All aboard London's newest hybrid bus

A new London bus, hailed as "the most environmentally friendly of its kind", arrived in the capital today and will enter service early next year.

Eight of the hybrid buses will serve route 38 from Victoria to Hackney during 2012, with the first set to hit London's streets on February 2012.

The prototype new bus for London was specifically designed for London and echoes the iconic Routemaster bus. However, it sports far higher emissions standards to fit in with the capital's plans to improve its air quality.

Transport for London (TfL) says the bus is 15 per cent more fuel efficient than existing hybrid buses and 40 per cent more efficient than conventional diesel double deckers, as well as being much quieter on the streets

Testing showed the vehicle emitted only 640 grams per kilometre (g/km) of carbon dioxide and 3.96 g/km of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) – less than half of the carbon dioxide emitted by a current diesel bus (1295g/km) and under half of the NOx emitted by a current diesel bus (9.3g/km). Fuel economy was also better than twice that of a standard diesel bus at 11.6mpg.

If passenger trials are successful, TfL says hundreds of the buses could be operating across the capital in the next few years.

"Christmas has arrived early in the form of this revolutionary new bus whose gleaming coat of red paint and sinuous curves will brighten the day of all who see it humming along our great city's streets," said London Mayor Boris Johnson at the launch.

"It is the latest, greatest masterpiece of British engineering and design, and I am certain it will become a much-loved and iconic vehicle akin to the legendary Routemaster from which it draws so much inspiration."