Wrightbusis aNorthern Irishbus manufacturer and a pioneer of thelow-floor bus.The company was established in 1946 by Robert Wright and was later run by his sonWilliam Wright,until it was acquired in 2019 by British businessmanJo Bamford.
 | |
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Transport |
| Founded | 1946 |
| Founder | Robert Wright |
| Headquarters | Ballymena,Northern Ireland |
Key people | Jean-Marc Gales (CEO)[1] |
| Products | Bus and coachwork |
| Revenue | £181 million (2017) |
Number of employees | 1,300 (2023)[2] |
| Parent | Bamford Bus Company |
| Website | Official website |
History
edit1940s to 1970s – Early years
editWrightbus was founded in 1946 as Robert Wright & Son Coachbuilders.[3]In its early years it rebodiedlorries.In 1978, the company released its first aluminium-structured bus bodywork.
1990s – Breakthrough into bus bodybuilding sector
edit
Wright's breakthrough into the mainstream bus bodybuilding sector came in the early 1990s.[4]TheHandybuswas a midibus body offered on a variety of chassis but was most successful on the emergingDennis Dart,attracting reasonably-sized orders from a variety of operators includingLondon Buses,Go Ahead Northern,UlsterbusandCitybus (Belfast).[5]This was followed by a move into the full-size single deck market with theEndeavourwhich was fitted toDennis Javelin,Leyland TigerandScania K93chassis, and enabled Wright to develop its highly successfulEndurancebody which competed with theAlexander StriderandNorthern Counties Paladinfor orders onVolvo B10BandScania N113CRB chassis.[6][7]
Other Wright products introduced in this period included twoMercedes-Benz-based products, theO405basedCityrangerand the OH1416 basedUrbanranger.The latter was launched around the time bus operators in the UK began switching tolow floorchassis and consequently only attracted a handful of orders. However, Wright had become well established in the bus bodybuilding sector by then, and was able to exploit the opportunities the low-floor revolution would offer it from the mid-1990s onwards.
Low-floor
editIn 1993, thePathfinderon low floorDennis Lance SLFandScania N113CRL chassis was unveiled.
TheAxcess-Ultralowwas introduced in 1995 and offered on theScania L113chassis. At this time it was selling in reasonable numbers to UK bus operators, but unlike other bodybuilders who could only offer the L113 with step-entrance bodies, Wright modified it by removing the middle section of the chassis and thus offered UK bus operators one of the first mainstream low-floor body/chassis combinations. A major customer for the Axcess-Ultralow wasFirstGroup,taking approximately 240.
Next up was theVolvo B10LbasedLiberatorintroduced at the end of 1995:National Expressordered 120 in 1997. This would be followed by theRenownbody built on theVolvo B10BLEchassis, which went on to become the standard bus of theBlazefield Group.
2000s
edit
Robert Wright & Son was restructured in 2000, with the bus building operation rebranded to Wrightbus as a part of the Wright Group. Companies formed alongside Wrightbus in the Wright Group were Expotech, handling the export of the group's technologies and international joint ventures such asChance Coaches,[8]and CustomCare, an aftermarket support operation servicing buses delivered by both Wrightbus and other bus manufacturers.[9]
After production of the Volvo B10BLE ceased in 2001, Wrightbus developed theWright Eclipsebody for the newVolvo B7Lchassis, which, due to its vertical rear engine, was not popular with many operators. Nevertheless, Wright did not lose custom and many operators such asUlsterbusswitched to the incline-enginedScania L94UB,on a similarWright Solarbody. Another bodywork which resembles the Solar/Eclipserange is theMeridian,which was bodied on theMAN A22full low-floor single-deck chassis.
Wrightbus' firstdouble-decker bus,theWright Eclipse Gemini,was launched on theVolvo B7TLchassis in 2001. A similarly-styled bus entered service withArriva Londonin August 2003 as theWright Pulsar Geminion theVDL DB250chassis. Large operators of Gemini-bodied Wrightbus buses includedArriva,theFirstGroup,theGo-Ahead Group,Lothian BusesandNational Express'West Midlands,CoventryandDundeeoperations.
