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December 21, 2024
One-thousandth e-bus in London’s TfL fleet, equipped with the Voith Electrical Drive System
Date: October 16, 2023
Heidenheim, Germany- Voith GmbH & Co. KGaA., a German multinational technology company, equipped the 1,000th zero-emission bus with the Voith Electrical Drive System (VEDS). This StreetDeck Electroliner celebrated its launch with Transport for London (TfL) and is currently in service with Metroline at the Edgware garage. The bus was manufactured by Wrightbus, and TfL has set a goal to achieve a fully zero-emission bus fleet by 2034.
The bus operator has already fully converted 54 of its bus services to zero-emission vehicles, while another 14 have undergone partial conversion. This mobility revolution in the city is being made possible in large part by the creative VEDS.
Mr. John Domigan, Sales & Marketing Manager at Voith, said that, We are pleased that this significant development in London's decarbonized bus transportation utilises Voith technology.
Mr. Ian Foster, Engineering Director from Metroline in London, said that, We are thrilled that the VEDS is being employed in recent vehicle purchases at Metroline because we have a long-standing partnership with Voith. An all-encompassing drive bundle has the advantage of increasing diagnostic efficiency and dependability.
Around 175 buses from different operators in the TfL network had VEDS installed as of the beginning of September, and there are already concrete plans in place to do the same for further vehicles. Many other UK cities and regions, such as Belfast, Leicester, and Liverpool, as well as the Midlands around Birmingham, are also using e-buses with VEDS.
Voith introduced the VEDS in 2021, a successful drive system in bus applications. It integrates a water-cooled permanent magnet motor, inverter, and control software. VEDS combines perfectly matched hardware and software components for optimal performance and offers optional auxiliary parts. Its compact design is lightweight, reducing energy consumption and increasing vehicle range.
In recent years, London has been combating pollution by creating an Ultra Low Emission Zone (ULEZ) in the city center. Vehicles not meeting Euro-4 (for petrol) or Euro-6 (for diesel) standards face charges. Under Mayor Sadiq Khan, ULEZ was expanded in August 2023 to promote public transport use and increase zero-emission buses.
