Ahead of Clean Air Day, Transport for London (TfL) has announced there are now 3,000 zero-emission buses on the capital’s roads, around a third of the fleet.
It comes as London has seen a 100-fold increase in such vehicles, from just 30 electric buses a decade ago. Zero-emission buses could save an estimated five million tonnes of carbon over the next two decades, with the 3,000 electric buses saving more than 100,000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions annually – around 118,900 flights between London and New York City.
Since 2021, all new buses have been zero-emission at the tailpipe, with the remainder meeting or exceed Euro VI standards.
Other sustainability measures include LED lighting at around 12,000 bus stops, using less than half the energy and brightening shelters by 10%.
The 3,000th zero-emission bus has been specially wrapped to commemorate the milestone and will travel on route 165 between Romford and Rainham. It is one of more than 120 zero-emission buses from Ballymena-based Wrightbus.
The Rainham depot, where the bus is based, is currently being upgraded to support the switch to zero-emission buses, with work including installation of new high-level chargers mounted on overhead steel gantries to power the buses. The steel for these has been ordered from a local company, Rainham Steel, based only a few miles away from the bus depot itself.
The news comes ahead of Transport + Energy‘s Fleet Electrification Forum on 8 July at Warwick Conferences, where Transport for London’s Lisa Diparine will be speaking.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said:
“I’m proud that London is leading the charge in sustainable transport with 3,000 of our iconic red buses now going green – which is a hundred times more than when I took office in 2016, and one of the largest zero-emission bus fleets in Europe.
“Over the last decade as Mayor, I’ve worked with TfL to take our bus network from strength to strength – creating new services, such as the game-changing Superloop, and boosting our zero- and low-emission buses to help clean up our air and support our climate goals.
“I remain committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that buses remain the most accessible, affordable and sustainable form of transport in the capital as we continue building a greener, fairer, better London for everyone.”
Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, said:
“This is more than a milestone; it is real visible change – cleaner journeys for Londoners every day. With a third of London’s fleet of iconic buses are now zero-emission, it is even easier for customers to travel around the city in a sustainable, affordable and accessible way. We have the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Western Europe and now more than 3,000 of London’s buses are now zero-emission, up from just 30 in 2016, demonstrating the pace of progress as we strive to transition the whole of the fleet.
“We’re brightening up our customers’ journeys in more ways than one, as we’ve also converted all of the lighting at our bus shelters to LED lighting. Using less energy, these bulbs will make our bus shelters more welcoming for customers and help them to feel safer, especially at night. From new zero-emission buses to LED bulbs, every step we take to decarbonise the public transport network propels us on our journey towards net zero.”
Sam Greer, Chief Operating Officer at Stagecoach Group, said:
“We’re incredibly proud to be playing our part in London’s transition to a zero-emission bus network and it’s fantastic to see the 3,000th zero-emission bus entering service from our Rainham Garage. This milestone reflects the strength of collaboration between TfL, operators and industry partners along with our shared commitment to delivering cleaner, greener journeys for the communities we serve.”
Christian Reynolds, Managing Director of Wrightbus, said:
“We are delighted to have provided London’s 3,000th zero-emission bus in what is also a landmark year for us, as we celebrate our 80th anniversary.
“Each vehicle represents not only a step forward in decarbonising transport, providing cleaner air for the people of London, but also a commitment to accessibility, innovation and passenger experience.”
Charles Long, Senior Political Advisor at Green Alliance, said:
“Red buses are going green around the capital. Buses cut congestion and damaging air pollution – electric buses supercharge this. London is showing the way by only buying new buses if they are zero-emission at the tailpipe.”
Image courtesy of TfL
