Do Londoners dream of electric buses?(ianvisits.co.uk)
ianvisits.co.uk
Do Londoners dream of electric buses?
https://www.ianvisits.co.uk/blog/2018/06/26/do-londoners-dream-of-electric-buses/
98 comments
And tall white fountains?
Most interesting part of the article for me:
> and being of considerable utility, they are remarkably undamaged. It seems that sticking chewing gum in things only applies when the vandal feels they wont personally lose out
(assuming this is actually true, and not another in a long local tradition of overly rose-tinted journalistic views of our grim North Sea shithole)
> and being of considerable utility, they are remarkably undamaged. It seems that sticking chewing gum in things only applies when the vandal feels they wont personally lose out
(assuming this is actually true, and not another in a long local tradition of overly rose-tinted journalistic views of our grim North Sea shithole)
- grim North Sea shithole
Spend some time in other coutries and you'll yearn to return. Trust me.
Spend some time in other coutries and you'll yearn to return. Trust me.
Over 3 years in Spain and no plans to return to Brexitlandia.
The UK has it's good points, but better quality of life can be found elsewhere.
The UK has it's good points, but better quality of life can be found elsewhere.
Not much QOL though if you're one of the millions of unemployed.
And that’s why I never bought a place in Merthyr Tydfil despite being famously affordable, and also why I moved out of Aberystwyth when I graduated despite it looking pretty and being a good place for really long quiet countryside walks.
High unemployment in an area sucks even when you personally have a job. Given nothing will stop Brexit, I wish I could say I thought Westminster cared enough to provide replacements for EU support of the poorest regions of the UK… but, and this is mere opinion, I don’t think it can see past Kensington nine days out of ten.
High unemployment in an area sucks even when you personally have a job. Given nothing will stop Brexit, I wish I could say I thought Westminster cared enough to provide replacements for EU support of the poorest regions of the UK… but, and this is mere opinion, I don’t think it can see past Kensington nine days out of ten.
I was talking about Spain. Opportunities for young people are not good there atm - worse than the UK.
I know you were. I’m saying that conditions in the UK are about to get a lot worse because the impoverished areas are about to lose support that Westminster doesn’t appear to understand that it needs to replace post-Brexit — support which would still be necessary even if Brexit had literally zero economic effects, which, given their track record of overconfidence since Austerity began, would be a surprisingly good outcome.
Come on though, this supposed austerity is nothing of the sort, with lavish benefits still in place and an unsustainable level of public spending, never mind the gargantuan debt - and we don't even have a proper low tax alternative political party anymore now that the Tories have decided to keep the spending taps turned on full. And no one really knows what's going to happen post Brexit. We could become the successful low-tax Singapore style trading hub that so terrifies Europe. I can speculate also.
> We could become the successful low-tax Singapore style trading hub that so terrifies Europe. I can speculate also.
The UK’s main problem isn’t any particular UK goal, it’s the total lack of anyone competent in charge and, separately, the lack of anyone powerful/charismatic enough to pick only one of the, I count six, main mutually-incompatible post-Brexit targets (each of which comes in left and right wing variations) and say “this one and none of the others”.
Right now, becoming like Singapore wouldn’t have enough support from Brexiteers, never mind Westminster. Unfortunately, the same is true for 100% of the negotiating positions thus far named, and nobody (seems to have) thought about afterwards at all.
The UK’s main problem isn’t any particular UK goal, it’s the total lack of anyone competent in charge and, separately, the lack of anyone powerful/charismatic enough to pick only one of the, I count six, main mutually-incompatible post-Brexit targets (each of which comes in left and right wing variations) and say “this one and none of the others”.
Right now, becoming like Singapore wouldn’t have enough support from Brexiteers, never mind Westminster. Unfortunately, the same is true for 100% of the negotiating positions thus far named, and nobody (seems to have) thought about afterwards at all.
I agree with you on the absolute paucity of leadership - but I'd extend that to Labour also. And I suspect the lack of planning for afterwards was partly out of denial that the plebs would ever dare vote leave, and partly deliberately to make leaving so disastrous that it becomes impossible - something which the civil service has been accused of.
I marginally agree about Labour: they mainly portray themselves better just because they don’t need to actually do anything. However, my agreement is not absolute: on the other hand everyone knows that none of the MPs like Corbyn yet the wider party loves him and MPs will therefore mostly do what he says, so he can — bizarrely — be the strong and stable leader that May thought she was, and May can be the leaf blowing in the wind that she thought he was.
