The Anonymous Widower

Comings And Goings Of Battery-Electric Buses On Route 242 At Aldgate Bus Station – 4th September 2025

I took these pictures of 242 battery-electric buses at Aldgate bus station, last night.

Note.

1. All the buses on route 242, were Volvo BZL battery-electric buses.
2. All the battery-electric buses backed onto the chargers for about ten minutes.
3. Range on battery of the buses is probably about 214 miles according to Google.
4. Buses arrived and left every few minutes.
5. There was no indication, if the buses were charged at Aldgate bus station, although as the pictures show, some went dark for a few minutes.

If the buses were being charged, it certainly looked an efficient way to charge them.

I took these pictures of 242 battery-electric buses at Aldgate bus station and in Dalston, this morning.

Note.

1. All the electric buses are Streetlite Electroliners from Wrightbus.
2. All Wrightbuses have a stylised ‘W’ on the front.
3. The seventh picture shows the enlarged destination board on the back of the Streetlite bus.

Are Stagecoach running two different types of buses on the same route to ascertain the best and give the chargers a decent workout?

I have some further thoughts.

Could This Form Of Charging Be Used To Convert New Routemasters Into Electric Buses?

Consider.

• In Equipmake Hybrid To Battery Powered LT11, I show a battery-electric New Routemaster is possible.
• In Wrightbus Launches NewPower In Bicester, I write about Wrightbus’s new factory in Bicester to convert buses to battery power.
• In New Routemasters As Advertising Hoardings, I show how New Routemasters have a nice little secondary earner as advertising hoardings.
• New Routemasters have become a symbol of London.
• As pictures five to seven show, New Routemasters could share the chargers with younger battery-electric buses.
• There is still at least another dozen years left in most New Routemasters.

Converting a thousand New Routemasters must be cheaper, than buying a thousand new buses.

Could This Form Of Charging Be Used Outside London?

Most certainly, provided you can get enough power to the charger.

Aldgate doesn’t have a problem with power, as the Underground is underneath.

September 4, 2025 - Posted by AnonW | Transport/Travel | Aldgate Bus Station, Battery-Electric Buses, Contactless Bus Charging, Equipmake, London Bus 242, London Underground, LT11, New Routemaster, Volvo BZL Bettery-Electric Bus, Wrightbus, Wrightbus NewPower