Boris’ Battery Problems!
By Paul Homewood
h/t Joe Public
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33569460
From the Beeb:
I’m told that at the back of a bus depot, there is a large pile of power batteries that no longer work.
All have been removed from the new bus for London and are a crucial part of the hybrid system.
Drivers say that many buses across London are operating without them in place.
Engine cannot cope
That means in some cases what Transport for London (TfL) claims is "the most environmentally friendly bus of its type" is running only on diesel.
Leon Daniels from TfL maintains that: "The New Routemaster is the cleanest and greenest bus of its class and we have seen absolutely no safety problems with its hybrid system.
"Metroline has confirmed that they are not aware of any issues arising from changes between electric and hybrid modes in service and they have had no such problems reported to them by their drivers."
However, he does concede: "Concerns have been raised previously about the performance of the batteries on the earlier vehicles."
In fact the batteries have been a problem for some time. In March, I reported that the batteries were going to be replaced under warranty.
A number of drivers have raised the issue with Christian Wolmar, a transport journalist who is also seeking the Labour nomination for mayor of London.
They complain a lack of batteries means the diesel engine cannot cope. The bus is slower than usual and has poor acceleration.
A letter from one driver said: "In about 90% of buses the hybrid system does not work. It is instead running on the diesel engine all the time (not eco-friendly is it?)."
‘A Boris failure’
Others said: "The hybrid system does not work", that it is "very slow", "it just cuts out in the middle of the road" and drivers "don’t feel in control of the bus".
Mr Wolmar said: "What they have told me is profoundly shocking. These buses do not work properly, the electric motor does not work.
"They stall quite a lot and there’s a danger of them rolling back. Sometimes they go completely out of phase and all the red lights come on and the drivers find it very difficult to control them at times.
"The drivers say almost nine out of 10 do not have the electric motors working. This bus is a ridiculous throw back. It has been a total waste of money. It’s a Boris failure."
The Unite union has also received complaints.
‘Wrong technology’
John Murphy, Unite’s regional officer, said: "The batteries just aren’t fit for purpose. It’s not that the technology isn’t there it’s just the wrong technology.
"Personally I think this stems from the rush to get through this vanity project.
"They’re not really a practical bus for London. The common practice now is to take the batteries out of the buses so effectively these very expensive environmentally friendly buses are just running on diesel."
These buses cost £354,000 – a normal hybrid off the peg costs about £300,000.
At the moment there are 500 operating on the roads. A further 300 will be on the road during 2016.
These have been bought by TfL, not the bus companies.
Some commuters love the look of them, others hate the stifling heat on the top deck that is yet to be resolved.
Mr Daniels said: "An improved battery design was introduced on new deliveries and any older ones which fail are repaired or replaced. This has all been done by the manufacturers within the warranty period, at no cost to TfL, or the fare or tax payer."
Unsurprisingly, the BBC are trying to use the story as a means to attack Boris Johnson.
Comments are closed.
NOT A LOT OF PEOPLE KNOW THAT 
“Unsurprisingly, the BBC are trying to use the story as a means to attack Boris Johnson.” Indeed, that was the conclusion I reached after reading the story, and before observing your comment.
The BBC seems to operate in a parallel universe, in which they fail to understand that much of their anti-Tory and/or pro-eco spin might actually backfire on them. The constant barrage of these articles is totally undermining both what little is left of the BBC’s journalistic credibility, and the very causes they seek to promote.
In making my “anti-Tory” comment, I hasten to add that I am not a Tory and have never voted Tory in my life (though I’m mildly encouraged by this Government’s early – albeit still modest – attack on “green” subsidies).
More ‘Fairy Dust’ so-called green policies
It would be great for city centres if battery tech was up to the job but its NOT.
Same as here
http://www.chroniclelive.co.uk/news/north-east-news/plug-pulled-newcastle-quayside-electric-1416558
Ripped out all the electric & stuffed in diesel engines
I wonder if all the money that has and is being wasted supporting a rotten apple half cocked green agenda, making the rich richer & the plebs poorer, had been all diverted into effective research into alternative power generation & storage tech we may have been far closer to the goal by now.
fwiw to save some time + electrons searching:
The manufacturer’s website
Not a Boris problem. Sack his advisers who caused the problem.
Diesel is very eco-friendly. They give out lots of plant food.
“They give out lots of plant food.”
Well done lads. !!
“others hate the stifling heat on the top deck that is yet to be resolved.”
Open the bl**dy windows !!!
While looking around … it wouldn’t be the first ‘leccy bus to fail…. Newcastle Quaylink failed 5 years ago here – I wonder how many other systems are in operation and how they’re faring?
In other news …. TfL are progressing a pure electric double decker Press Release – a case of if at first you don’t succeed = try again….. ? the main thing fueling these efforts looks like OPM
“Unsurprisingly, the BBC are trying to use the story as a means to attack Boris Johnson.”
The fool, Boris, deserves attacking. He’s a weapons grade twerp. Flip flops on environmental and other issues.
First of all he doesn’t believe in the global warming scare. Then he does, then he doesn’t and back to square one, he does again.
This man is not to be trusted.
AndyG55: ‘on the Boris Bus the windows don’t open’ – Guardian report.
‘Boris Johnson’s vaunted New Bus for London – sometimes called the “Boris Bus” – has become a “mobile sauna” during the recent hot weather’
http://www.theguardian.com/politics/davehillblog/2013/jul/10/boris-johnson-london-bus-fails-comfort-test
Paul2
First of all he doesn’t believe in the global warming scare. Then he does, then he doesn’t and back to square one, he does again.
This man is not to be trusted
*****
The attempts of these buses is to reduce inner city pollution out of the tail pipe, nothing to do with GW
Er, yes, I do know that.
Paul, We already knew, PeterMG commented here 2 years ago
October 15, 2013
“London now has a large number of hybrid buses. ”
“Now a birdie tells me that the Batteries are not lasting well and that the engines are operation 100% of the time just to keep charge in them to drive the Buses. As I travel on these buses every day, that is the impression I get.”
“(It is strange and sometimes disconcerting when you travel on a hybrid buses where the engine switches off and the bus drives just under electric power, in other words everything seems to work correctly.)”
– He also made another claim “we have cracked beaten banished harmful emission from heavy-duty diesel engines” so electric is not cleaner.
– Hey doesn’t the beeboid make some mistakes ?
“These buses cost £354,000 – a normal hybrid off the peg costs about £300,000.”
he means “These HYBRID buses cost £354,000 – a normal NON-hybrid off the peg costs about £300,000.” surely ?
also “80 of the new Routemasters are running on diesel generators ”
.. he means “80 of the new Routemasters are running on THEIR diesel ENGINES only”
…It’s not like they have put on an extra generator.
Ah, last bit is my error isn’t it ? Maybe The diesel engine doesn’t drive the wheels but could be a generator charging the battery….I wonder what the efficiency loss is ?
They have to get rid of the old batteries
So the alarm bells should start to ring,
An ‘eco-friendly’ battery, remember,
Is a truly dangerous thing;
Environmental contamination for sure
Their toxins don’t ever degrade,
So now there’s a REAL man-made threat
That the warming alarmists have made.
Went and had a look at TfL’s sustainable fleet management guide. (PDF) – whoever wrote that was not I think an engineer….. a bit like ‘oop north in Manchester – they’re doing “sustainable gearboxes”