The Anonymous Widower

The Diesel-Hybrid 141 Buses Always Seem To Get Through

Today, I had an all-too-typical bus-rid back from Moorgate after breakfast and a bit of shopping.

My direct bus is a 141, which is a second-rate, Chinese BYD bus, which has a number of problems as I pointed out in My 78-Year-Old Legs Are More Reliable Than The New Chinese Buses On London’s 141 Bus Route.

  • I just missed a 141, so I caught the next bus that was going my way.
  • It was a New Routemaster on the 76 route, so I took a chance, that it might pass the previous 141 bus, as they often do.
  • As we passed Moorfield’s Eye Hospital, we passed the 141, but it was stopped at the side of the road, with all its lights flashing.
  • I decided to change two stops from home and left two stops from home, from where I could walk.
  • I waited perhaps five minutes before an elderly Wrightbus diesel-hybrid arrived to take me home,

After today’s experience, I can’t help but remember the old joke!

  • Question: What’s red and lies in the gutter?
  • Answer: A dead bus!

Other colours are available.

November 22, 2025 Posted by | Shopping, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Toyota Announce The Hydrogen Hilux

This article on MSN is entitled Toyota Just Revealed The New Hilux And It’s Changed In Every Way, Except One.

This is a paragraph.

First thing’s first: all of this is subject to change, as Toyota has stated. Toyota has issued several worldwide press releases detailing the specifics of the new Hilux, including a Toyota Australia-designed exterior and interior package, an arrival date for the hydrogen FCEV Hilux set for 2028, and sales scheduled in Europe and the U.K. for mid-2026 with diesel hybrid and all-new BEV variants available.

The 2028 date for the hydrogen FCEV Hilux gives Toyota three years to sort out the hydrogen supply.

Who Could Develop A Network Of Filling Stations For Hydrogen-Powered Vehicles?

By 2028, there could be several groups of hydrogen powered vehicles on the market.

  • Toyota’s Hilux FCEV
  • Wrightbus will have launched a hydrogen-powered coach.
  • I suspect that JCB will have launched a hydrogen-powered digger.
  • I also suspect, that at least one hydrogen-powered truck will have been launched in the UK.
  • In an article on electrive, the Wrightbus CEO is pracmatic about hydrogen.

Someone will need to develop a network of hydrogen filling stations.

HiiROC claim they have scaleable technology to create an electrolyser, that can generate hydrogen, where it is needed from any hydrocarbon gas.

  • The HiiROC electrolyser separates the carbon out as carbon black, so HiiROC can be considered zero-carbon, if the carbon black is used or stored.
  • The long range of hydrogen vehicles probably means hydrogen filling stations don’t need to be as numerous as conventional filling stations.
  • HiiROC could probably put one of their Thermal Plasma Electrolysers at any location with a natural gas supply.
  • HiiROC is also well-backed by Centrica and others.

HiiROC is certainly one possibilities, but there may be others.

November 16, 2025 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What Happened To The Toyota Hydrogen-Powered HiLux?

I wrote about this vehicle in Toyota Unveils Prototype Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hilux, but I’ve not heard any more.

So I asked Google AI, the question in the title of this post and received this reply.

The Toyota hydrogen-powered Hilux is currently in the demonstration and evaluation phase and has not been officially confirmed for mass production. Ten prototypes were built in the UK and are undergoing testing, with some being used for customer and media demonstrations at events like the Paris Olympics. Toyota is using this project to gather data, refine its hydrogen technology, and prepare for a future European market that could see the vehicle go on sale around 2028.

A simple Google search produced this YouTube video and this article in the Toyota UK magazine.

I don’t want to drive one, as that would be illegal, but I have just added riding in one of these beasts to my bucket list.

Toyota Have Gone To The Advanced Propulsion Centre For Their Latest Project

In Toyota Leads Multi-Million-Pound Micromobility Research Project, I write about another project, where Toyota have approached the Advanced Propulsion Centre for funding and technical help. So the Advanced Propulsion Centre must be doing something right, to attract another project from Toyota.