As for the latter, I think only the first. The second component would require the government to be as smart as it thinks it is rather than as dumb as it is currently acting. While I am sure some in the government will make such accusations as genuine and sincere beliefs, the government reminds me of a former client who took something like four attempts at telling me to make a button “wider” and rejecting the changes before I ended up asking for a picture and discovering they meant “taller”.
By the way, thanks for keeping it polite! This is a massively divisive topic and I want to applaud every single involved person who avoids internet shouting.
As for the latter, I think only the first. The second component would require the government to be as smart as it thinks it is rather than as dumb as it is currently acting. While I am sure some in the government will make such accusations as genuine and sincere beliefs, the government reminds me of a former client who took something like four attempts at telling me to make a button “wider” and rejecting the changes before I ended up asking for a picture and discovering they meant “taller”.
By the way, thanks for keeping it polite! This is a massively divisive topic and I want to applaud every single involved person who avoids internet shouting.
> with lavish benefits still in place
Without looking it up what's the current rate of universal credit? What's the current benefit cap level?
Without looking it up what's the current rate of universal credit? What's the current benefit cap level?
When a life on benefits is a viable career option for many and indeed the system discourages many from looking for work because they would make less that way than on benefits then perhaps there's a problem, and benefits are too generous?
I'm all for looking after the vulnerable, but we give so much money to the feckless that we cannot look after those that are most deserving. Lavish money on the disabled, elderly, and the genuinely incapable. Provide a bare minimum of essentials for the cynical, whilst making life unpleasant enough to encourage take up of opportunities to improve, of which there are no shortage. Why do we give up on people so easily?
I'm all for looking after the vulnerable, but we give so much money to the feckless that we cannot look after those that are most deserving. Lavish money on the disabled, elderly, and the genuinely incapable. Provide a bare minimum of essentials for the cynical, whilst making life unpleasant enough to encourage take up of opportunities to improve, of which there are no shortage. Why do we give up on people so easily?
I lived for 3 years in Spain and while I miss cheap rent and cheap public transport I don't miss the noise and bad manners.
Noise levels can be pretty bad in big UK cities too. Especially London. Too many extra-loud modified motorbikes, too many overflying Heathrow planes. But yes, British people are for the most part polite!
Four months continuous in Germany, only reason I came back was mum’s Alzheimer’s getting to the point of needing more care than my family and inlaws could provide themselves. When she gets too bad for me to be of any use, I’m off again.
I’ll miss chips and the NHS. I’ll miss my friends. I won’t miss the country — especially not in the current toxic political situation.
I’ll miss chips and the NHS. I’ll miss my friends. I won’t miss the country — especially not in the current toxic political situation.
Oh yes. My trips to countries such as Thailand, Italy, Holland, Japan, Denmark, the US (Pittsburgh, LA, NY) and Spain can never end quickly enough.
The thought occurs to me that you've only visited France and whatever they're calling Czechoslovakia this year.
Whereas as someone who spends quite a lot of time each year in Spain and Italy, and dearly love both; have family in one and a partner from the other - we are both quite glad to return to Britain after a few weeks away.
She, particularly, sees the downsides of her home country quite quickly. I have a bit more tolerance, but there're elements of a certain flavour of society missed. For us, anyway.
Oh, and I visited Czechia (whatever) for the first time last year and was smitten... but I was only there for a couple of weeks. Not really enough time to form any useful - or, indeed, completely useless - comparisons.
/anecdata
She, particularly, sees the downsides of her home country quite quickly. I have a bit more tolerance, but there're elements of a certain flavour of society missed. For us, anyway.
Oh, and I visited Czechia (whatever) for the first time last year and was smitten... but I was only there for a couple of weeks. Not really enough time to form any useful - or, indeed, completely useless - comparisons.
/anecdata
I see you didn't defend France there!
[deleted]
I was surprised that they felt USB charging is a feature. We've had that, and WIFI, on some diesel buses in Gloucestershire for a while.
USB charge points under the seats tend to be more broken - accidentally kicked.
USB charge points under the seats tend to be more broken - accidentally kicked.
Wireless chargers would be a nice vandalism-proof option. But slower of course.
OK, sorry, this comment supposed to be a bit of light-hearted fun and I particularly didn't expect to stir up the hornets' nest of "BUT IMMIGRANT'S" (though I should know by now that those people can see immigrants in everything).
