Greater Manchester gets its first retrofitted bus from Wrightbus

Go North West, the bus operator of Greater Manchester’s public transportation network 'Bee Network,' is testing its first bus that has been converted from diesel to electric. The bus is based at the Bolton depot, from where Go North West already operates 69 electric buses.

The goal of the trial is to evaluate whether or not retrofitted buses are a viable option to electrify bus fleets. The operator will test efficiency, range, operational costs, and performance. It is not clear how long the trial period will be.

“This trial is about exploring how the Bee Network might accelerate moves towards an all-electric fleet,” explains Nigel Featham, Managing Director of Go North West. “Converting an existing vehicle extends its life and provides a lower-cost way to cut emissions quickly. If successful, this could become a vital tool in delivering Greater Manchester’s zero-emission ambitions.”

Wrightbus launched NewPower in June of last year. The latter is a programme for the conversion of diesel buses to electric. According to the company, re-powering a bus costs around 200,000 pounds (about 240,000 euros), which is less than a new electric bus. Moreover, Wrightbus hopes that since the price is considerably low, operators will consider converting mid-life bus fleets, meaning that they won’t wait until older diesels will have to be replaced anyhow.

The conversion takes around three weeks. During that time, the diesel engine is swapped out for a Voith Electric Drive System (VEDS), NMC battery packs, and a Grayson HVAC system.

The NewPower facility is located in Oxfordshire at the former headquarters of Arrival. NewPower engineers can work at up to six units simultaneously. That means, the company could potentially convert as many as 500 buses per year.

Kirk Trewin, UK Bus Sales Director at Wrightbus, said: “Repowering technology has the potential to be a game-changer in the transition to zero-emission transport. We’re excited to work with Go North West and Transport for Greater Manchester to bring this innovation to life, which could unlock more cost-effective solutions for the industry.”

tfgm.com, smmt.co.uk