Hyperdrive

London Gains Momentum in Electrifying Its 9,000-Strong Bus Fleet

Land, permits and power are among the hurdles to meeting TfL’s targets.

Commuters on a bus pass the Houses of Parliament in London.

Photographer: Jose Sarmento Matos/Bloomberg

Thanks for reading Hyperdrive, Bloomberg’s newsletter on the future of the auto world.

The sun was peaking through the clouds at Lea Interchange bus depot, near London’s Olympic Park, as I listened to Stagecoach Engineering Director Mark Wallis during a recent site tour. It quickly became clear that the sun is also shining on Transport for London’s plans to convert its fleet of around 9,000 buses to zero-emissions models over the next decade.