Anyway, if you can read this, please flag my post, and give it a downvote while you're there, and perhaps dang will delete it. I hope so. It's too late for me to do it myself. Apologies.
Anyway, if you can read this, please flag my post, and give it a downvote while you're there, and perhaps dang will delete it. I hope so. It's too late for me to do it myself. Apologies.
So awful there are still plentiful migrants banging on the door to be let in.
Not really, when you see the data
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/tgm/table.do?tab=table&init=1&l...
UK is not a particularly attractive destination for either economic/humanitarian reasons compared to Germany/Italy etc.
UK is not a particularly attractive destination for either economic/humanitarian reasons compared to Germany/Italy etc.
You are the one making that comparison, not me, and that's only for asylum seekers. Net migration to the UK is still near historic highs, with migration from outside the EU actually increasing, and the predicted exodus of EU migrants far smaller than was forecast. The UK is still a dream destination for many migrants.
So why the camps at Calais then? given that the UK isn't welcoming to asylum seekers it makes you wonder how bad it is in other European countries.
Most of those (1) couldn’t speak French, (2) had contacts in the UK and a desperate human need for strong social connection, (3) believed, rightly or wrongly, that any contact with French authorities would result in their applications being rejected and them being forcibly returned to Syria/Afghanistan/wherever.
Source: Girlfriend did supply runs to The Jungle. She also found the place shocking in comparison to a literal slum in Nairobi.
But also: compare the size of that camp (~6500) to the ~million (at peak) who had asylum in Germany.
Source: Girlfriend did supply runs to The Jungle. She also found the place shocking in comparison to a literal slum in Nairobi.
But also: compare the size of that camp (~6500) to the ~million (at peak) who had asylum in Germany.
TFA has great practical information about the switch from diesel to battery. A few examples:
* How do you arrange parked buses in a garage so that they can charge? Diagrams included!
* Purchase cost: 2x up front compared to diesel, but improving
* Operating cost: 50% lower than diesel (but labor—hiring the driver—is still 60%)
* How do you arrange parked buses in a garage so that they can charge? Diagrams included!
* Purchase cost: 2x up front compared to diesel, but improving
* Operating cost: 50% lower than diesel (but labor—hiring the driver—is still 60%)
In discussing the economics, the article neglected to mention the huge reduction in maintenance costs.
I wonder if it is that big?
Your car maintenance you'll typically spend 4 hours for an annual service, at $50 per hour. Total: $200
A bus in a depot uses in house staff ($25 per hour), and since all the busses are identical and they're probably performing the same service on 5 at a time, probably only works out to an hour per bus. Total cost $25.
Thats so small compared to the salary of the driver who drives it around normally, maintenance cost might not be a significant part of the equation.
Your car maintenance you'll typically spend 4 hours for an annual service, at $50 per hour. Total: $200
A bus in a depot uses in house staff ($25 per hour), and since all the busses are identical and they're probably performing the same service on 5 at a time, probably only works out to an hour per bus. Total cost $25.
Thats so small compared to the salary of the driver who drives it around normally, maintenance cost might not be a significant part of the equation.
Any comparison of noise generated by these buses? Of changes in the on-time rate due to changed handling/acceleration? How much smoke did the diesels put out?
The noise inside the bus seems quite annoying: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XEKJSMqhYKk
I've been in one of these. The noise is noticeable but not nearly as offensive as a diesel bus engine revving.
Also there's no idling that would normally cause vibrations.
Also there's no idling that would normally cause vibrations.
Yes, it's a much more relaxing ride compared to a diesel bus. Smooth and quiet.
The noise seems to be exaggerated somewhat in that video - in real life it's pretty subtle.
The noise seems to be exaggerated somewhat in that video - in real life it's pretty subtle.
No inclusion of the knock-on benefits of NHS savings from fewer cases of diesel exhaust complications.
What if having people die early from diesel fumes winds up saving NHS more money though [0]?
0: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/18/news/tobacco-giants-analy...
0: https://www.nytimes.com/2001/07/18/news/tobacco-giants-analy...
Yeah, but that comes out of someone else's budget, so who cares right?
> Londoners might not dream of electric buses, …
Every single cyclist dreams of electric busses, believe you me.
Huffing nitrogen stationary-bus-fart oxides turns any public road here straight into an express lane to lung cancer, without even the courtesy of a nicotine rush.
I laugh when people say cycling is healthy. Not in London. Nooo sir. Between the long term certainty of whatever smokers like to aim for, and the short term gamble of “brain-on-asphalt syndrome”, it’s a bloody joke.
