Wrightbus unveils 6x2 zero-emission bus

Wrightbus has unveiled its 6x2 zero-emission, double-deck bus platform, with the prototype rolling off the production line simultaneously at its factories in Northern Ireland and Malaysia.

Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales presents the 6x2 Streetdeck zero-emission bus. (Photo: Wrightbus)

“Our team has worked round the clock for the last two years to create this new zero-emission product,” said Wrightbus CEO Jean-Marc Gales. “To design a chassis which copes not only with fixed axle and steering axle configurations but also enables increased battery capability without compromising on passenger numbers is a real triumph for our engineers.”

Efficiency and durability tests will be completed during the summer, with a demonstrator heading out to a customer in Hong Kong for 12 months, the announcement noted.

Orders for the 6x2 Streetdeck are said to be already lined up for the Far East and Europe. Gales sees further sales opportunities in Singapore, Australia, New Zealand and the UK.

“We are building momentum not just in our home territories but overseas as well, as news of our brand reaches all corners of the globe,” he said. “We are the leading manufacturer in zero-emission technology, and we have more than 100 hydrogen buses heading to Germany, as well as fleets of hydrogen and battery-electrics across the UK.

“Our 6x2 will be another important string to our bow, showing that Wrightbus – 80 years old next year – is at the very forefront of technology.”

Rescued from administration in 2019 by entrepreneur Jo Bamford, Wrightbus currently employs more than 2,300 and produces 1,200 buses per year – 95% of which are zero-emissions. The manufacturer saw a record-breaking 12 months in which it announced a new electric midi-bus range as well as a next-generation hydrogen coach, diesel coach and a hydrogen double decker.

The latest unveiling follows news that Wrightbus has secured a £150m finance package from HSBC UK as it prepares to ramp up production.

“We’ve invested into our growth significantly over the last 12 months,” said Gales, “with more staff in Ballymena and Malaysia, new facilities for our repowering business, NewPower, in Bicester, and a European service center in Brühl to ensure we have operational capacity to exceed customer demand.”