Hop on, hop off sightseeing bus company Tootbus has announced plans to install roof-mounted solar panels at its Wandsworth depot to secure end-to-end renewable power for its fleet of battery-electric buses.
The announcement supports the operator’s ambition to run London’s first fully electric sightseeing bus fleet by 2029.
The project, which will start to go online this summer, is supported by electric fleet solutions provider VEV and will provide 65,000kWh of electricity annually (or approximately 60,000km of travel per year) when the fleet has been fully converted to run on electricity.
The approval for the solar panels marks what Tootbus calls “the first significant milestone” in the partnership. It comes alongside the introduction of a paperless ticketing system via the Tootbus app, and sustainable customer equipment such as wheat straw fibre headphones.
Gavin Brooking, Managing Director at Tootbus UK, says: “We are thrilled to have secured approval for these solar panels. Sustainability has been central to our operations since the launch of Tootbus, and this project is a hugely exciting step in our renewable energy journey. We are pleased to continue to be well ahead of policy priorities and see it as our imperative to lead. Green tourism is vital to keeping central areas of London clean, safe and pollution-free, and we are proud to be at the forefront of this movement.
“Electric vehicles have a vital role to play in supporting emission reduction efforts across the transport sector, which is responsible for the majority of air pollutants. Tootbus has led the industry in decarbonising efforts to date, helping to minimise the environmental burden on the cities in which we operate. We are also encouraged that our efforts were recently recognised through our ISO Certification for Environmental Responsibility.”
Adds Mike Nakrani, CEO of VEV: “We’re delighted to be partnering with Tootbus on its journey towards a fully electrified and sustainable fleet. Solar power generation was an integral part of the electrification strategy we developed together. With careful charging scheduling, Tootbus can now maximise the utilisation of clean solar energy when the sun is shining, reducing its reliance on the grid during those times.
“As its end-to-end solutions provider, VEV took responsibility for navigating the complexities of gaining planning permission for the solar installation. In this instance the Tootbus Wandsworth depot being a Grade 2 listed building added an extra layer of complexity that we were successfully able to overcome. This project is a significant milestone and paves the way for Tootbus to realise its ambition of operating London’s first fully electric, renewable-energy powered sightseeing fleet by 2029 while substantially reducing emissions and minimising their environmental impact.”
Tootbus takes pride in its sustainability journey. The operator first converted to HVO fuel in 2021, and will re-power two more HVO-fuelled buses to electric drivelines this year.
