Every single cyclist dreams of electric busses, believe you me.
Huffing nitrogen stationary-bus-fart oxides turns any public road here straight into an express lane to lung cancer, without even the courtesy of a nicotine rush.
I laugh when people say cycling is healthy. Not in London. Nooo sir. Between the long term certainty of whatever smokers like to aim for, and the short term gamble of “brain-on-asphalt syndrome”, it’s a bloody joke.
Electric busses can’t rule the streets soon enough.
As a London pedestrian I am fully in favour of electric buses.
The NoX fumes are horrible for pedestrians too. Especially when the buses are stacked one after another, idling.
I seriously can’t believe the government refuses to act on the diesel disaster. Tens of thousands of people die from diesel exhaust complications per year, but they don’t care.
Seconded if you have ever been cycling behind a badly maintained diesel buss and had to stop because of the fumes half way up a hill you will empathise.
Is there any research to back up your claim? What are the chances of getting cancer from this? Is there even a direct link? Is it better in aggregate to be an unfit bus rider or a fit cyclist?
Bringing in electric buses will not decrease these pollutants. They will also not remove enough of the other half of the pollutants. The change needs to be far wider and harsher.
The Curbed article states that in Shenzen half a percent of the bus fleet is still diesel, but that half percent contributes 20% of the pollution. Can't wait for more electrics.
A peripheral benefit of electrified buses would be regenerative braking.
I've lost count of the amount of times that grubby, dusty brake pads have led to screeching that makes me feel like my ears are about to bleed, when buses have come to a standstill beside me. I once even wrote to TFL about the problem, weird little man that I am. Never received a response.
You're not the only one bothered by that. I find school buses and small delivery vehicles to be the worst on that, given the frequent stops and starts and minimal maintenance they receive. The city buses here are marginally better but not by much.
Any comparison of noise generated by these buses? Of changes in the on-time rate due to changed handling/acceleration? How much smoke did the diesels put out?
A key difference is that diesel can “recharge” a bus in a matter of minutes, so buses simply queue up at a pump and then drive off. With electric, it takes a few hours overnight, so they had to install a long line of charging points right down the middle of the garage.
... Anyone here know why swappable batteries haven't taken off for fleets?
In Gothenburg, where Volvo is increasing the trials of electric buses, there are charging stations at the end of lines. So the bus charges roughly 10 minutes, twice per round trip.
As an aside, riding them is very nice -- the noise level is very low.
Would also make sense to help when the batteries start to wear out as mentioned. And swappable batteries could help a stuck bus out if it accidentally has a faulty battery that drained too fast. Makes sense in many aspects.
> and being of considerable utility, they are remarkably undamaged. It seems that sticking chewing gum in things only applies when the vandal feels they wont personally lose out
(assuming this is actually true, and not another in a long local tradition of overly rose-tinted journalistic views of our grim North Sea shithole)
OK, sorry, this comment supposed to be a bit of light-hearted fun and I particularly didn't expect to stir up the hornets' nest of "BUT IMMIGRANT'S" (though I should know by now that those people can see immigrants in everything).
Anyway, if you can read this, please flag my post, and give it a downvote while you're there, and perhaps dang will delete it. I hope so. It's too late for me to do it myself. Apologies.
Just down the road from Waterloo Travelodge which is quiet, cheap and a good base for central London explorations should anyone be visiting. While in that part of the Great Wen, don't miss Roupell Street around 5pm.
nothrabannosir|7 years ago
Every single cyclist dreams of electric busses, believe you me.
Huffing nitrogen stationary-bus-fart oxides turns any public road here straight into an express lane to lung cancer, without even the courtesy of a nicotine rush.
I laugh when people say cycling is healthy. Not in London. Nooo sir. Between the long term certainty of whatever smokers like to aim for, and the short term gamble of “brain-on-asphalt syndrome”, it’s a bloody joke.
Electric busses can’t rule the streets soon enough.
ljcn|7 years ago
Not according to this Cambridge study two years ago. They found the health benefits of cycling in London always outweighed the risks.
http://www.mrc-epid.cam.ac.uk/blog/walking-cycling-air-pollu...
It got quite a bit of media coverage, e.g.
https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2016/may/05/benefits...
jeffwass|7 years ago
The NoX fumes are horrible for pedestrians too. Especially when the buses are stacked one after another, idling.
I seriously can’t believe the government refuses to act on the diesel disaster. Tens of thousands of people die from diesel exhaust complications per year, but they don’t care.
walshemj|7 years ago
cm2187|7 years ago
albertgoeswoof|7 years ago
superqwert|7 years ago
Bringing in electric buses will not decrease these pollutants. They will also not remove enough of the other half of the pollutants. The change needs to be far wider and harsher.
melling|7 years ago
https://www.weforum.org/agenda/2018/04/china-is-adding-a-lon...
https://www.curbed.com/2018/5/4/17320838/china-bus-shenzhen-...
michaelbuckbee|7 years ago
detritus|7 years ago
I've lost count of the amount of times that grubby, dusty brake pads have led to screeching that makes me feel like my ears are about to bleed, when buses have come to a standstill beside me. I once even wrote to TFL about the problem, weird little man that I am. Never received a response.
telchar|7 years ago
cylinder|7 years ago
neolefty|7 years ago
* How do you arrange parked buses in a garage so that they can charge? Diagrams included!
* Purchase cost: 2x up front compared to diesel, but improving
* Operating cost: 50% lower than diesel (but labor—hiring the driver—is still 60%)
jeffwass|7 years ago
lallysingh|7 years ago
woodandsteel|7 years ago
hiharryhere|7 years ago
It's fantastic. In a quiet residential area they are nearly silent and when I cycle by them on the way work there's no fumes.
The strangest thing is when you ride them you hear every seat rattle and squeak because there's no roaring engine to drown it out.
chris_va|7 years ago
... Anyone here know why swappable batteries haven't taken off for fleets?
htgb|7 years ago
As an aside, riding them is very nice -- the noise level is very low.
The project: https://www.electricitygoteborg.se/en
tim333|7 years ago
Ashok Leyland of India are launching one: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=of3Au0fIMjQ
dalore|7 years ago
tom_|7 years ago
> and being of considerable utility, they are remarkably undamaged. It seems that sticking chewing gum in things only applies when the vandal feels they wont personally lose out
(assuming this is actually true, and not another in a long local tradition of overly rose-tinted journalistic views of our grim North Sea shithole)
1ba9115454|7 years ago
Spend some time in other coutries and you'll yearn to return. Trust me.
DanBC|7 years ago
USB charge points under the seats tend to be more broken - accidentally kicked.
tom_|7 years ago
Anyway, if you can read this, please flag my post, and give it a downvote while you're there, and perhaps dang will delete it. I hope so. It's too late for me to do it myself. Apologies.
growlist|7 years ago
martinald|7 years ago
wffurr|7 years ago
keithpeter|7 years ago
olivermarks|7 years ago
markatkinson|7 years ago