arriva London.

Enrico Vassallo, CEO, Optare, adds: 'We are delighted that Arriva has chosen to purchase a further seven buses following the success of the MetroCity Optare fully electric buses currently operating on route 312. This order marks the first order of electric vehicles to be solely funded by a London operator. With zero emissions at tailpipe, these vehicles demonstrate that fully electric bus technology has very much arrived and is a commercially viable solution to improved air quality in London.'

Mike Weston, TfL director of buses, says, 'This is an exciting new milestone for our bus fleet, which is already one of the cleanest in Europe. We currently have eight electric buses in the TfL fleet and this number will grow to more than 300 by 2020. London has always been at the forefront of adopting and trialling new green technology and these buses are a welcome addition to the fleet.'

Source: Bus&Coach