Transport minister visits Oxfordshire factory to see electric life breathed into diesel buses

Zero-emission transport leader Wrightbus today said it would create 50 additional jobs in Oxfordshire as it ramps up transformation of diesel buses to electric at its NewPower factory. Welcoming Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood to officially open the state-of-the-art facility in Bicester, CEO Jean-Marc Gales said it was time to accelerate decarbonisation efforts. NewPower, launched by Wrightbus in 2024, takes mid-life diesel buses and replaces their engines with zero-emission electric powertrains, giving operators an instant sustainability switch. There are already 65 people working at the plant, with plans for a further 50 once they hit their target of repowering 250 buses a year. Local Transport Minister Simon Lightwood visited NewPower on Thursday (FEB 27) to see the repowering process first-hand and officially open the 40,000sq ft state-of-the-art facility. He said: "Great to officially open Wrightbus' New Power facility today and see how they’re breathing a clean new life into old diesel buses, helping us meet our climate goals. “We are committed to supporting decarbonisation, with our incoming Bus Services Bill including a measure to bring an end to the use of new diesel or petrol buses on most English bus routes from no earlier than 2030. “We are also empowering local leaders to take control of their bus services, improving access to job opportunities and driving up living standards.” Wrightbus is the first OEM to offer a repowering service, utilising the unique skills of its workforce to swap diesel for electricity. Its master technicians built the original buses and have unrivalled expertise in being able to swap powertrains, with re-powered buses already on the UK’s streets. Given traditional buses consume 40,000 litres of diesel per year, the improvements in air quality are immense. Indeed, zero-emission buses manufactured by Wrightbus have already travelled over 47 million miles, saving over 80,000 tonnes of C02 from entering the atmosphere. CEO Jean-Marc Gales, the former chief of Lotus, has helped turn around the company’s fortunes – growing staff to 2,200 and predicting revenues of £1bn by 2027. “We are delighted to show Mr Lightwood the importance of what we are doing here at NewPower,” said Mr Gales. “Repowering diesels gives them a 10-year second life and is a hugely affordable solution to operators. “We believe the Department for Transport should ensure Mayors and councils have the full range of UK-made technologies available to speed up their delivery of decarbonisation and improved air quality commitments.” Along with producing the world’s first hydrogen bus and the iconic London Routemaster, Wrightbus recently unveiled ambitious plans for more jobs and widespread European expansion. Founded in 1946, Wrightbus was saved from administration in 2019 by green entrepreneur Jo Bamford and is now the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in Europe.