Equipmake delivers 12 retrofitted buses to York

The buses in question are all Optare Versa singe-deck models that now have an electric driving range of up to 150 miles (241 kilometres), “in all UK weather conditions.” All twelve units are now in operation in the city of York.

Equipmake uses its scalable modular Zero Emission Drivetrain (ZED), which the company says is also suitable for double-decker buses. Moreover, the retrofitter says that it converts vehicles to the operator’s specific requirements, which can cater to driving ranges of up to 250 miles with a larger battery. For this conversion contract, the 150-mile range was enough. All buses are recharged at the depot overnight using a DC charging point.

“Following a successful initial trial, it’s great to see this new fleet of 12 upgraded, all-electric buses operational across York,” says Stuart Eyre, Engineering Manager of First York. “Equipmake’s repower technology is an important step in our transition to achieving a fully electric fleet in York, continuing to help improve air quality in the city and supporting the goal of First Bus nationally to have a zero-emission fleet by 2035.”

The initial contract between Equipmake and First York (First Bus) dates back to October 2022. The first retrofitted bus was to be delivered only a few weeks later.

At the time, First Bus said that each conversion would cost less than half of a new electric bus. And since most vehicles are in service for 14 years or longer, public transport operators could save significantly by converting a bus halfway through its usable life.

Source: Infos per mail