New Routemaster bus

Jay · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:03

I thought they had to get rid of the old hop on hop off buses due to H&S?

I do like the idea of bringing them back.

Lopéz · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:17

Kenai said:
Incorrect

http://cdn.images.autocar.co.uk/612x408FFFFFF/NonCar/14121111430365651600x1060.jpg

It can run with the door open, or closed.

Lopéz · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:18

Jay said:
I thought they had to get rid of the old hop on hop off buses due to H&S?

I do like the idea of bringing them back.

Nothing to do with health and safety to the best of my knowledge - it was down to costs (conductors) and the low floor regulations they imposed. That's what got rid of the Routemasters.

Kenai · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:18

It still has a door though, so his statement was incorrect, as I said.

Maz · 18 Dec 2011 at 12:23

Makes me want to become a bus driver!

NAT!!!!!!!!

Looks quite cool for a bus, aren't they meant to be building electric buses these days?

purejamie · 18 Dec 2011 at 22:10

daz said:
Still can and do in central London. Useful if you've missed the bus by a few seconds and the bus is stopped in traffic.

Indeed - heritage routes through central London still run old routemasters, chased many down Fleet Street....

Skilid · 18 Dec 2011 at 22:14

Maz said:
Makes me want to become a bus driver!

NAT!!!!!!!!

Looks quite cool for a bus, aren't they meant to be building electric buses these days?

It does run off an electric motor. It does have a 3.5 litre diesel 'generator' though lol.

Freefaller · 19 Dec 2011 at 12:22

I think it looks pretty cool. Wonder how long it'll be until it gets trashed.

I thought it cost £1.3m to develop? Which if you think about it is quite a small price for development of a new vehicle no?

Still, 100% better than those ridiculous bendy busses which are just not suited to London's roads.

I think I heard that when stationary the back hop on door, opens. It closes as the bus starts to move.

dave_beast · 19 Dec 2011 at 12:37

I think this will be dubbed "Emo bus"

http://www.google.co.uk/#sclient=ps....,cf.osb&fp=440660d03c957758&biw=1920&bih=915

VaderDSL · 19 Dec 2011 at 21:58

So yeah

good start http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16244634

It ran out of fuel

Freefaller · 19 Dec 2011 at 22:40

darael · 19 Dec 2011 at 23:17

I don't see how constantly charging a battery is more efficient than a normal engine, personally. You've got an engine constantly ticking over to keep the battery charged and provide power to the electrics, and it generates electricity when braking.

Put a small diesel engine engine in, rather than the massive engines that are used now.

Cob · 19 Dec 2011 at 23:30

They've been test driving them around the local roads here for a while now before they ship them over to Landan town and they look pretty nifty.

It's just a pity that we'll never get to actually use anything like that over here.

Tute · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:16

I don't get why they needed to complicate it with hybrid technology.

I mean surely the CO2 saving is made by making people use the thing in the first place, thereby taking cars off the roads?

daz · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:21

Tute said:
I don't get why they needed to complicate it with hybrid technology.

I mean surely the CO2 saving is made by making people use the thing in the first place, thereby taking cars off the roads?

Public transport isn't exactly under subscribed in London?

Jonnycoupe · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:23

Tute said:
I don't get why they needed to complicate it with hybrid technology.

I mean surely the CO2 saving is made by making people use the thing in the first place, thereby taking cars off the roads?

Cos the engine is much smaller, its cleaner and far better for smog and noise.

Castiel · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:30

robfosters said:
But the price is galling. £1.3m for a bus. Can't see how that's possible tbh.

The route-masters are between £300,000 and £330,000 depending on unit orders. Which is still a little more expensive than the average price for a DD, but they have a longer London lifespan and will be cascaded down to other operations once their TfL service lifetime is spent. The huge fuel savings (11mpg from a bus is pretty spectacular) will account for a significant part of the unit cost especially as the fuel subsidy is being cut by 20% and the Bendy Buses will be cascaded down to other operations as well.

The BBC probably took the £1.3m unit price from the initial costs for the 5 design prototypes which were around £7m.

Tute · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:35

daz said:
Public transport isn't exactly under subscribed in London?

Jonnycoupe said:
Cos the engine is much smaller, its cleaner and far better for smog and noise.

So surely the point then would be to make it reliable considering the bus has to cover absolute moon mileage - something I would have thought hybrid technology and a "modern diesel" would be completely at odds with?

Jonnycoupe · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:35

A bus in a city location is the ideal application for a hybrid powertrain.

Jonnycoupe · 20 Dec 2011 at 00:37

Hardly. Its almost aerospace like with their usage... Save a kg when you make it as the fuel savings are so great over its lifetime. Less brake replacement work aswell with regen braking.