Electric busses can’t rule the streets soon enough.
Every single cyclist dreams of electric busses, believe you me.
Huffing nitrogen stationary-bus-fart oxides turns any public road here straight into an express lane to lung cancer, without even the courtesy of a nicotine rush.
I laugh when people say cycling is healthy. Not in London. Nooo sir. Between the long term certainty of whatever smokers like to aim for, and the short term gamble of “brain-on-asphalt syndrome”, it’s a bloody joke.
Electric busses can’t rule the streets soon enough.
> I laugh when people say cycling is healthy. Not in London.
Not according to this Cambridge study two years ago. They found the health benefits of cycling in London always outweighed the risks.
http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/walking-cycling-air-pollu...
It got quite a bit of media coverage, e.g.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/05/benefits...
Not according to this Cambridge study two years ago. They found the health benefits of cycling in London always outweighed the risks.
http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/walking-cycling-air-pollu...
It got quite a bit of media coverage, e.g.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/05/benefits...
There where a lot of edge cases to those calculations. Including very short short commute times, specific locations within cities, background physical activity, traffic accidents etc.
Further, while 1% of cities may cross their air thresholds at their assumption levels those are the largest cities. So far more than 1% of the population would be worse off.
It's just the news glossed over the very real downsides mentioned in the study.
Further, while 1% of cities may cross their air thresholds at their assumption levels those are the largest cities. So far more than 1% of the population would be worse off.
It's just the news glossed over the very real downsides mentioned in the study.
The benefits of cycling outweigh the harms of the pollution, almost everywhere. The pollution is still harmful, though, and lowers your lifespan compared to not having as much pollution.
As a London pedestrian I am fully in favour of electric buses.
The NoX fumes are horrible for pedestrians too. Especially when the buses are stacked one after another, idling.
I seriously can’t believe the government refuses to act on the diesel disaster. Tens of thousands of people die from diesel exhaust complications per year, but they don’t care.
The NoX fumes are horrible for pedestrians too. Especially when the buses are stacked one after another, idling.
I seriously can’t believe the government refuses to act on the diesel disaster. Tens of thousands of people die from diesel exhaust complications per year, but they don’t care.
Ironically Mrs Thatcher (former chemist) questioned the dash to diesel instead of clean burn engines back when the policy of favoring diesel over petrol was being discussed.
This reminds me of 'dieselgate'[0], it's not just buses. One does wonder why the government hasen't acted on a diesel ban (or some action) when it's clearly a risk to the public.
[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal
[0]https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Volkswagen_emissions_scandal
I'm pretty sure that's what he was talking about.
did anyone vote for more taxes on themselves to cover the cost?
How about we cover the cost from the billions of profits made by car companies selling internal combustion engines and lobbying against change?
I effectively voted for the Ultra Low Emission Zone although it will increase my taxes. At least I wrote go for it in the residents survey.
As the article suggests the cash cost of the electric busses may be zero with a longer deprecation period.
Against that "pollutants linked to one in 12 deaths in parts of London." Which would you choose? https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families...
As the article suggests the cash cost of the electric busses may be zero with a longer deprecation period.
Against that "pollutants linked to one in 12 deaths in parts of London." Which would you choose? https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families...
No but diesel owners who have for decades had a nice subsidy from my pocket have been :-(
Probably have to offset that with the reduction of cost to the NHS of pollution related illnesses.
Outside of TfL and absent a "diesel scrappage scheme" the cost would be born by primarily by private individuals anyway.
Outside of TfL and absent a "diesel scrappage scheme" the cost would be born by primarily by private individuals anyway.
Seconded if you have ever been cycling behind a badly maintained diesel buss and had to stop because of the fumes half way up a hill you will empathise.
Keeping in mind you probably won't hear them coming.
Manufacturers of electric vehicles already are rolling out noise generators for low speeds, and it's likely those will become mandatory.
A friend's Renault Zoe EV has a 'whoosh' noise generator which thankfully can be disabled in the fusebox.
To me it would be more sensible to only trigger a noise generator upon feedback from the parking sensors, instead of polluting the environment with constant sci-fi noises.
To me it would be more sensible to only trigger a noise generator upon feedback from the parking sensors, instead of polluting the environment with constant sci-fi noises.
Noise generators for EVs are required, or soon to be required, in the EU and USA.
Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS): https://www.interregs.com/articles/spotlight/eu-updates-requ...
