Arriva London orders Optare electrics

Arriva London has placed an order for seven fully electric Optare MetroCitys. The single deckers are to operate on service 312, which will be the first route in London to be operated entirely with fully electric buses. Due later this year, they will join the two Optare MetroCitys currently on the service, which runs between South Croydon and Norwood Junction.

CEO, Optare, Enrico Vassallo, said, ‘We are delighted that Arriva has chosen to purchase a further seven buses following the success of the Optare MetroCity fully electric buses currently operating on route 312. This is the first order of electric vehicles to be solely funded by a London operator. With zero emissions at the tail pipe, these vehicles demonstrate that fully electric bus technology has very much arrived and is a commercially viable solution to improved air quality in London.’

Commercial Director, Arriva London, Peter Batty, said, ‘We are one of the biggest bus operators in London, providing around 18 per cent of the capital’s bus services under contract to Transport for London. Following an initial trial of the Optare fully electric vehicles on route 312 we were satisfied that the technology was robust enough to stand up to the rigours of operating in an intense urban environment and are pleased to be the first operator in London to be offering a fully electric route.’

TfL’s Director of Buses, Mike Weston, said, ‘This is an exciting new milestone for our bus fleet, which is already one of the cleanest in Europe. We currently have eight electric buses in the TfL fleet and this number will grow to more than 300 by 2020. London has always been at the forefront of adopting and trialling new green technology and these buses are a welcome addition to the fleet.’