Oxford unveils first electric open-top double decker bus

The first electric open-top double decker bus has arrived in Oxford, assisting in the reduction of toxic air pollution in the city ahead of the Oxford Zero Emission Zone.

The bus is the first of five open-top City Sightseeing Oxford buses that are being retrofitted to electric, as a result of funding from the government’s Clean Bus Technology Fund. Oxford City Council was awarded £1.7 million at the start of 2018 to retrofit 78 buses to the ultra-low emission Euro 6 standard, and to convert five open-top double decker buses to electric.

A year later, the authority then secured a further £700,000 to upgrade an additional 37 city buses to Euro 6 standard to help reduce toxic air pollution, bringing the total government funding to improve Oxford’s buses to £2.3 million, with a total of 115 buses being upgraded. Oxford Bus Company has so far completed 65 of its 71 vehicle upgrades under this programme.

To support the programme, Oxford Bus Company has made an investment of £350,000, including an investment of £80,000 to install the charging equipment for the double decker sightseeing buses, including an innovative battery storage system to harness the energy produced by their solar panels.

City Sightseeing Oxford buses operate one hour guided hop-on, hop-off open-top tours of the city and take in Oxford’s best tourist attractions. Over the past two years, Oxford Bus Company has conducted several trials of single decker electric buses on its services, the most recent of these being –a BYD single decker electric bus which was used to provide a special Park & Ride service to the Oxford EV Summit.

Tom Hayes, cabinet member for Zero Carbon Oxford, said: “I am thrilled that Oxford’s first electric open-top double decker bus has arrived in Oxford. 2020 is the year that we will see the start of the Oxford Zero Emission Zone - the UK’s first city centre Zero Emission Zone. I am delighted by working together with Oxford Bus Company; we are able to introduce a more sustainable bus fleet to Oxford. Cleaner buses mean that we will have cleaner air and improved health for everyone living, working, and commuting in the city. I am looking forward to seeing more electric buses on the roads of Oxford in the future.”