Ashok Leyland's British bus making subsidiary Optare has inducted a fleet of four fully electric low-floor Optare MetroCity single deck buses in London to test the feasibility of a large scale operation of emission-free public transport in Central London.
The Optare MetroCity electric buses can be fully charged in 5 hours using a conventional charging system while a fast charging system does the job in just 2 hours. The company hasn't revealed detailed specs of the buses but claims that, depending on the operational conditions, a range of up to 100 miles (160 km) can be achieved on a full charge.
Optare's electric bus project is partly funded by Department of Transport's (UK) Green Bus fund. The project is a part of the London Mayor's initiative to have all the single deck buses plying in Central London to be fully electric. The area is touted to be the world's first Ultra Low Emission Zone starting from 2020.
Already, two electric buses are in operation in London, taking the total count to six. The Hinduja Group company has also announced that two more electric buses will be added to the fleet in the coming months.
Speaking on the occasion, Mr. Gopichand Hinduja, Co-Chairman of the Hinduja Group said that Optare is crucial to Ashok Leyland's future global strategy. He added that the British bus brand would serve as a hub to Ashok Leyland's expansion into Europe and worldwide.
More details are available in the press release below.
Ashok Leyland's Optare starts trial runs of MetroCity electric buses in London - Press Release
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