More jobs created through 'bold' new bus enterprise

Charlotte Coles

25 June 2024 at 7:30 am·1-min read

New Wrightbus facility in Bicester <i>(Image: Wrightbus)</i> — New Wrightbus facility in Bicester *(Image: Wrightbus)*

Bus manufacturer Wrightbus last week took the wraps off a bold new enterprise designed to replace older diesel engines with new zero-emission electric powertrains.

NewPower, which has moved into a hi-tech factory in Bicester, aims to speed up the decarbonisation process by eradicating diesel powertrains in older fleets at a "substantially lower price" than a new bus.

The enterprise has created 22 jobs of 10 technicians and 12 office staff.

Wrightbus becomes the first Original Equipment Manufacturer to offer a re-powering service, utilising the unique skills of its 1,800-strong workforce to swap diesel for electricity.

Engineers say the conversion can take as little as three weeks and have space for teams to work on six buses at any one time, offering the potential to decarbonise 500 buses a year.

The announcement from Wrightbus follows a record-breaking start to 2024 which has seen the Northern Ireland business named as the fastest-growing large manufacturer in the UK and the fastest-growing bus-maker in the whole of Europe.

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