The New Bus for London, sometimes referred to as NB4L, and colloquially as the New Routemaster or Borismaster... in action around Central London .. End November 2013
Following an open design competition in 2008, Wrightbus was awarded the contract to build the bus at the end of 2009, and the final design was announced in May 2010.
The design for the new bus features three doors and two staircases to allow accessible boarding. Unlike the original Routemaster, the new bus has a conventional full front end and a rear platform that can be closed when not needed, rather than the protruding, bonneted 'half cab' design and permanently open platform. The layout of the new bus allows it to be operated by one person at off-peak times. The cost of each bus will be £354,500 over the four year procurement period , which is higher than the price of £326,000 for a standard bus.
The bus is driven by an electric motor powered by a battery pack. This is recharged by a diesel generator and regenerative braking. The diesel engine runs only when the battery needs charging and so the bus will have lower pollution and better fuel consumption than earlier buses in this class.
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