Wrightbus Electroliner ‘most efficient double-deck battery-electric bus’

The Northern Irish manufacturer’s battery-electric double-decker has acquitted itself well during testing at UTAC’s test centre

Wrightbus has announced that its StreetDeck Electroliner is officially the most efficient double deck battery-electric bus in the world, following assessments undertaken at the UTAC test facility using the Zemo-accredited Ultra Low Emission Bus (ULEB) test. On test, the bus achieved a result of 0.69kWh/km, which Wrightbus said is around half the energy consumed by its closest BEV double deck UK rival and better than all other battery-electric single-deck bus results published by Zemo.

According to ULEB calculations, the Electroliner also produces an 86% less CO2 per km than the Zemo Euro VI diesel baseline.

The ULEB tests are carried out on a four wheel rolling dynamometer at UTAC using the UK Bus Drive Cycle (UKBC) which is designed to combine inner city, outer city and higher speed inter-city driving. The chamber is set at a 10°C ambient temperature and the upper and lower saloon must achieve 17° to reflect UK average temperatures.

Energy savings compared to the equivalent StreetDeck Ultroliner diesel bus mean the Electroliner is £14,500 cheaper to run a year, based on today’s subsidised diesel price compared to today’s electricity price over annual distances of 80,000km.

Using a French battery pack which delivers 454kWh and a 200-mile range, Wrightbus says its Electroliner will recharge in 2 hours 45 minutes and cope with most routes, urban or rural.

CEO Buta Atwal said he was delighted with the efficiency results: “It’s phenomenal news that the StreetDeck Electroliner has officially been shown to be the world’s most efficient BEV bus. We’ve always known that we had a market-leading product so to have it proven at UTAC is incredibly satisfying.

“We have already gained a strong reputation for our hydrogen double deck but we want to lead the world in zero-emissions full stop. Wrightbus has the best brains in the business when it comes to technology and our StreetDeck Electroliner puts us squarely at the front of the pack. We haven’t weighed the bus down with a high battery volume just so we can say it’s got the most power or range; instead, we’ve made it the most efficient vehicle on the road by combining optimum power with a class-leading rapid charge, meaning our electric bus spends more time on the road than any other.”

A deal to supply 80 of the buses to Translink made the Irish operator the first to place the vehicles in service when they started carrying passengers in March this year. Ian Campbell, Director of Service Operations at Translink, said: “This is a very exciting time in public transport, as we start to realise our ambitious plans to transform public transport and decarbonise our fleet. These 80 new zero-emission double decker electric buses are already making a real positive impression on the streets of Belfast as the start of a smarter move to innovative, clean transport for the city.

“Energy efficiency is important to us as an operator, as it helps optimise vehicle range and running costs as we transform transport in Northern Ireland for a greener, healthier recovery.”