Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus secures further 80 electric bus orders set for London
Ballymena bus manufacturer Wrightbus is set to add more than 100 electric buses to London's public transport system due to a "significant" increase in orders.
Abellio has secured 80 additional zero-emission vehicles to its fleet, of which 24 are single-deck buses and 56 are double-deck buses.
The vehicles are due to be operational from 2024.
Transport operator Abellio hopes the investment "enable Londonders to enjoy greener, cleaner journeys" while also "supporting hundreds of high-skilled jobs to help level up and grow the economy".
The new vehicles include special features such as nearside blindspot warnings, tyre pressure monitoring system, automated emergency braking system and dynamic stability test.
Jon Eardley, Managing Director of Abellio, said: “Abellio sits at the forefront of EV bus technology in London, leading the way with the introduction of zero-emission buses across our six London depots.
“We are proud to support Transport for London and the Mayor of London’s goals to decarbonise London’s streets.
“Abellio’s investment in state-of-the-art EV fleet and comprehensive infrastructure has already provided millions of customers with comfortable, cleaner, and greener journeys.
“We are very excited about the future as we energise all six of our London depots and work in partnership with Wrightbus to serve our customers with innovative zero-emission journeys.”
Jean-Marc Gales, CEO at Wrightbus, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Abellio to further demonstrate their commitment to offering even more zero-emission public transport in London.
“It has been a real team effort between Wrightbus and Abellio to deliver these orders, which will help customers enjoy cleaner transport.
“We’re immensely proud of the reputation we have forged in the zero-emission transport sector and the important role we are playing in the UK’s ambitions for decarbonisation.
“All of the buses will be manufactured and assembled at our Ballymena factory, which means support for jobs in Northern Ireland, and wider across the UK through our domestic supply chain.”
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