LDN: New E400H enters service

The first of a new batch of Hybrid buses are entering service in London over the next few months. This was funded by a govn't grant paying the difference in price between a hybrid bus and a normal diesel bus.

Here is an E400H in service with transdev on route 94 in Oxford Street. Eventually, 20 E400H would appear on route 94.
The odd thing about it? there is not even a hint that this is a hybrid bus! what I meant is the previously, TfL paid some money to put some special green stickers all over the hybrid buses- leaving everyone in no doubt that this is a hybrid bus! the same for other hybrid bus operators outside London.

but it appears that this batch of buses are appearing in drab all over red- as the case for normal diesel buses!

Regards

Yoram

I also captured them in Marble Arch yesterday

That's probably because hybrid buses are becoming normal in London...
we can expect loads of them joining the capital in the near future.
By the way, where will those London United schemed ALX400 Tridents go
to? Stay with Transdev or withdraw from fleet?

Hybrid buses are very expensive: E400 trident costs GBP175K and a hybrid E400H cost GBP335k- the difference is significant. Unless TfL/London Buses get enough money from the govn't,  the number of hybrid buses purchased will remain low.
The forecast is that in 2012 there will be 300 hybrid buses- out of a fleet of over 8500 buses.
The money for the hybrid buses comes out of the 'Green Fund', and funding is limited...

The E400H displace the TLAs to route 220, displacing the older VAs [alx400 volvo B7].  
There are two batches of VAs at the garage [S]: the original X reg buses [VA61 onwards] and the newer batch- VA299 etc- the ones that were used to introduce route 148.
Some buses in Transdev are owned and some buses are leased. So, the two options is to sell older buses off the fleet, or to return buses off lease.
I think we have to wait and see...I tend to think that the older VAs will leave S garage.

regards

Yoram