NZ Bus transitioning to electric powered vehicles

New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company has announced a US$30m deal with US electric vehicle powertrain manufacturer Wrightspeed to supply its Route 500, which it intends to deploy on its public transport business through NZ Bus. Wrightspeed's Route 500 range-extended powertrain is capable of powering vehicles weighing up to 36,000 pounds, in grades as steep as 40 per cent, and maintains an efficient drive, with an estimated 11.1 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent. The 80kW, fuel agnostic fulc
April 22, 2016 Read time: 2 mins

New Zealand-based infrastructure investment company has announced a US$30m deal with US electric vehicle powertrain manufacturer Wrightspeed to supply its Route 500, which it intends to deploy on its public transport business through NZ Bus.

Wrightspeed's Route 500 range-extended powertrain is capable of powering vehicles weighing up to 36,000 pounds, in grades as steep as 40 per cent, and maintains an efficient drive, with an estimated 11.1 miles per gallon gasoline equivalent. The 80kW, fuel agnostic fulcrum turbine generator charges on-board batteries, which provide power to turn the wheels and give the buses unlimited range with refuelling. The company’s patented Geared Traction Drive (GTD) digitally drives each wheel of the vehicle, providing the slip control needed to manage New Zealand streets.

NZ Bus will receive its first Wrightspeed powertrains by mid-2016, and begin the process of fitting and testing immediately, with a view to having a first electric-powered bus on the road by the last quarter of this year.

Kevin Baker, Infratil executive and NZ Bus Chairman, said Infratil and NZ Bus were delighted to team up with Wrightspeed to bring innovation through electric powertrain technology to New Zealand. An electric public transport fleet would enable New Zealand to transition to a clean energy public transport system and play a significant role in decarbonisation and reducing noise pollution in New Zealand cities.

Related Content

  • November 27, 2014
    Supercapacitors boost electric bus charging
    Israeli defence company Elbit Systems, which will exhibit at the forthcoming Fuel choices Summit in Tel Aviv, is developing an electric bus charging system that would allow vehicles to boost their batteries at terminal stations. There, the buses would connect to supercapacitors that charge the buses quickly so that they can operate for precisely calculated distances, according to the Jerusalem Post. Elbit’s supercapacitors aim to power buses for one full route, allowing them to recharge in the span of le
    Read More
  • May 22, 2018
    Volvo Buses to deliver two electric buses to Lillehammer in Norway
    Volvo Buses will deploy two of its 7900 electric buses to operate in Lillehammer, Norway, for public transport company Opplandstrafikk. The transaction is part of Oppland municipality’s aim to become climate-neutral by 2025. The vehicles will be tested for two years on routes 2, 3, 4 and 5 in the city and will be delivered during the second quarter of 2019. Bus company Unibuss will operate the vehicles, which are expected to run alongside regular traffic after the trial. Volvo is selling the vehicles as
    Read More
  • June 16, 2016
    Electric vehicles accounted for largest share of hybrid and EV battery market in 2015
    According to research by P&S Market Research, the global hybrid and electric vehicle battery market is expected to grow at a CAGR of 20 per cent in terms of value during 2016-2022. The report, Global Hybrid and Electric Vehicle Battery Market Size, Share, Development, Growth and Demand Forecast, claims that, among the various applications, the electric vehicle segment accounted for the largest share (46.5 per cent) of the hybrid and electric vehicle battery market in terms of value in 2015. Electric vehi
    Read More
  • July 26, 2021
    Birmingham CAZ is green for go
    For urban authorities worldwide, the health of residents is racing up the political agenda. Ben Spencer looks at how one city - Birmingham, UK - has established its own Clean Air Zone and is investing in alternative-fuel vehicles and public transport incentives
    Read More

Highlighted Content