London’s Transport for London (TfL) has reached 3,000 zero-emission buses in service, a 100-fold increase since 2016 and equivalent to around a third of its total bus fleet. The overwhelming majority of this 3,000 units are battery-electric buses, with a small number of hydrogen buses also in operation. TfL says the milestone, which comes ahead of Clean Air Day on 18 June, makes it one of the largest zero-emission bus operators in Western Europe.
TfL’s electric bus expansion has been strong, with the operator not purchasing a new diesel bus since 2021, with all additions since then being zero-emission at the tailpipe. The environmental case is significant, with TfL estimating that running around 3,000 electric buses over a year saves more than 100,000 tonnes of CO2. A full transition of the bus fleet to zero-emissions, which TfL is targeting by 2034, could prevent five million tonnes of carbon emissions over the next 20 decades. The operator also notes that London’s buses already produce lower CO₂ per passenger kilometre than comparable fleets in cities such as New York and Vancouver.
The 3,000th bus, wrapped to celebrate the occasion, will run on route 165 in East London, operating out of Stagecoach’s Rainham depot. It forms part of an order of more than 120 vehicles from Wrightbus, the Ballymena-based manufacturer. The order will bring a further six routes at Rainham to zero-emission status within the next year. Infrastructure upgrades at the depot also include new overhead charging gantries, to support the rising numbers of electric buses in operation.
Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, commented:
“I’m proud that London is leading the charge in sustainable transport with 3,000 of our iconic red buses now going green – which is a hundred times more than when I took office in 2016, and one of the largest zero-emission bus fleets in Europe. Over the last decade as Mayor, I’ve worked with TfL to take our bus network from strength to strength – creating new services, such as the game-changing Superloop, and boosting our zero- and low-emission buses to help clean up our air and support our climate goals. I remain committed to doing everything in my power to ensure that buses remain the most accessible, affordable and sustainable form of transport in the capital as we continue building a greener, fairer, better London for everyone.”
Lorna Murphy, Director of Buses at TfL, added:
“This is more than a milestone; it is real visible change – cleaner journeys for Londoners every day. With a third of London’s fleet of iconic buses are now zero-emission, it is even easier for customers to travel around the city in a sustainable, affordable and accessible way. We have the largest zero-emission bus fleet in Western Europe and now more than 3,000 of London’s buses are now zero-emission, up from just 30 in 2016, demonstrating the pace of progress as we strive to transition the whole of the fleet.
We’re brightening up our customers’ journeys in more ways than one, as we’ve also converted all of the lighting at our bus shelters to LED lighting. Using less energy, these bulbs will make our bus shelters more welcoming for customers and help them to feel safer, especially at night. From new zero-emission buses to LED bulbs, every step we take to decarbonise the public transport network propels us on our journey towards net zero.”
