Equipmake is partnering with local bus service provider, Newport Transport, in a fleet deal that will see eight of the operator’s double deck buses repowered with Equipmake’s state-of-the-art electric drivetrain technology.

Operating throughout the city and surrounding areas of Newport, South Wales, this innovative transport operator is committed to environmentally sustainable local transport, currently operating 49 electric buses and coaches in fleet, further building on this with an Equipmake partnership which will electrify ICE buses for use on school and city routes.

The eight buses scheduled for repowering consist of five diesel ADL E400s and three hybrid Volvo B5LHs with Wrightbus Gemini bodies, and each will be converted to incorporate Equipmake’s cutting-edge, scalable Zero-Emission Drivetrain (ZED) technology, equipped with two 109kWh standard battery packs, offering two battery capacity sizes including 218kWh, providing a 90-mile daily range, and 382 kWh providing a 150-mile daily range.

Ian Foley, Equipmake CEO, said: “We’re delighted to partner with Newport Transport, another forward-thinking operator who sees the huge benefits of repowering. It’s rewarding to see that our sustainable solution will be used to reduce emissions on school routes throughout the Newport area. Repowering existing buses offers operators an excellent opportunity to achieve their zero-emission targets, while making significant cost savings in parallel.”  

Scott Pearson, Managing Director, Newport Transport added:” This partnership with Equipmake is an obvious next step for us as we continuously reduce the emissions of our operations. Its state-of-art technology is cost-effective and environmentally sustainable. We are hugely excited to begin the conversion of these eight buses and see them on the roads of the local area. Our school routes are a vital element of our service, transporting hundreds of students each day. These buses will continue to serve an important community purpose, but with the added benefit of doing so emission-free.”

Equipmake repowers are bespoke to each vehicle and its requirements, with service routes simulated to ensure the optimum battery level is selected, and that required mileage is achievable.

By choosing to repower existing buses using Equipmake’s revolutionary technology and methods, significant cost and environmental benefits are achievable. Repurposing an existing bus chassis and body can save 90 tonnes of embedded CO2, in comparison to producing brand new electric double deck buses. Each conversion costs less than half of a new electric bus, and with most buses in service for 14 years or more, operators can make significant savings by repowering a bus halfway through its operational life.