Optare announces the rollout of the Metrodecker EV

This is a follow up to my previous article where I showed you the press release from Alexander Dennis.

Optare has recently announced a rollout of 31 electric double deck buses for London Bus Route 134 which will be operated by Metroline.

Excerpts from Optare News

Optare will supply 31 all-electric double deck buses for TFL Route 134 running from North Finchley bus station to Tottenham Court Road to start operation next summer.

The innovative Metrodecker EV has been developed from the wheels up by Optare with support from its customers, vendors and partners. The unique integral space frame design of the Metrodecker EV means it weighs in at only a few hundred Kilos more than the diesel equivalent and has a plated GVW of 18000kg. The Metrodecker EV bus for London will carry over 90 passengers with a range of over 150 miles on a single charge.

According to the London Bus Routes detail page, the length of route 134 is 8 miles long which means the electric bus can have several full trips on a single charge.

Robert Drewery, Commercial Director, said, “Optare has the largest parc of electric buses in the UK with a decade of experience of working with operators across the country. Optare are delighted at the news of this order, which follows extensive in-service trials of the Metrodecker EV with a number of operators in London and other cities around the country over the last 12 months. The next generation Metrodecker EV destined for London is currently in testing before entering service trials later this year.”

Graham Belgum, Optare president said, “This order for our double deck product launched in November 2016 at Euro Bus Expo begins the next chapter in the Optare electric bus journey. The first Transport for London route to operate with solely electric buses began operation with an all Optare single deck electric bus fleet four years ago. Optare are delighted to be supplying their buses once again for the first all-electric double deck bus routes in London. However, the journey doesn’t stop here. We continue to develop and refine this technology. We look forward to bringing the next generation of electric buses to market later this year.”

Optare have announced their rollout but we are still waiting for Wrightbus to announce their own double deck electric bus. I don’t know if the bodywork will feature the Gemini 3 or the SRM (design based on the New Routemaster) but the SRM Volvo B5LHC will be demonstrated on London Bus route 37, according to my previous article.

I am so glad the electric double-deck buses are starting to roll out after such a long wait. As the three-door, two-staircase New Routemaster rollout ended, this is the beginning of the double-deck electric bus rollout.

Here’s the London Bus news update from LOTS:

This weekend’s major changes in London did not go smoothly. Yes, route 30 was taken over by Metroline with new VMH class Volvo B5LH/ MCV buses as planned from King’s Cross Garage, in turn ousting DE-class E200s for the 46 to Holloway. However there is a three-month delay in installing electric charging points at HT so the BEL class BYD/ADL electric buses remain in store at Perivale (PV) Garage. Route 274 had a frequency reduction as intended but its conversion to double-deck is held up pending tree pruning in Agar Grove, Camden. This it remains DLD/DE - operated although a couple of unscheduled extras with VMHs have been running this weekend just between Marble Arch and London Zoo.

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Image attribution
By citytransportinfo - MetrodeckerEV-BusExpo2016-BusExpo2016-P1390383, CC0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=53155843