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

  • May 30, 2012
    Four predictions for the automotive and transportation industry
    Frost & Sullivan has released the results from its customer survey with several hundred companies conducted in December 2011, executed to find out the top predictions for 2012 for the global automotive and transportation market. Market growth in all regions except Europe, accelerated introduction of plug in hybrid and battery electric vehicles due to increasing fuel prices, mobility and integrated transportation as well as the integration of the smart phone with dedicated application stores and innovative H
    Read More
  • August 15, 2019
    LA launches own ‘Green New Deal’
    Los Angeles, once a temple to the automobile, has followed the Democrats in launching its own Green New Deal – and the city has made big pledges on urban mobility investment The Democratic Party has started something. The Green New Deal, one of whose most high-profile supporters is new congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, intends to persuade the public that swift action is necessary to combat climate change. Now the city of Los Angeles has followed suit, releasing what it calls ‘LA’s Green New Deal’.
    Read More
  • May 4, 2016
    FirstGroup invests in new ‘low carbon’ buses
    UK and US transport operator FirstGroup has placed an order worth US$102 million (£70 million) for 305 new vehicles, 87 per cent of which will be Department for Transport approved ‘low carbon certified’. First Bus estimates this will save 4 million kg of CO2 per year. The 2016/17 investment will bring the company’s fleet of low carbon certified vehicles to around 1,000, believed to be one of the largest in the UK, saving in total an estimated 14.5 million kg of CO2 annually.
    Read More
  • October 17, 2012
    Dubai automates public transport management
    Dubai’s Roads & Transport Authority (RTA) is keen on using cutting-edge technology to control and manage the movement of its mass transit systems, including buses. With the aim of providing advanced services to mass transit users in the Emirate, the Public Transport Agency implemented integrated intelligent systems solutions including the Automated Vehicle Management (AVM) system, which links both the internal and inter-city routes. According to Adel Shakeri, Director of Transportation Systems, RTA Public
    Read More

Highlighted Content