In CoacH2 – The Next Generation Coach, I write about how the Advanced Propulsion Centre are helping to develop the powertrain for Wrightbus’s upcoming hydrogen-powered coach.

It certainly looks like the Advanced Propulsion Centre are in the middle of the net-zero transport revolution.

November 4, 2025 Posted by | Design, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

My 78-Year-Old Legs Are More Reliable Than The New Chinese Buses On London’s 141 Bus Route

So we all know what we’re talking about, here’s a few pictures.

Note.

  1. The buses seem to have no serious faults from a passenger point of view.
  2. One middle-aged lady on the plump side, said she didn’t like the buses.
  3. The aisle between the front seats doesn’t seem to be built for large people.
  4. The seats are reasonably comfortable.
  5. One morning, I stood on a long journey and I felt the road-holding wasn’t as good as a New Routemaster.
  6. On several buses, the interior route display has not been working.
  7. As I don’t wear a watch, I find a non-working display annoying.
  8. I haven’t been upstairs yet.
  9. As picture numbers three and four show, the bus looks a bit pokey at the back downstairs.

But I am very suspicious about the buses’s  reliability or ability to handle the route, which is fairly long.

Take this morning, when I was coming home from London Bridge station.

  • There was only a 43 bus at the shared stop with the 141 bus.
  • As the routes are identical until Old Street station, I took the 43 bus to Moorgate station.
  • At Moorgate station, I took a 76 bus, which gets me within walking distance of where I live.
  • Someone said, that a 141 bus would mean a wait of ten minutes.
  • In the end my 78-year-old legs delivered be home.

I didn’t see a 141 bus going my way on my journey.

I have seen behaviour like this several times, since some Chinese electric buses were introduced on to the route.

As a graduate Electrical and Control Engineer, it looks to me, that there is one of two problems with these buses.

  • The batteries aren’t large enough for the route.
  • Not enough time is allowed for charging the batteries at the end of the route.

This page on the Wrightbus website is entitled Wrightbus Electroliner ‘Most Efficient Double-Deck Battery-Electric Bus’, and it contains this paragraph, which probably explains their philosophy and ambition.

We have already gained a strong reputation for our hydrogen double deck but we want to lead the world in zero-emissions full stop. Wrightbus has the best brains in the business when it comes to technology and our StreetDeck Electroliner puts us squarely at the front of the pack. We haven’t weighed the bus down with a high battery volume just so we can say it’s got the most power or range; instead, we’ve made it the most efficient vehicle on the road by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric bus spends more time on the road than any other.

It also probably sets a very high bar, which the Chinese can only achieve by adding battery volume and making their buses pokey.

To be fair to the buses, the 141 route is probably nearly 20 miles long.

In Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus, I wrote about what it says in the title.

In that post, I said this about hydrogen buses running on the 141 route.

Wrightbus Hydrogen Buses For My Local Bus Route 141

Consider.

  • The 141 bus route is my local bus, which gets me to Moorgate, Bank, London Bridge and Manor House.
  • The length of the full route is twenty miles and it takes about an hour to go from London Bridge station to Palmers Green.
  • The route is currently run by older Wrightbus hybrid diesel-electric buses.
  • I suspect that modern hydrogen buses could last almost all day on one fill of hydrogen, with perhaps a top-up at lunchtime.

They would have no difficulty handling the route  and would greatly increase the customers current rock-bottom satisfaction.

I am sure, they would improve the horrendous reliability of the route.

I also wonder, if Wrightbus have another solution.

In UK Among Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck Prospects, I talk about Wrightbus’s new Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck bus and how it would be ideal for the 141 bus route.

