Ballymena-based Wrightbus continues to lead the UK’s bus sector with a 40% market share, delivering an average 22 buses a week to operators throughout 2024, new data shows.
Already named as the fastest-growing bus manufacturer in the UK and Europe, the firm has registered 786 buses so far this year, which is 250 more than its nearest rivals and 500 more than Chinese-owned firms Volvo and BYD.
And chief executive Jean-Marc Gales said this is proving to be a pivotal year for the firm as it continued to hit new landmarks.
“The factory is an incredible place to be at the moment,” he said.
The numbers don’t include the hundreds of buses Wrightbus has made for customers in Europe and the Far East, which have underlined the company’s global aspirations. Neither does it take into account the order book of NewPower, a repowering service launched by Wrightbus in June which swaps out old diesel engines for an EV power-train.
Asked what was behind the stratospheric growth, Jean-Marc said: “Our growth is thanks to the incredible support we receive from our customers and of course from our workforce. We could not achieve this growth without the commitment of each of them.
“We completed a record 142 buses in August, and we have broken through the 2,000-employee barrier.
“We have more landmark orders to announce later this year, and we also unveiled our hydrogen coach demonstrator which will go into production in 2026.”
Wrightbus’s class-leading double-decker EV leads the way with 598 registrations, with the single-deck version selling 164. A record-breaking 142 buses rolled off the production line in August alone.
“We are selling in the UK, so we believe in supporting the UK economy. Our ecosystem includes suppliers from 47 counties across the United Kingdom, generating thousands of jobs and millions of pounds in revenue for businesses producing everything from heating systems and powertrains to laser cutting and fabrication. We all share in this success.
“Our ambition from day one has been to reduce the environmental impact of public transport – slashing emissions in our towns and cities quicker than any other industry - and we will remain committed to investing in the best technology to develop even more efficient solutions.”
It’s been a fairytale journey for Wrightbus since it was bought out of administration in 2019 by green entrepreneur Jo Bamford.
But Jean-Marc warned that the hard work was only just beginning.
“There is no room for standing still; innovation has been at the core of our business since we were founded in 1946 and we continue to dedicate enormous amounts of time, money and effort into staying ahead of the curve,” he said.
