Equipmake has partnered with bus service provider, Newport Transport, in a fleet deal to repower the operator’s double deck buses with its electric drivetrain technology for use on school and city routes.
The eight buses scheduled for repowering consist of five diesel ADL E400s and three hybrid Volvo B5LHs with Wrightbus Gemini bodies. Each will be converted to incorporate Equipmake’s scalable Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED) technology.
This includes two 109kWh standard battery packs, offering two battery capacity sizes including 218kWh, providing a 90-mile daily range, and 382 kWh, providing a 150-mile daily range.
Equipmake repowers are bespoke to each vehicle and its requirements, with service routes simulated to ensure the optimum battery level is selected, and that required mileage is achievable.
It says repurposing an existing bus chassis and body can save 90 tonnes of embedded CO2, in comparison to producing brand new electric double deck buses.
Each conversion costs less than half of a new electric bus. With most buses in service for 14 years or more, operators can make significant savings by repowering a bus halfway through its operational life.
Operating throughout the city and surrounding areas of Newport, South Wales, Newport Transport currently operates 49 electric buses and coaches.
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.”