  • The 141 bus route is the old 641 trolleybus route, so all clearances are generous.
  • The tri-axle design can probably carry a better-optimised battery.
  • There used to be two bus routes on the route and now there is only one, so more capacity is needed.
  • The 141 bus route bridges the gap between the Northern section of the Piccadilly Line and the Elizabeth Line, Bank and London Bridge.
  • The new air-conditioned Piccadilly Line trains, will increase the passengers on the line.
  • There will be a lot more housing built in Enfield, at the Northern end of the Piccadilly Line and more bus capacity will be needed between Manor House and the City of London.

Some of TfL’s rerouting of buses in North London, was a crime against mathematics.

October 4, 2025 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Riding The Bakerloop BL1 – 28th September 2025

The Bakerloop BL1 is a new express bus route in London, that runs between Waterloo station and Lewisham Town Centre.

This article on the BBC, which is entitled New Bus Route Launches With Free Fares In Week One, announced the route.

This is the sub heading.

A new bus route that links parts of south-east London has launched with free fares for its first week of operation

These two paragraphs describe the service in more detail.

The Bakerloop will run between Waterloo station and Lewisham every 12 minutes during the day from Monday to Saturday and every 15 minutes in the evenings and on Sundays.

Electric double-decker BL1 services will operate between 05:00 BST and 00:30 along the proposed Bakerloo Tube line extension route, stopping at Elephant and Castle, New Cross Gate and Lewisham stations.

I took these pictures as I rode from Waterloo station to Lewisham Town Centre.

Note.

  1. The route starts at Stop D in Waterloo Road on the East side of Waterloo station.
  2. If you leave the station by Exit 2 and then cross Waterloo Road on the light-controlled crossing, then Stop D is less than thirty metres to your right.
  3. Pictures 15-24 were taken as the bus went over Bricklayers Arms flyover.
  4. Picture 23 is a close up of one of the trees along the route. Is it a London Plane.
  5. Despite the Summer, most trees seem to be in a reasonable condition.
  6. Crossing the roads and the information could be better in Lewisham Town Centre.

I have some further thoughts.

Trains And Bakerloop BL1 Compared

Consider.

  • The bus takes a few minutes over half-an-hour.
  • The train takes 19 minutes.
  • The train runs twice an hour.
  • The bus runs at least four times per hour.

The bus is probably the more affordable option, but the train is faster.

Is The Bakerloop BL1 Fast Enough?

Consider.

  • The bus certainly takes almost twice as long as the trains.
  • But then it is more frequent.
  • The route doesn’t seem particularly hilly.
  • The Alexander-Dennis bus didn’t seem slow.
  • The bus would probably attract more passengers, if it was faster.

It will be interesting to see how this route develops.

Would Hydrogen Buses Help?

Two of the hydrogen buses, I have ridden have been on longer routes and they have used their undoubted extra power to accelerate and climb hills faster.

Their longer range probably allows them to work for much of a day, without refuelling.

So I wouldn’t rule out hydrogen buses on this route, at some point in the future, because of the route’s length.

Is Bakerloop The Right Name?

I don’t think so, as a certain class of tourist, will assume the bus goes to Baker Street and the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

Perhaps, it should have been called something descriptive like the Waterloo-Lewisham Express.

Is Bakerloop BL1 Being Used As A Pathfinder For The Bakerloo Line Extension To Lewisham?

I’ve read somewhere that it is.

It wouldn’t be a new idea and a properly structured trial could give valuable information about how many people would use the new rail route.

Surely, a similar approach could be taken to provide projections for passenger usage on the West London Orbital Railway.

Could Other Routes Use A Similar Philosophy?

In Riding Birmingham’s New Hydrogen-Powered Buses, I rode a route across Birmingham, that was run to a similar philosophy to the Bakerloop BL1 route, except thast it used hydrogen buses.

So I’m pretty sure the answer is in the affirmative.

Will Three-Axle Double-Deck Buses Be Useful For Routes Like BakerLoop BL1?

I asked Google AI, if three axle electric and hydrogen double-deck buses were being developed and received this reply.

