London electrifies its sightseeing Tour Buses through retrofitting

London is set to become quieter and have cleaner air by switching 10 sightseeing buses to electric propulsion.

Choose rather than discard. The leading city tour company, Big Bus Tours, has decided to start converting its diesel bus fleet to electric. The chosen method is retrofit, which involves replacing the existing mechanical system with an electric traction system by simply adapting the chassis.

This decision makes sense given that the average speed and total daily mileage are actually quite low. Electric traction obviously offers the benefits of regenerative braking (frequent), quiet operation, and smooth acceleration without jolts. Ultimately, it is also hard to ignore that, in the long run, central London (and many major cities worldwide) will be zones restricted to combustion engines.

The conversion will be entrusted to the company Ankai, which will equip each bus with a 327 kWh battery to ensure a daily range of 120 miles (200 km) before returning to the depot in the evening.

An initial fleet of 10 double-decker buses will be put into service in the first quarter of 2024. The conversion to electric is estimated to save approximately 90 tons of CO2 equivalent per bus compared to a complete replacement. Last but not least, and a primary concern for companies: converting costs half as much as buying a new bus. Multiplied by ten units, Big Bus will quickly reach the full tour!

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