Acoustic Vehicle Alert System (AVAS): https://www.interregs.com/articles/spotlight/eu-updates-requ...
You do. I had the chance to ride on a BYD bus.
The electric motors are not as quiet as I thought and the interior really likes to rattle.
Both things can be solved, but at the price hit of the EV tech I"m not sure the clients would be very willing to spend the money.
Both things can be solved, but at the price hit of the EV tech I"m not sure the clients would be very willing to spend the money.
Is there any research to back up your claim? What are the chances of getting cancer from this? Is there even a direct link? Is it better in aggregate to be an unfit bus rider or a fit cyclist?
There's actually the opposite evidence; it's worse to be in a vehicle than walk or cycle, and there's a few studies that say that the benefits of cycling outweigh the pollution exposure.
http://www.breathelondon.org/south-east/project/modes-transp...
http://www.breathelondon.org/south-east/project/modes-transp...
Most smart people driving in London are going to leave their car's climate control on the "recirculate" setting whenever possible. That gives you a more-or-less closed environment, running cabin air back through the car's filters rather than sucking in dirty air from the street.
But cyclists and pedestrians have no such luxury - they're breathing in the filth whenever they're on, or near, a busy road.
But cyclists and pedestrians have no such luxury - they're breathing in the filth whenever they're on, or near, a busy road.
If you only have a paper filter that won't help at all.
By using the "recirculate" setting you avoid bringing in polluted air from outside the car in the first place, so it certainly does help. Just return to fresh air when away from busy roads and polluted areas.
And paper filters do, of course, remove dust and particulates, which are part of the problem. Just not things like NOx and volatile organics. And depending on the filter, it may not be effective against really small (eg PM2.5) particles.
And paper filters do, of course, remove dust and particulates, which are part of the problem. Just not things like NOx and volatile organics. And depending on the filter, it may not be effective against really small (eg PM2.5) particles.
Activated carbon filters are cheap, mine cost $12. I can't speak to whether all other cars have compatible fits though.
From a personal sample of one, I cycled 4 months on routes used by busses and developed a smokers cough - I've never smoked. I'd be surprised if that wasn't a lung cancer risk. I stopped after that. The worst fumes were from diesel busses though this was a few years back and they have probably fitted less polluting ones now.
The World Health Organisation declared diesel exhaust carcinogenic in 2012: https://www.iarc.fr/en/media-centre/pr/2012/pdfs/pr213_E.pdf
I don't think it's healthy at all to ride on London buses, especially in a hot summer when the buses have all their windows open. The air seems really bad inside - you can smell it and feel it in your lungs.
About half of pollutants come from brakes and tyres - http://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/bitstream/JR...
Bringing in electric buses will not decrease these pollutants. They will also not remove enough of the other half of the pollutants. The change needs to be far wider and harsher.
Bringing in electric buses will not decrease these pollutants. They will also not remove enough of the other half of the pollutants. The change needs to be far wider and harsher.
well, the regenerative braking will reduce brake dust a bit. Certainly not completely, but its a start.
Anecdotally, regenerative braking on an EV reduces brake pad wear by somewhere around 50-80%. It's rare to have to replace brake pads in an EV, or even to see them significantly worn.
On urban buses, which are constantly starting and stopping, I imagine it could be even more.
On urban buses, which are constantly starting and stopping, I imagine it could be even more.
If EV companies were confident in their engineering, one could design a system with entirely electric braking.
No brake pads required. Simply dump the energy into the battery (or a big heater for the excess when the battery is full or too cold to charge)
Obviously, you can't have a failure in the electrical or control system or you can't brake anymore, so that part will have to be designed with much more redundancy than it is in todays vehicles.
No brake pads required. Simply dump the energy into the battery (or a big heater for the excess when the battery is full or too cold to charge)
Obviously, you can't have a failure in the electrical or control system or you can't brake anymore, so that part will have to be designed with much more redundancy than it is in todays vehicles.
how will they reduce braking dust? I thought they were primarily only going to use the brake power for energy.
> how will they reduce braking dust?
"In urban environments, brake wear can contribute up to 55 % by mass to total non-exhaust traffic-related PM10 emissions" [1]. (The "abrasion processes which result in direct particulate matter (PM) emission are tyre, brake, clutch and road surface wear, with other potential sources being engine wear, abrasion of wheel bearings and corrosion of other vehicle components, street furniture and crash barriers.")