In November 2004, Wrightbus announced it was returning to producing bodies for minibuses at the Coach & Bus 2004 expo with the launch of the low-floor Satellite body, which was to be built on theIveco Daily-basedIrisbusLoGo 65C17 chassis cowl. The body, capable of seating between 24 and 28 passengers with room for a wheelchair through the application of a drop-centre frame, was expected to be launched in mid-2005.[10][11][12]In July 2005, however, Wrightbus announced that the Wright Satellite had been place on 'indefinite hold' in favour of further developing theWright StreetCarand otherEuro IVproducts.[13]
2010s
edit
One of the company's most notable products is theNew RoutemasterLondon bus, introduced in February 2012 as an update of theAEC Routemaster.[14]Production ended in 2017 when the 1,000th New Routemaster left the production line.[15]
Since May 2013, Wrightbus began building its own chassis, theStreetLitesingle-decker andStreetDeckdouble decker. However, they still continue to produce bodywork for theVolvo B5TL,Volvo B5LHandVolvo B8RLE.[16][17]
In 2016, theWright SRMwas introduced on theVolvo B5LH.It was an adaptation of the New Routemaster body onto Volvo's hybrid chassis at a shorter length of 10.6 metres (35 ft), with only six sold toRATP DevsubsidiaryLondon Unitedthat same year.[18]
Administration and acquisition by Jo Bamford
editBetween September and October 2019, Wrightbus enteredadministrationwith the suspension of 1,300 jobs at its factory.[19]At the timeDeloittewas appointed as the company's administrators, Wrightbus was £60 million in debt,[20]with £38.1 million of that debt owed to theBank of Ireland.
During the six years prior to Wrightbus going into administration, it was reported that Jeff Wright, the owner of the company, had donated £15 million to a church he had founded in 2007, Green Pastures Church.[21]This led to protests on 29 September 2019 which were joined by many of the company's former workers, including members of the Wright family.[22]
On 11 October 2019, a deal was reached in principle betweenJo Bamford(son ofAnthony Bamford,chairman of the construction equipment manufacturerJCB) and the Wright family for the land used by the factory, a sticking point in negotiations to sell the firm.[23][24]A deal was made with the administrators eleven days later, with Jo Bamford's Bamford Bus Company concluding a takeover of the company.[25]
Since the takeover of Wrightbus, Bamford has been committed to creating a market for hydrogen buses with a reconfigured StreetDeck that is powered by hydrogen. In 2020, Bamford said he planned to build 3,000 buses of this type by 2024.[26]
2020s
edit
Wrightbus has followed two strategies towards achievingzero emission:creating battery-powered andfuel cell(powered by hydrogen) vehicles. Early orders following the introduction of Wright's Electroliner and Hydroliner range included theGo-Ahead Group,who placed orders forfuel cell busesfor itsMetrobusfleet on theFastwaybus rapid transitservice, andTranslinkof Northern Ireland, who placed an initial order for 38battery electric buses.[27]
Wrightbus announced in February 2023 that it was planning to build agreen hydrogenproduction facility on its Ballymena site in partnership with Hygen Energy, capable of producing enough hydrogen to fuel up to 300 buses per day with the option to triple its production in line with future demand for the fuel.[28][29]Funding for the construction ofelectrolysersat the facility was secured from the first round of the UK government's £37.9 million UK Net Zero Hydrogen Fund in March 2023.[30][31]Wrightbus was later granted up to £534,000 million in funding from the UK government-sponsoredAdvanced Propulsion Centrefund in September 2023 to develop a driveline based on the GB Kite Hydroliner for a hydrogen fuel cell-powered coach, which will be intended as a functional "technology demonstrator".[32]A driveline demonstrator capable of a range of 1,000 kilometres (620 mi) was unveiled in September 2024 at the Cenex net-zero mobility show in Bedfordshire, with development work on the coach set to complete by 2025 before it takes to the road during 2026.[33]