Yes, Wrightbus and Wisdom Motor have developed and are producing three-axle zero-emission double-decker buses, including both battery-electric and hydrogen fuel-cell models. Wrightbus recently unveiled its 6×2 Streetdeck prototype, and Wisdom Motor partnered with Citybus to develop a three-axle hydrogen double-decker (DD12) for Hong Kong’s bus fleet.

I believe that a three-axle bus may have a greater payload, so for routes like Bakerloop BL1, they may be very useful, if only to carry bigger batteries.

September 28, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

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 | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Centrica Secures Investment Stake In Gasrec Helping Boost UK Bio-LNG Ambitions

The title of this post, is the same as that of this press release from Centrica.

This is the sub-heading.

Centrica has secured a minority stake in Gasrec, the UK’s largest dual provider of bio-LNG (bio-Liquified Natural Gas) and bio-CNG (bio-Compressed Natural Gas) to the road transport sector,

These first two paragraphs give more details.

Gasrec says the investment will drive the next phase of its infrastructure ambitions, with plans to open a UK wide network of open-access refuelling stations supplying renewable bio-LNG for the decarbonisation of heavy goods vehicles.

Centrica is taking a 16% stake and becomes one of three major shareholders in Gasrec, alongside global integrated energy company bp and private family office 44 North.

I have some thoughts.

Does Running A Truck On bio-LNG or bio-CNG. Reduce Carbon Emissions?

This paragraph from the press release, gives the thoughts of Chris O’Shea, who is Group Chief Executive, Centrica.

Chris O’Shea, Group Chief Executive, Centrica plc, said: “Demand for bio-LNG for transport is growing fast as more HGV operators make the switch – drawn by a clean, ready-to-use fuel which slashes CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent in comparison to diesel*. This investment in Gasrec enhances our collaboration with the leading company in the sector, and puts us in a strong position to energise a vital sector of the industry on its journey to net zero.”

As Centrica is a public company, with shareholders, who would take a dim view of Mr. O’Shea telling porkies, I suspect we can assume that the following is true.

Drawn by a clean, ready-to-use fuel which slashes CO2 emissions by up to 85 per cent in comparison to diesel.

The asterisk in the full quote, refers to this note.

Low Carbon Vehicle Partnership, Innovate UK and Office for Low Emission Vehicles, Low Emission Freight & Logistics Trial (LEFT), Key Findings, November 2020. Using specific feedstocks CO2 reductions of 200% are achievable.

Centrica could be being conservative with their claims.

Decarbonising Buses, Locomotives And Trucks

Despite what Elon Musk, would have us believe, electric trucks will not dominate the future of freight transport.

An electric truck would be the vehicle equivalent of asking Usain Bolt to run a hundred metres with a large refrigerator on his back.

Trucks are going to need a fuel without a weight penalty and with a long range.

I asked Google for information about Cummins diesel, natural gas and hydrogen engines and received this AI Overview.

Cummins offers engines powered by diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen. While diesel engines are well-established, Cummins is also developing both natural gas and hydrogen engines, particularly focusing on hydrogen as a pathway to zero-carbon solutions for various applications. Cummins utilizes a fuel-agnostic platform, meaning a common base engine can be adapted for different fuel types, including diesel, natural gas, and hydrogen.

Recently, GB Railfreight purchased thirty Class 99 locomotives from Stadler.

  • They can use electrification, where it exists.
  • Where electrification doesn’t exist, they can use an onboard Cummins diesel engine, which is built in Darlington.
  • In electric-mode, they have 6.2 MW of power, and are the most powerful locomotives ever to run on UK railways.
  • In diesel-mode, they have 1.8 MW of power, which is more than enough to haul a large container train in and out of Felixstowe.

I had thought that at some future date, Cummins would convert these locomotives to electro-hydrogen.

But now that Gasrec is providing bio-LNG and bio-CNG, GB Railfreight, have the option of converting both hydrogen and biomethane.