When a vehicle regeneratively brakes, the brakes aren't engaged. Instead, the transmission connects to a generator, which resists the vehicle's motion as it converts kinetic energy into electricity.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4315878/
"In urban environments, brake wear can contribute up to 55 % by mass to total non-exhaust traffic-related PM10 emissions" [1]. (The "abrasion processes which result in direct particulate matter (PM) emission are tyre, brake, clutch and road surface wear, with other potential sources being engine wear, abrasion of wheel bearings and corrosion of other vehicle components, street furniture and crash barriers.")
When a vehicle regeneratively brakes, the brakes aren't engaged. Instead, the transmission connects to a generator, which resists the vehicle's motion as it converts kinetic energy into electricity.
[1] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4315878/
Braking dust comes from brake pads rubbing against brake disks. Electric vehicles slow down by running the motor in reverse and recharging the battery, therefore don't use the brake pads and brake disks as much, especially at higher speeds where the brake dust problem is the worst.
Using the engine for braking means the physical brake will not be used, so there will be no dust in that case.
Regenerative braking is using the electric motor as a generator for a time during braking. So you're not dealing with pads and rotors wearing down, at least not as much.
You need your braking pads less when you convert the kinetic energy in electricity.
[deleted]
Thanks for that, all
What do you mean "They will also not remove enough of the other half of the pollutants." Surely they will remove 100% of those, plus most of the brake dust.
It's true that there will be an increase in road / tyre dust due to the extra weight of batteries, but I'd be very surprised if this was as much as was saved elsewhere.
It's true that there will be an increase in road / tyre dust due to the extra weight of batteries, but I'd be very surprised if this was as much as was saved elsewhere.
I think he's talking about all the other vehicles on the roads other than buses.
s/About half of pollutants/About half of PM10/
China is adding electric buses at an incredible rate. Every 5 weeks China adds a London sized fleet of electric buses:
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/04/china-is-adding-a-lon...
https://www.curbed.com/2018/5/4/17320838/china-bus-shenzhen-...
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/04/china-is-adding-a-lon...
https://www.curbed.com/2018/5/4/17320838/china-bus-shenzhen-...
The Curbed article states that in Shenzen half a percent of the bus fleet is still diesel, but that half percent contributes 20% of the pollution. Can't wait for more electrics.
A key difference is that diesel can “recharge” a bus in a matter of minutes, so buses simply queue up at a pump and then drive off. With electric, it takes a few hours overnight, so they had to install a long line of charging points right down the middle of the garage.
... Anyone here know why swappable batteries haven't taken off for fleets?
... Anyone here know why swappable batteries haven't taken off for fleets?
In Gothenburg, where Volvo is increasing the trials of electric buses, there are charging stations at the end of lines. So the bus charges roughly 10 minutes, twice per round trip.
As an aside, riding them is very nice -- the noise level is very low.
The project: https://www.electricitygoteborg.se/en
As an aside, riding them is very nice -- the noise level is very low.
The project: https://www.electricitygoteborg.se/en
I get the impression it's been complicated to swap the batteries and have the fleet on compatible batteries.
Ashok Leyland of India are launching one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of3Au0fIMjQ
Ashok Leyland of India are launching one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of3Au0fIMjQ
Would also make sense to help when the batteries start to wear out as mentioned. And swappable batteries could help a stuck bus out if it accidentally has a faulty battery that drained too fast. Makes sense in many aspects.
A peripheral benefit of electrified buses would be regenerative braking.
I've lost count of the amount of times that grubby, dusty brake pads have led to screeching that makes me feel like my ears are about to bleed, when buses have come to a standstill beside me. I once even wrote to TFL about the problem, weird little man that I am. Never received a response.
I've lost count of the amount of times that grubby, dusty brake pads have led to screeching that makes me feel like my ears are about to bleed, when buses have come to a standstill beside me. I once even wrote to TFL about the problem, weird little man that I am. Never received a response.
You're not the only one bothered by that. I find school buses and small delivery vehicles to be the worst on that, given the frequent stops and starts and minimal maintenance they receive. The city buses here are marginally better but not by much.
This drove me insane with poorly maintained NYC taxis and buses too.
Just down the road from Waterloo Travelodge which is quiet, cheap and a good base for central London explorations should anyone be visiting. While in that part of the Great Wen, don't miss Roupell Street around 5pm.
It's fantastic. In a quiet residential area they are nearly silent and when I cycle by them on the way work there's no fumes.
The strangest thing is when you ride them you hear every seat rattle and squeak because there's no roaring engine to drown it out.