Bus operator
Metroline has placed an order with Northern Ireland-based bus manufacturer
Wrightbus for 39 StreetDeck Electroliner battery electric vehicles (BEVs) to support services across London and Hertfordshire.
The buses will be operating on Routes 297 and 142, which drive through the boroughs of Brent and Ealing, and Hertfordshire (Watford), Harrow and Barnet benefitting local communities and the environment. The new electric buses will be built at the Wrighbus factory in Ballymena, in a significant boost for the UK economy and the manufacturing sector.
Ian Foster, Metroline Group engineering director, said: “Metroline is extremely pleased to continue our relationship with Wrightbus following the latest additions to our electric bus fleet, having previously worked closely with them on our hydrogen bus specification and roll out.
“Our testing of the new electric buses has shown an excellent level of power usage per mile, and we are confident that, working closely with the development team at Wrightbus, these figures will continue to improve.
“As with the hydrogen bus order, it is essential that wherever possible we purchase vehicles with a high local build content, supporting the UK supply chain backing our own technical expertise in the zero-emissions arena.”
Ben Werth, CCO at Wrightbus, said: “We are delighted to announce this order from Metroline, further demonstrating its commitment to offering zero-emissions public transport. All of the buses will be manufactured and assembled at our Ballymena factory, which means support for jobs in Northern Ireland, and around the UK through our domestic supply chain.
“It has been a triumphant year for Wrightbus. This order follows a series of historic deals with First Bus, the National Transport Authority (NTA), as well as orders from Australia and Germany. We are immensely proud of the reputation we have forged in the zero-emissions transport sector and the important role we are playing in the UK’s ambitions for decarbonisation.”
The StreetDeck Electroliner BEV is the world’s most efficient double deck BEV, following assessments undertaken at the UTAC test facility using the Zemo-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test. According to ULEB calculations, the Electroliner also produces 86% less CO
2 per km than the Zemo Euro VI diesel baseline.