Retrofitting ageing diesel-powered commercial vehicles is already big business. UK-based company Bedeo, for example, has created a range-extender electric powertrain for vans.
Costing around £25,000, it consists of two in-wheel electric motors. These can be selected, and the engine turned off, when the driver requires.
The Newpower conversion process involves replacing the diesel engine with an electric drivetrain that comprises four 77kWh battery packs, and a Voith electric motor on the existing rear axle, for 322bhp and, most importantly for a 10-tonne-plus bus, 1770lb ft of torque.
Front and rear heat pumps are also added to boost efficiency, as well as extra battery cooling and, to cope with the additional weight from the packs, a package of chassis reinforcements.
Range will average 143 miles, depending on passenger loads and use cases, Wrightbus said. For operators wanting more range, a fifth pack can be added into the nearside wheel arch, boosting range to 178 miles. Wrightbus quotes a 150kW maximum DC charging rate.
However, the conversion does reduce bus passenger numbers by around six for the four-pack option and 12 for the five-pack.
Currently, conversions are limited to Wrightbus’s Streetdeck buses, with its Gemini 2 model next up. Each packaging design for a new bus takes six months to create at a cost of £1 million and the firm will also push to convert buses from rival companies.