Similar logic can be applied to Wrightbus’s Streetdeck Ultroliner, one version of which is fitted with a Cummins engine, that can be converted to electric, hydrogen or natural gas, which of course includes biomethane. This page on the Wrightbus web site describes the bus.

Wrightbus are also going back into coach manufacture, as I wrote about in Wrightbus Goes Back To The Future As It Relaunches The Contour Coach. As with the Streetdeck Ultroliner, Cummins seem to be providing one of the power units.

It seems to me, that the zero- and low-carbon revolution in transport will generate a need for the availability of biomethane, hydrogen and natural gas fuel for transport all over the country.

Gasrec with around twenty biomethane fuelling points around the country, seem well-placed to supply the biomethane in bio-LNG or bio-CNG  form.

Could Gasrec Deliver Hydrogen?

Various bus companies in the UK, have had difficulty getting the fuel for their hydrogen buses.

I believe that delivering hydrogen would be very similar to delivering LNG and if Gasrec can deliver LNG successfully and safely, they probably have the technology to do the same for hydrogen.

Centrica Seem To Be Assembling An Interesting Consortium

These are some deals, that I have reported on this blog, that involve Centrica.

Note.

  1. A lot of these deals are are about hydrogen production.
  2. Some of these deals are about biomethane production.
  3. None of these deals talk about getting hydrogen and biomethane to customers.

It appears to me, that Gasrec have a model that works to get hydrogen, methane and biomethane from production and storage to the end customers.

Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network

In Developing A Rural Hydrogen Network, I talked about supplying all those millions of off-gas grid properties with hydrogen for heating, agricultural and industrial purposes, in the countryside of the UK.

Gasrec have the technology to decarbonise the countryside.

Conclusion

Gasrec would appear to be a very useful partner for Centrica.

 

September 3, 2025 Posted by | Energy, Energy Storage, Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Long Ride In An Electric Bus

In the last few weeks, I’ve started to use the 243 bus, a lot more, as I’ve been on a course at St. Leonards Hospital and bus serves Dalston Junction, St. Leonards Hospital, Old Street station and a couple of other places I visit regularly.

On Thursday, I used it from my GP’s surgery and the William Harvey Heart Centre, where I volunteer.

I noticed that the buses on the route were now brand-new Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner battery-electric buses.

This morning, I took a ride on a 243 bus from ~Old Street to Wood Green to make a better assessment of the bus.

These were the pictures I took.

I can compare it with four other common London buses.

  • In common with the 243 bus of a few weeks ago, the 141 bus, that I use regularly has a collection of Wrightbus hybrid buses of a certain age, which need to be replaced.There is no comparison between the two buses, as the Streetdeck Electroliner has better ride, seats and interior fittings and also comes with phone charging, with every passenger having their own USB port.
  • In addition to being fully electric, the bus is a step-up from the New Routemaster, in that the Electroliner is much quieter.
  • In British Buses For British Bottoms, I was impressed with the Electroliner’s single-deck sibling and as most would expect, the buses are of similar standard and quality.
  • I regularly ride on 43 buses, which are based on a Chinese chassis. I would rate the ride on these buses to have inferior passenger ride, than both the Electroliner  and the New Routemaster.

I have a few other thoughts.

Is The Range Sufficient?

The web page for the Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliner, says this about range.

StreetDeck Electroliner is not a regular electric bus, its optimised power from a 454kW zero-emission battery electric power train is the ideal battery capacity for a UK Double Deck bus. It powers it to a range of up to 200 miles and a fast charge time of just 2.5 hours ensures daily scheduling aligning with driver breaks.

The buses are based at Tottenham Garage, which could mean they go back to there to charge, as it is on the route.

I asked Google AI, where the buses on route 243 were charged and got this answer.

