Two million miles for Abellio London’s groundbreaking zero-emission buses

March 21 2022

Abellio London’s Walworth depot has clocked up over two million electric bus miles - cutting emissions of carbon and nitrogen oxides, and improving the safety of passengers at the same time.

And driver Kingsford Koi-Otto, who has driven Caetano electric buses from their introduction, has himself clocked up over 24,000 electric miles - that’s the equivalent of driving to New Zealand and back!

Thirty-four Caetano e.City Gold electric buses were introduced during 2020 on two London routes. The Abellio London-operated buses have been running on routes P5 (Nine Elms-Elephant and Castle) and C10 (Canada Water-Victoria), out of Abellio’s Walworth depot in South-East London.

The two million miles clocked-up equate to;

• 10m customer journeys
• A saving of 3,647 tonnes of carbon emissions from bus exhausts*
• A saving of 1,609kg of nitrogen oxides, a particularly toxic pollutant**

Cutting levels of carbon dioxide and nitrogen oxides will help tackle the twin dangers of climate change and poor air quality. Toxic air contributes to thousands of deaths each year and is linked to heart disease, dementia and the stunted development of children’s lungs.

The Caetano e.City Gold buses are the first of their type built specifically for the UK market and incorporate advanced safety features and better accessibility.

Jon Eardley, Managing Director, Abellio London Bus, said: “Walworth is the first of our depots to operate electric buses with five out of our six depots being upgraded to run zero-emissions buses by autumn 2022. This will take Abellio London’s operation of electric buses to over 15% of the fleet size.

“These cutting-edge electric vehicles further strengthen our position of operating one of the cleanest bus fleets in the UK. We are committed to introducing further, best-in-class electric buses and look forward to making a significant contribution towards the Mayor of London’s vision of having a complete zero-emissions bus system in the capital by 2030.”

Bus driver Kingsford said: “With the advanced safety features and a modern specification, these buses are even more comfortable and safe to drive. They are a step-up in terms of overall experience, and help us to ensure a comfortable and enjoyable journey for customers.”

Louise Cheeseman, TfL’s Director of Buses, said:“On just two routes, these numbers show the huge number of people takingadvantage ofconvenient, affordable bus travel, and just how many tonnes of harmful emissions that buses can save - making a significant contribution towards reducing the effects of climate change and helping people breathe cleaner air.