Ballymena manufacturer Wrightbus has launched the next generation of cutting-edge diesel buses.
The new generation StreetDeck Ultroliner will be powered by Cummins B6.7 litre six-cylinder diesel engine, married with the latest Voith DIWA.8 Nxt 7-speed transmission, delivering a bus that will continue Wrightbus’s legacy of ultra-low emission diesel powered buses.
The Cummins B6.7 powered Ultroliner will also be Ultra-Low Emission Bus (ULEB) accredited, like the existing diesel Ultroliner four-cylinder bus, which will continue to be available.
The first five next generation buses will be supplied to Bus Vannin, the government-owned bus service on the Isle of Man.
The Cummins B6.7 engine has been developed to lead in efficient, quieter, smoother operations, and the new generation Ultroliner will be available in two horsepower options.
The Voith DIWA.8 Nxt seven-speed automatic gearbox is the leading environmentally friendly drive solution in the market, taking efficiency to a new level.
Like Wrightbus, Cummins is also at the cutting edge of new hydrogen technologies.
By embracing the new Cummins engine platform now, as the technology develops, it will mean operators could have the option for a mid-life repower to zero-emission - such as switching the diesel engine for a Cummins hydrogen internal combustion engine, or switch to a battery electric powertrain through Wrightbus’s NewPower business.
Jean-Marc Gales, chief executive of Wrightbus, said: “The combination of the latest generation of engines from Cummins and the latest technology from Voith, coupled with our industry-leading micro hybrid technology, means the StreetDeck Ultroliner offers optimal efficiency in the diesel market, and we’re delighted Bus Vannin will be the first customers to experience our new offering.
“We are rightly known as a predominantly zero-emission bus manufacturer, and we are very proud of being the largest provider of zero-emission buses in Europe earlier this year.
“However, the fact remains that not everyone has the funding to be able to make the switch to zero-emission. As a result, we believe in a blended approach of responsible technologies: battery electric, hydrogen fuel cell and the cleanest diesel technologies to ensure all our customers can continue to decarbonise as quickly as possible, whilst still maintaining financially viable operations.
“With that being the case, our role here is to make sure our diesel buses are as clean and efficient as possible and to ensure we can give them a second life as a zero-emission bus in the future through our NewPower business.”
Bus Vannin director Ian Bates said: “The five new buses to our fleet – the first double deck vehicle order placed since the pandemic - see a progressive step forward in a known technology, the internal combustion engine, while continuing to take into account the Isle of Man Government’s Island Plan and commitments to climate change.
“Technologies continue to advance at an astonishing rate, but this controlled approach allows us to see how the network will look in the future, enabling an insight into possible hydrogen options alongside electrification.”