London’s electric buses, including the route 243, primarily charge their batteries at bus garages using plug-in charging points. However, some routes, like the 358, utilize pantographs (overhead charging systems) at the ends of routes to provide rapid charging during the day, minimizing the need for lengthy garage charging. Arriva London, which operates route 243, has ordered new Volvo BZL electric buses for this route, and these buses will likely be charged using a combination of garage charging and opportunity charging via pantographs.

The answer is based on this article on this article on route-one.net which is entitled Arriva London orders 51 Volvo BZL Electric Double-deckers, where these are the first two paragraphs.

Arriva London has placed an order for 51 Volvo BZL battery-electric double-deckers. They represent the first order for the BZL from Arriva and will be deployed from Tottenham depot on Transport for London (TfL) routes 243 and 341.

Delivery is to commence in 2025 and the buses will be 10.9m long. High-backed seating will be fitted along with USB charging points and glazed skylights. Each will have 470kWh of energy storage with the 200kW driveline including a two-speed automated manual gearbox.

I have some questions.

  • Has my camera lied about the buses it saw on the 243 route?
  • Do the Wrightbus Streetdeck Electroliners use opportunity charging on the 243 route?

I shall investigate.

August 16, 2025 Posted by | Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Council Invests £16m In Hydrogen Buses

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on the BBC.

This is the sub-heading.

There are now 34 hydrogen buses on the streets of Surrey, the council has announced.

These two paragraphs add more details.

Surrey County Council (SCC) said it has invested £16m and partnered with Metrobus to provide greener commuting options.

The fleet is now made up of 23 single-deck buses and 11 double-deckers, the council said.

I wrote about a ride on one of these buses to Gatwick Airport in Sutton Station To Gatwick Airport By Hydrogen-Powered Bus.

From the comments in the article, by a Surrey County Council councillor, the council seems very pleased with their hydrogen buses.

July 30, 2025 Posted by | Hydrogen, Transport/Travel | , , , , | 2 Comments

UK Among Tri-Axle Zero-Emission Wrightbus StreetDeck Prospects

The title of this post, is the same as that of this article on routeone.

This is the sub-heading.

Orders for new product ‘already lined up’ in Europe and the Far East, the manufacturer has said

These are the first two paragraphs.

Wrightbus sees UK sales opportunity for its new tri-axle zero-emission StreetDeck double-deck bus platform in addition to core Far Eastern markets for that class of vehicle, it says.

That was noted by CEO Jean-Marc Gales (pictured) when debuting prototype examples of the 6×2 bus that it says are “simultaneously” coming off production lines in Northern Ireland and Malaysia. The manufacturer adds that orders are “already lined up” for the product in Europe and the Far East.

I seem to remember that London’s electric trolleybuses used to have three axles.

So I asked Google AI if London’s trolleybuses did have three axles and got this reply.

Yes, London’s trolleybuses were predominantly three-axle vehicles. To accommodate their length and the power of their electric motors, most London trolleybuses, designed to replace trams, were built with three axles. This design allowed them to be larger and carry more passengers, similar to the trams they replaced.

So my memory was correct.

Where I live in De Beauvoir Town, the main North-South bus route is the 141 between London Bridge and Palmers Green.

  • They are ten-year-old diesel hybrid buses.
  • The route is busy and the buses are far too small.
  • During my childhood, the route was the 641 trolleybus, which I used regularly.
  • Southgate Road, where the trolleybuses ran is wider than most roads in London.

It would be ironic, if our inadequate 141 buses were to be replaced by new three-axle buses following some of the design rules of trolleybuses.

Is A Three-Axle Bus Better At Climbing Hills Than A Two-Axle?

In the UK, Bradford, Brighton and Sheffield are cities with hills.

If a three-axle bus is better at climbing hills, then this could be a big selling point.

The Chinese Won’t Be Pleased

This is said in the article.

The manufacturer adds that orders are “already lined up” for the product in Europe and the Far East

The Chinese won’t like Wrightbus stealing their markets.

 

July 20, 2025 Posted by | Design, Transport/Travel | , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment