As we are
set to see the Alexander Dennis Enviro200
MMC BYD eBus appear on Red Arrow routes 507 and 521, Wrightbus have
unveiled their range of electric buses.
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| StreetLite EV |
From Wrightbus
Wrightbus has unveiled two key new products from its ‘Electrocity’ range of buses - the
StreetLite EV and the StreetAir EV.
The new offerings are part of a range announced last year which builds
upon the company’s extensive experience to date and will provide operators with
an unprecedented choice of vehicle
formats and charging systems.
The 9.5m length StreetLite EV, which has
recently been on a demonstration tour in Europe, builds upon more than two and
a half years’ in-service experience with a plug-in bus. The 13
tonne vehicle was first shown on the Wrights Group stand at Euro Bus Expo
in 2012 and has since undergone two
driveline upgrades.
Joining the StreetLite EV at a ‘ride and
drive’ event in Northern Ireland is the WrightbusStreetAir EV, - an 18 tonne
plug-in electric vehicle with zero emissions which is based on the current
StreetDeck chassis and will be the platform for both single deck and double deck variants at 10.6m lengths.
Both the StreetLite EV and StreetAir EV
models will be available with all three
main charging options - overnight (plug-in),inductive (as currently in
operation on the Milton Keynes trial) and conductive
(pantograph) charging.
The StreetLite EV is available in lengths
from 8.8m to 9.5m in wheel forward
format. The ride and drive vehicle
is a 9.5m, single door, single deck
vehicle, which has already covered more than 4,000 miles when in spring
this year it undertook a demonstration tour in Switzerland, including visits to
the capital city of Berne and other major cities and towns.
The tour involved demonstrations for Swiss
operators as well as the European trade press, who were all extremely impressed with the bus’ performance,
particularly at high altitude. This has
led to some promising business opportunities for Wrightbus from Swiss bus
operators keen to acquire the vehicle.
Featuring the Siemens ELFA 2 electric drive system, the StreetLite EV used on the
tour was in the ‘plug-in’ format, which involves overnight charging of the Nickel Manganese Cobalt batteries
and this provides 150 miles, or 18 hours
of service per day for the operator.
By utilising a modular build process,
Wrightbus is able to offer the three
different vehicle charging and associated battery configurations on the
same platform, thereby facilitating standardisation across a vehicle fleet and
optimising aftermarket support.
Versions of both vehicles will be part of a demonstration programme which will run
throughout 2016 and 2017, with series
production due to start in 2017.
The new range of electric buses will be
supported through Customcare. The
vehicles are fitted with the latest on-board and live remote diagnostic battery
measuring equipment, which provides real time data for the service support team
even before they attend the vehicle.
Dr William Wright CBE, who heads up the
alternative driveline division at Wrightbus, explains: “At Wrightbus we have
committed ourselves to the design of cleaner, greener buses and have been at
the forefront of electric bus technology for more than a decade now. Our team is highly knowledgeable with
class-leading expertise in the techniques of electric vehicle development.
“Our philosophy is to provide a range of
fully flexible products, particularly in relation to the charging methodology,
while built on standard product platforms.
This way, the customer can decide which type of technology and format
best suits their requirements and those of the location in which they operate,
rather than being dictated to by us, the manufacturer. Our team are able to
advise and support them to create a bespoke offering which is specifically
tailored to their individual requirements and operations.”
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| StreetAir EV |
Wrightbus also has another article about their electric buses:
From Wrightbus
Ian Downie, MD of Sales for Wrightbus, said:
“We very much welcome the Government’s initiative to promote greener buses and
are pleased to learn the details of the recent results announcement.
“The investment is not only good for the
environment, it is also driving innovation across the industry. At Wrightbus we believe we have taken the
lead in producing cost efficient and environmentally friendly vehicles, while
at the same time enhancing passenger experience.”
The Wrightbus range of Low Emission Bus complaint vehicles includes midi, single deck, double deck and a New Routemaster product.
A plug-in 9.5m length StreetAir EV, which
has recently been on a demonstration tour in Europe, builds upon more than two
and a half years’ in-service experience in Milton Keynes, where eight vehicles
have already clocked up 800,000 miles on Europe’s longest electric vehicle
route.
Now joining the StreetAir EV range is the
10.6m door forward version, which is based on the current StreetDeck chassis and will be the platform for both single deck and double deck variants at
10.6m lengths.
The StreetAir EV wheel forward (w/f) and the
longer StreetAir EV door forward (d/f) range will be available with all three
main charging options - overnight (plug-in), inductive (as currently in
operation on the Milton Keynes trial with Arriva) and conductive (pantograph)
charging.
The electric offerings are comprised of a
range of modular concepts, which have been designed and developed by the
experienced Wrightbus alternative driveline business unit. This team has a
proven pedigree in electric bus development and is dedicated to providing bus
and coach operators with a comprehensive choice of green technology options,
suitable for a wide range of applications, designed with efficient operations
in mind.
Wrightbus has a rich heritage in developing
cutting edge technology; recent examples of this are the New Routemaster hybrid-electric vehicles and the all-electric StreetAir EV’s with inductive
power transfer (IPT). With more than 800
New Routemasters deployed on the streets of London, and the StreetAir EV with IPT vehicles having
completed 800,000 miles to date, Wrightbus understands the requirements of electric vehicles, and more importantly,
what technology is best suited for operational efficiency.
The
operational demands of the vehicle route and capacity requirements will dictate
the technology needed. By
utilising a modular build process,
Wrightbus is able to provide both single deck and double deck on the same
platform, thus optimising aftermarket support.
The focus is on the vehicle charging and
battery technology, which are interchangeable within the rear module. The three different options available are:
·
Overnight
charging utilising Nickel Manganese Cobalt batteries, with a range of 150 miles
or 18 hours of service. Suitable for single deck;
·
Inductive
power transfer (IPT) utilising Lithium ion batteries, with a range of 135 miles
or 17 hours of service. The power is supplied through wirelessly transferred
power from in ground charging coils, with charging time of less than 12
minutes. Suitable for both double and single deck;
·
Conductive
charging (fast charge) utilising Lithium ion batteries, with an infinite range
and service, dependent upon charging stations. The power is supplied through on
street Pantograph systems, fully charging the vehicles in less than seven
minutes. Suitable for both double and single deck.
Speaking at a recent press briefing, Dr
William Wright CBE, said: “Wrightbus has been delivering a wide range of low
emission solutions for many years with options on different and innovative
techniques. We believe we have an
unparalleled level of experience and capability in the design, development and
deployment of electric buses in a number of different types of operation.
“We
know that ‘one size does not fit all’ and it is important that customers have
plenty of choice when selecting their vehicles and the
distance/battery/passenger capacity equation is a difficult balancing act to
achieve. We offer the widest and most flexible range of electric options
available to bus operators and with our range already in build, we look forward
to seeing our vehicles on the road in the coming months and years ahead.”
Ian Downie added: “We confirm we are in
discussions with OLEV winning authorities and operators, and placement of any
orders with us will be announced in due course upon completion.”
This is very
interesting; since Wrightbus unveiled their two door New Routemaster bodywork
called the SRM, we may see the
electric version of the SRM! We wait though to see the SRM with the Volvo B5LH
Chassis as six of these are due to enter on London Buses Route 13 by September.
As always,
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