A fleet of electric buses have been fitted with train-style pantographs to deliver rapid charges to keep them running through the day.
The 18 double deckers on route 132 call in to Bexleyheath bus garage for a 10-minute top-up – delivered to the arm-like device attached to their roof via wifi – to boost the conventional charge received overnight.
It is the first time this technology has been used in London. It is due to be rolled out to the 358 bus next year, when charging points will be installed at either end of the 15-mile route linking Crystal Palace and Orpington, one of the longest in the capital.
The wifi technology enables the bus to “communicate” with the pantograph – allowing the driver to control the high-voltage charging procedure from his cab.
