The first BYD ADL Enviro400EV has entered service, with London operator Metroline.
It has gone onto route 43, operating out of Holloway garage.
The entire route will be converted to electric within the next few weeks.
Along with route 134, which Metroline intends to convert to electric by the end of summer, it will be the first full-electric double-deck route in London.
The BYD ADL Enviro400EV was unveiled in May, marrying ADL’s popular double-deck body with Chinese battery manufacturer BYD’s electric chassis.
With a daily range of 200 miles, the buses need only be recharged at night, when demand on the grid is lowest.
BYD has previously worked with Metroline to trial five prototypes.
Adrian Jones, Engineering Director at Metroline, says: “The launch of the new electric buses on route 43 is a triumph for both Metroline and for London.
“Providing a new challenge for Metroline’s engineering teams, we worked closely with engineers at BYD to develop these new buses, using what we learnt from our trials with their prototypes.
“As a result, they are perfectly designed to deliver Londoners to their destinations, while helping to keep London’s air cleaner with zero-emissions.”