In June 2024, Wrightbus announced it had formed NewPower, a new subsidiary headquartered at the formerArrival Busfactory inBicester,Oxfordshire,aimed at facilitating battery electric repowering of existing diesel Wrightbus buses, such as the StreetDeck, Gemini 2 and New Routemaster. At a cost of over £200,000, the repowering process involves the removal of the diesel drivetrain and ensuing fitment of a Voith Electric Drive System coupled with NMC battery packs and a Grayson HVAC system, all capable of being performed over a period of three weeks at a factory capacity of six buses being converted at one time. Wrightbus also announced it had opened a bus refurbishment business a short distance from the NewPower facility, which is aimed to complete external and internal refurbishments of buses following their battery electric conversions.[34][35]
Rightech
editOn 29 January 2025, Wrightbus launched its 'Rightech' sub-brand with the announcement of the 6 metres (20 ft)Rightech RB6and 9 metres (30 ft)RB9single-deck battery electric buses, produced in collaboration with Chinese bus and coach manufacturerKing Long,and entered into truck manufacturing with the additional announcement of theRightech RT75,a 7.5 tonnes (7.4 long tons; 8.3 short tons) battery electricbox truckproduced in collaboration withJAC Motorsand able to be specified at either a 3.85 metres (12.6 ft) or 4.48 metres (14.7 ft) wheelbase. Each model is available in bothleft- and right-hand drivevariants for the UK and European bus and truck markets.[36][37]
Exports
edit
In 1997, an order for 25Wright Crusader-bodiedDennis Dartswas delivered to Australian operatorACTION.Between 2003 and 2006, Hong Kong operatorKowloon Motor Busreceived a total of 164 Wrightbus three-axle double-deckers; 100 of them were onVolvo Super Olympianand 64 of them were onVolvo B9TLchassis. In 2009, Kowloon Motor Bus had ordered a total of 291 buses, including one demonstrator with two-axle, and all buses were in service in 2012. In 2010, the first of 450 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2-bodiedVolvo B9TLswas delivered toSBS Transit,Singapore till end 2012.[38]
In 2011, Wrightbus International was established. A contract was awarded by SBS Transit for 565Wright Eclipse Gemini 2bodied Volvo B9TLs and delivered since January 2013 till June 2015.[39][40]In November 2012, a contract for 50 Wright Eclipse Gemini 2 bodied Volvos was awarded by Kowloon Motor Bus. These were sent inknock-down kit(CKD) form from Northern Ireland and assembled in China and followed by another 85, including two 12.8-metre-long demonstrators.[41][42]In September 2013, Wrightbus entered into a partnership withDaimler Busesto manufacture buses inChennai,India.[43][44]
In March 2014, orders were secured from Hong Kong operatorsCitybusandNew World First Busfor 51 bodies on Volvo B9TL chassis. These were sent in CKD form from Northern Ireland and assembled in Malaysia.[45][46]In July 2014, SBS Transit ordered a further 415 Eclipse Gemini 2-bodied Volvo B9TLs which will be delivered from August 2015 till 2017,[needs update]increasing the total to 1,430 by 2017.[38][47]A single Eclipse Gemini 3-bodiedVolvo B8Lprototype was exported to Singapore for trial with SBS Transit but was subsequently sold to A&S Transit, a private bus operator in Singapore.[48]
Products
editCurrent models
edit
| Name | Chassis | Decks | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| GB Hawk | Integral | 1 | Diesel propulsion only |
| GB Kite | Integral | 2 | Electric or hydrogen propulsion only. |
| RB6 | Integral | 1 | Produced under Rightech sub-brand; electric propulsion only. |
| RB9 | Integral | 1 | Produced under Rightech sub-brand; electric propulsion only. |
| Gemini 3 | VolvoB5TL,B5LH,B8L | 2 | Bodywork on Volvo chassis; Volvo B5LH is a hybrid propulsion chassis |
| StreetDeck | Integral | 2 | |
| RT75 | Integral truck | N/A | Produced under Rightech sub-brand; electric propulsion only. |
Former
editSingle deck
edit
| Name | Chassis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Axcess-Floline | Scania L94UB | |
| Axcess-Ultralow | Scania L113CRL | |
| Cadet | DAF/VDL SB120 | Also sold as the Volvo Merit |
| Cityranger | Mercedes-Benz O405 | |
| Commander | DAF/VDL SB200 | |
| Consort | Leyland 9-13R Roadrunner | Possibly bodied other chassis |
| Contour | BedfordY-Series | Coach body, possibly bodied other chassis |
| Crusader | Dennis Dart SLF,Volvo B6LE | |
| Eclipse Metro | Volvo B7L | |
| Eclipse Urban, 2 and 3 | Volvo B7RLE Volvo B8RLE |
Replaced by theWright GB HawkandWright GB Kite |
| Eclipse Fusion | Volvo B7LA | Articulated bus |
| Eclipse Commuter | Volvo B7RLE | |
