Equipmake to retrofit 8 buses in South Wales
In the UK, the electric drive specialist Equipmake is partnering with bus service provider Newport Transport to repower eight of the operator’s ICE and hybrid double-decker buses with Equipmake’s electric drivetrain technology.
Equipmake will now electrify ICE and hybrid buses for use on school and city routes run by Newport Transport, which already operates 49 electric buses throughout the city and surrounding areas of Newport, South Wales.
The eight buses scheduled for retrofitting are five diesel ADL E400s and three hybrid Volvo B5LHs with Wrightbus Gemini bodies. Each bus will be converted to incorporate Equipmake’s Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED) technology and battery packs.
Scott Pearson, Managing Director, Newport Transport said: “This partnership with Equipmake is an obvious next step for us as we continuously reduce the emissions of our operations. Its state-of-art technology is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. We are hugely excited to begin the conversion of these eight buses and see them on the roads of the local area. Our school routes are a vital element of our service, transporting hundreds of students each day. These buses will continue to serve an important community purpose, but with the added benefit of doing so emission-free.”
Equipmake was recently contracted to retrofit buses for First Bus and Westway Coaches. In May this year, the company signed a tech licensing deal with Sona Comstar to manufacture and sell the technology in Southeast Asia. The company has since expanded into providing electric drive systems for small aircraft.
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