Wrightbus secures new Arriva London order

Pioneering zero-emission bus manufacturer Wrightbus has secured a new order with Arriva to deliver 87 new buses to London.

The order consists of 11 single-deck GB Kite Electroliners and 76 StreetDeck Electroliners - the world’s most efficient battery electric double-deck bus.

The buses, which will be operated on a number of routes around the capital, are due to be delivered from July and will further strengthen Arriva’s current zero-emissions bus fleet.

It comes on the back of an order the bus operator made last year with the Northern Ireland-based firm for 34 StreetDeck Electroliners and represents one of Arriva UK Bus' largest investments in a zero-emission fleet.

The buses are being manufactured at Wrightbus’s headquarters in Ballymena, supporting hundreds of new high-skilled jobs to help level up and grow the economy. 

Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said: "This is another significant deal for Wrightbus and we are delighted to once again be partnering with Arriva in the drive to zero-emission public transport.

“Arriva, like us, is consistently on the forefront of new and exciting technology, and zero-emission travel.

“This latest deal further strengthens the reputation we have forged in the zero-emission transport sector and will help play an important part in the UK's ambitions for decarbonisation.

“We can’t wait to see even more of our buses in operation in London, which will help passengers enjoy comfortable and cleaner transport.”

Marcos Hart, Managing Director London at Arriva UK Bus, said: “Ordering these new vehicles represents a fantastic milestone on our journey to making our bus network across London even greener.

“The zero-emission fleet from Wrightbus will help us to continue delivering the high-performing and sustainable public transport network that our customers deserve.”

The StreetDeck Electroliner is the perfect combination of range and efficiency, maximising power and offering class-leading recharge times.

Official assessments undertaken at UTAC using the ZEMO-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test showed that the Electronlier achieved a result of 0.69 kWh/km - around half the energy consumed by its closest BEV double deck UK rival and significantly better than all other BEV single deck bus results published on the ZEMO website.

Not only is it more energy-efficient, but according to ULEB calculations, the StreetDeck Electroliner also produces an impressive 86% less CO2 per km than the ZEMO Euro6 Diesel baseline.

Wrightbus has been at the forefront of the movement to decarbonise public transport across the UK and Ireland with the Electroliner alongside its world-first hydrogen double deck, the StreetDeck Hydroliner.