NewPower by Wrightbus: a unique bus repowering offering
Wrightbus is the number one zero-emission bus maker in the UK and plans strong European growth in 2024, with first deals already announced in Germany. Leveraging its leading position and expertise in zero emission public transport, Wrightbus has made repower a strategic development axis and established into a hi-tech factory in Bicester, Oxfordshire, for this new activity. It is the first OEM to offer a re-powering service, utilizing the unique skills of its 1,800-strong workforce to swap diesel for electricity. Its master technicians built the original buses and have unrivalled expertise in being able to swap powertrains.
The retrofit of thermal engine vehicles is recognized as an excellent solution to accelerate the decarbonation of transport. It is a credible alternative to internal combustion engine vehicles by limiting costs and extending the life of vehicles in operations. In concrete terms, the combustion engine, exhaust, and tank are removed and replaced by an electric motor and a battery. Once the modifications have been made, the vehicle is powered by electric energy and is therefore zero emission and offers greater efficiency, safety, and a longer lifespan.
“We have long been recognized as a world-leading manufacturer of both hydrogen and battery-electric buses and now NewPower will add another string to our bow. We are the number one zero-emissions bus maker in the UK. A year ago, we had 200 zero emission buses on the road. Today, we have over 900 and in the next year we will get to 2,000.” said Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales.
Forsee Power keeps leading on the bus market with high-performance battery solutions
Forsee Power is the first non-Chinese battery manufacturer on the bus market globally, having equipped over 3,000 electric buses and working with a dozen of bus OEMs worldwide. The Group proposes a wide panel of technologies to answer all operating modes – overnight or fast charging, FCEV – in different formats. Its product offering can satisfy first mount, second mount as well as retrofit, making Forsee Power a flexible partner for bus OEMs.
The ZEN PLUS battery systems chosen by Wrightbus to repower buses are available in 5 versions from 74 to 84 kWh. ZEN PLUS delivers an excellent energy density of 180 Wh/kg allowing a very long 5,000-cycle life, thus providing a very competitive Total Cost of Ownership for the fleet operators.
In addition to R100 Rev.3, ZEN PLUS complies with the most stringent industry standards, including ISO 26262 / ASIL C, ISO 12405, IEC 62660, IEC 6066 as well as R10.6. Eco-designed, ZEN PLUS can be used in second life applications and is optimized for recycling.
« We are proud to pursue our collaboration with Wrightbus on retrofit. From the first-ever opportunity charging solutions in Milton Keynes that we launched together in 2013, we have been partnering with Wrightbus for zero emission transport with innovative solutions for their single and double decker buses, optimizing passenger capacity. We value our long-term partnership and look forward to repowering thousands of vehicles in the coming years. » explains Christophe Gurtner, Chairman and CEO of Forsee Power.