| Eclipse SchoolRun | Volvo B7R | |
| Endeavour | Leyland Tiger,Scania K93 | |
| Electrocity | DAF/VDL SB120 | Hybrid bus |
| Endurance | Volvo B10B,Scania N113CRB | |
| Fusion | Volvo B10LA | |
| Handybus | Dennis Dart,Leyland Swift | |
| Liberator | Volvo B10L | |
| Meridian | MAN A22 | |
| Nimbus | Mercedes-Benz T2,Renault S75 | Minibus |
| Pathfinder | Dennis Lance SLF,Scania N113CRL | |
| Pulsar | VDL SB200 | Was available in HEV form |
| Renown | Volvo B10BLE | |
| Royale | Leyland Leopard | |
| Solar | Scania L94UB | |
| Solar Fusion | Scania L94UA | Articulated bus |
| TT | Bedfordchassis | |
| StreetAir | Integral | Fully electric-powered midibus, can be DF (door-forward, chassis based on StreetDeck) or WF (wheel-forward, based on StreetLite) |
| StreetCar | Volvo B7LA,Hess | Articulated bus |
| StreetLite | Integral | Available in DF (door-forward, door is in part of the bus extending in front of front wheels) or WF (wheel-forward, wheels are right at the front and door is behind them) |
| StreetVibe | Integral | A shorter and narrower version of the StreetLite launched in 2014 to compete with the Optare Solo SR Slimline (wheel-forward) |
| Urbanranger | Mercedes-Benz OH141 |
Double deck
edit
| Name | Chassis | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Eclipse Gemini | VolvoB7TL,two-axleB9TL&B5LH | |
| Eclipse Gemini 2 | VolvoB9TL,B8L,B5LH | Production for two-axle version ceased in 2013/2014 |
| Explorer | Volvo Super Olympian | |
| Gemini 2 | Integral with VDL modules | Comes in DL & HEV variants |
| Pulsar Gemini | DAF/VDL DB250 | |
| Pulsar Gemini HEV | VDL DB250 | Hybrid |
| New Routemaster | Integral | Hybrid bus produced exclusively forTfLbetween 2012 and 2017 |
| SRM | Volvo B5LH | A more basic spin-off of theNew Routemasterwith fewer distinctive features |
References
edit- ^Halford, Paul (27 April 2023)."Wrightbus names Jean-Marc Gales as new CEO".routeone.Retrieved27 April2023.
- ^Canning, Margaret (5 November 2024)."Wrightbus snaps up bus repair firm as it pushes for global recognition".Belfast Telegraph.
- ^"Wright on Course".Commercial Motor.Temple Press. 7 November 1991. p. 111.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Robert Wright is to diversify".Commercial Motor.Temple Press. 1 August 1991. p. 16.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wright midi boosts jobs".Commercial Motor.Temple Press. 1 November 1990. p. 20.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wright choice for YT".Commercial Motor.Temple Press. 16 April 1992. p. 18.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wright launches intercity coach".Commercial Motor.Temple Press. 28 May 1992. p. 12.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Transformed Electronics Manufacturing".Industry Today.Vol. 8, no. 4. 2005. Archived fromthe originalon 26 January 2022.Retrieved29 December2024.
The owners also looked toward Europe, where mass transit has traditionally been more popular than in America, to pick some innovative ideas for the new direction of the company. It entered into an agreement with Wright Expotech, an Irish company, to develop Opus buses.
- ^"New structure for Wright".Bus & Coach Professional.August 2000. Archived fromthe originalon 15 October 2000.Retrieved6 December2023.
- ^"Wright's launches minibus".Coach & Bus Week.No. 652. Peterborough: Emap. 4 November 2004. p. 4.Retrieved11 December2024.
- ^"Wrightbus re-enters mini market".Bus and Coach Professional.No. 92. Telford: Partnership Publishing. 4 November 2004. p. 7.Retrieved11 December2024.
- ^"Wrightbus to build minibuses".Bus & Coach Buyer.No. 789. Spalding: Glen-Holland Limited. 5 November 2004. p. 7.Retrieved11 December2024.
- ^"No-go for LoGo".routeone.No. 85. Peterborough: Expo Publishing. 7 July 2005. p. 7.Retrieved11 December2024.
- ^"New Routemaster bus starts running on London roads".BBC News.27 February 2012.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^O'Neill, Julian (3 February 2016)."London Routemaster Buses: Wrightbus set to get order worth £60m".BBC News.Retrieved1 April2016.
- ^"More jobs at Wrightbus as orders flow in".Bus & Coach Professional.3 July 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 12 October 2007.Retrieved25 April2008.
- ^"Innovation win for Wrightbus".Ballymena Times.19 June 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 8 October 2007.Retrieved30 July2007.
