University Life: Buses in pole position to save fuel with help of F1

If I said Formula One to you, I expect your mind would probably take you to fast cars, roaring engines and exotic locations.

I doubt you would start picturing a double decker bus quietly making its way through Oxford.

Since 2014 we here at Oxford Brookes University have been putting together a little something that might just change that.

You have probably seen the beautifully-designed grey BROOKESbuses that have been making their way through Oxford.

The iconic buses have been present on the city’s streets since 2004 but they have undergone a lot of changes since then – and I don’t just mean in colour.

Over the years our fleet has been improved with audio stop announcements, real-time information screens, even 4G Wi-Fi, but our latest installation is one that won’t be as easy to spot.

It’s called Gyrodrive and it was developed right here in Oxfordshire by the Williams Formula One racing team with the support of Oxford Brookes Alumni.

So far it’s had a pretty exciting life.

The original system was integrated into the Audi R18 e-tron quattro and earned its stripes racing in the Le Mans 24 hours.

Now it’s going to help us reduce fuel and carbon emissions on all of our BROOKESbus services.

The exciting part, of course, is how.

The Gyrodrive is a Kinetic Energy Recovery System and it works by “harvesting” the energy that would otherwise be lost as heat during breaking.

The energy is stored in a flywheel and when the bus accelerates, that energy is fed back into the wheels, boosting power while reducing emissions and fuel consumption.

Over the course of a year, it will save an estimated 68,500 litres of fuel and 876 tonnes of CO² on BROOKESbus journeys.

With the support of the fleet’s operators, Oxford Bus Company, its parent company Go-Ahead, ADL, and GKN Hybrid Power (formerly Williams Hybrid Power), we were able to make the BROOKESbus fleet the first commercial vehicles to be fitted with the Gyrodrive system.

Not only that, we also had the privilege of fitting them on to the first Euro VI buses available for service in Oxford.

And these efforts have not gone unrewarded.

Media outlets – both local and national – have reported on the project and we have received a range of positive feedback from staff and students, as well as members of the public.

In addition, the project has also been shortlisted for a Green Gown Award in Carbon Reduction from the Environmental Association for Universities and Colleges (EAUC) and is currently being considered for a Green Apple Award in Commerce and Industry for Environmental Best Practice.

It means a lot to us to be able to say that.

Over the last five years BROOKESbuses have moved almost 12 million people through the city, saving an estimated 1.4 million car journeys every year and helping to significantly reduce carbon emissions within the city centre.

We want to be sure that we are doing everything we can to provide current and future passengers with a comfortable and environmentally-friendly means of getting from A to B.

With the Gyrodrive on board, we’re one step closer to achieving that goal.