Golden Tours converts 1967 Routemaster to electric with Magtec repower in London

Sheffield-based Magtec has repowered a 1967 AEC Routemaster for Golden Tours' London fleet, creating what the operator calls the world's first electric Routemaster. The conversion extends the heritage bus's operational life by ten years and follows Golden Tours' earlier adoption of Equipmake-repowered Volvo B8Ls. Magtec, which has specialised in heavy-vehicle electric conversions for over 20 years, carried out the work with minimal structural changes to preserve the iconic design.

Why it matters: The project demonstrates a commercial pathway for extending asset life through electric repowering, relevant to operators managing heritage or older fleets. It also highlights Magtec's track record in heavy-vehicle conversions, a capability that may interest procurement teams evaluating repower versus replacement for existing diesel stock.