- ^"London launch for new Wrightbus SRM on Volvo B5LH".Bus & Coach Professional.18 March 2016. Archived fromthe originalon 2 August 2016.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^Campbell, John (25 September 2019)."Wrightbus: 1,200 job losses confirmed as firm enters administration".BBC News.Retrieved24 September2019.
- ^McDonald, Gary (29 November 2019)."Wrightbus owes £60m say administrators – and creditors may get nothing".The Irish News.Dublin.Retrieved4 February2021.
- ^Stewart, Amy (10 October 2019)."Wrightbus: Who is Jeff Wright founder of Green Pastures?".BBC News.Retrieved4 February2021.
- ^Simpson, Mark (29 September 2019)."Wrightbus: Protest at Green Pastures Church over donations".BBC News.Retrieved4 February2021.
- ^"Deal reached 'in principle' for Wrightbus sale".BBC News.Archivedfrom the original on 11 October 2019.Retrieved11 October2019.
- ^McDonald, Gary (12 October 2019)."As JCB heir's son takes Wrightbus reins, how many jobs can be saved?".The Irish News.Dublin.Retrieved27 February2022.
- ^"New Wrightbus owner to recruit within weeks".BBC News.BBC News.Retrieved22 October2019.
- ^Mario (6 October 2020)."Wrightbus hydrogen double decker bus is ready for Birmingham".Sustainable Bus.Retrieved4 February2021.
- ^McAllen, Ryan (5 November 2021)."Wrightbus secures new hydrogen bus order from GB transport group".The Irish News.Dublin.Retrieved27 February2022.
- ^Campbell, John (13 February 2023)."Ballymena: Wrightbus to develop hydrogen production facility".BBC News.Retrieved1 April2023.
- ^"Wrightbus building new hydrogen production base in Ballymena".Belfast Telegraph.13 February 2023.Retrieved1 April2023.
- ^Campbell, John (31 March 2023)."NI green hydrogen projects win government grants".BBC News.Retrieved1 April2023.
- ^Halford, Paul (31 March 2023)."Wrightbus hydrogen facility gains government funding".routeone.Retrieved1 April2023.
- ^"Hydrogen fuel cell-electric coach driveline coming from Wrightbus".routeone.8 September 2023.Retrieved8 September2023.
- ^"Wrightbus hydrogen coach work advances to driveline demo stage".routeone.4 September 2024.Retrieved5 September2024.
- ^Williams, Mark (21 June 2024)."Wrightbus launches Oxfordshire repower business".Bus & Coach Buyer.Retrieved21 June2024.
- ^Rimell, Will (21 June 2024)."Wrightbus launches electrification drive for diesel buses".Autocar.Retrieved21 June2024.
- ^Crawford, Alex (29 January 2025)."Wrightbus partners with King Long on EV buses, hydrogen coach confirmed for 2026".routeone.Retrieved30 January2025.
- ^Barrow, George (29 January 2025)."Wrightbus launches new 7.5-tonne electric truck Rightech RT75".Commercial Motor.DVV Media International.Retrieved30 January2025.
- ^ab"SBS Transit orders 415 more Geminis".Buses.No. 714. Stamford: Key Publishing. September 2014. p. 19.
- ^"SBS Transit to add 1,000 More Buses"(Press release). SBS Transit. 9 July 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 31 July 2012.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Doing the Wright thing in Asia"(Press release). Wrightbus. 21 November 2012. Archived fromthe originalon 6 November 2014.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wrighbus wins Hong Kong bus order".BBC News.12 November 2012.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^Weir, Clare (13 November 2012)."Wrightbus celebrates its first Chinese order".Belfast Telegraph.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wrightbus move into India can increase jobs at home".The Irish News.Dublin. 9 July 2013.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Daimler and Wrighbus Indian partnership".Bus & Coach Professional.4 September 2013. Archived fromthe originalon 9 March 2014.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^Weir, Clare (6 March 2014)."Ballymena's Wrightbus to build flat-pack buses for Hong Kong".Belfast Telegraph.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Wrightbus to assemble in Malaysia".Bus & Coach Professional.6 March 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 9 March 2014.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"SBS Transit to add 665 More Buses"(Press release). SBS Transit. 1 July 2014. Archived fromthe originalon 8 August 2014.Retrieved6 November2014.
- ^"Volvo B8L".Land Transport Guru.10 June 2020.Retrieved15 April2024.
External links
edit- Official website
Media related toWrightbusat Wikimedia Commons
