An eco-friendly open-top double-decker bus repowered by Magtec starred in London’s New Year’s Day parade, which was broadcast to an estimated global TV audience of 500 million people. The zero-emission vehicle is one of 15 conversions commissioned by Tootbus for its sightseeing services in central London as part of its commitment to reduce the environmental impact of its operations and promote green tourism.
The bus carried civic leaders and parade patrons along a route from Piccadilly to Whitehall, taking in Regent Street, St James’s, Pall Mall and Trafalgar Square and attracting some 10,000 participants, including from the USA, Europe and beyond, as well as a street audience of 500,000 people.
Managing Director of Magtec Andrew Gilligan said: “It was a great honour for our company to take part in London’s New Year’s Day parade with our partner Tootbus and show the world how we are working together to improve air quality in the heart of the capital. Magtec is at the forefront of the technology needed to repower buses and is proud to be flying the flag for UK manufacturing on a global stage.”
The company is equipping the Tootbus fleet with new electric drivetrains and its long-range 280kWh battery system, in line with the RATP Dev-owned operator’s aim to have a fully electric fleet by 2030.
