- Electric bus conversions of existing diesel units could be key for speeding up the electrification of public transportation fleets.
- Wrightbus’ electric bus conversions subsidiary, NewPower, has revealed the real-world data from the first examples of the ex-diesel buses that it has converted to fully-electric powertrains.
- Only opening its Oxfordshire-based workshop last year, over 20 repowered buses from the facility are already in operation across the UK.
NewPower displays the performance of its electric bus conversions for existing diesel buses
The 20-plus buses reconverted by NewPower, already in operation across the UK, which have now clocked up over 35,000 miles in service – with total battery range standing at 232 miles, which NewPower says is class-leading for electric bus conversions.
In NewPower’s case, these electric bus conversions are projected to extend the life of the original bus by a further ten years, allowing fleets to maximise the useful working life of their existing vehicles. The conversions at the NewPower facility take around three weeks, with the diesel engine and related components being swapped out for a box-fresh electric motor and battery pack combination. The removed ICE components are also repurposed, furthering the sustainability aspect.
Not only can these reconversions save bus operators money over purchasing a new fully-electric bus outright, with a 21% reduction in total cost of ownership compared to a diesel bus, and 47% reduction in maintenance and energy costs, but there are also sustainability benefits to be considered. The reconversions also reduce carbon emissions over the production of an entirely new electric bus. While in service, each converted bus is projected to save 70,000 tonnes worth of CO2 emissions per year.
Wrightbus CEO, Jean-Marc Gales, commented:
“We’ve always known our repowered buses would offer outstanding performance and it’s satisfying to now be able to back that up with data from the first 20,000 NewPower miles travelled. Thanks to the fact that we have the knowledge and expertise from the 2,300 strong Wrightbus workforce – including our master technicians – means NewPower has unrivalled expertise in being able to swap powertrains. It makes sense not just from a sustainability point of view, but from a cost perspective too.”
Wrightbus’ NewPower isn’t the only firm looking to electrify ageing diesel buses in the UK, however. Whilst UK transport operator First Bus has already placed an order for 30 bus conversions through NewPower last year, it has also made a significant investment in KleanDrive, producers of modular electric drive units for existing diesel buses.
